Jul 8, 2003 By Justin Zackal For The 3 min read

MAPLETOWN – Falling raindrops couldn’t end it, but a shower of falling baseballs sure did. Carmichaels 10-runned Colonial No. 3, 10-0, in American Legion baseball action Monday in the eighth inning following a brief rain delay. Six consecutive singles, separated by a delay for rain and threatening lightning, swelled Carmichaels’ lead from six to 10, as the winners had 10 different players recording hits.

“This is our ninth straight win and we are really in the flow of things,” said Carmichaels manager Jerry Kowalczyk. “We were a little overanxious at first, but then we strung together some hits.”

Both teams were scoreless and combined for four hits in the first 31/2 innings. Shayne Busti belted a solo home run in the fourth inning, foreshadowing Carmichaels’ five-inning barrage in the fifth inning on three hits and two errors. Busti struck again with an RBI double in the fifth, following Jono Menhart’s two-run double scoring Drew Denham and Colby Giles.

“We were playing well the first four innings,” said Colonial manager Ralph Rice. “But once we made our first mistakes and they started hitting the ball, it just snowballed from there.”

Once Carmichaels (16-3) captured the lead, its outfield trio of Denham, Menhart and Matt Fanase snagged several balls with highlight-reel diving catches. Coupled with the complete-game effort of pitcher Andy Mazur, Carmichaels stymied Colonial, scattering five hits.

“I thought they did a good job,” Rice said. “They made some great defensive plays. Every time we’d hit the ball in an inning, they would make a play to end it.”

“Our outfielders really stepped up,” Kowalczyk said. “Everything I ask of my players, they go out and do. They are easy to coach because they know where to go and they do it.”

Colonial (10-11) couldn’t seem to solve Mazur, as he struck out three and walked one in eight innings. Only eight Colonial players reached base while Mazur was on the hill, and just once did two players reach base in the same inning. Mazur also benefited from a 6-4-3 double play completed by Jamie Kowalczyk, Busti and Jared Lapkowicz in the fourth inning, and Fanase’s diving catch in the seventh inning with Colonials’ Mike Klamerus in scoring position after doubling to right-center. Klamerus led Colonial with two hits.

Corey Watkins absorbed the loss for Colonial, pitching five innings with no walks and no strikeouts, while giving up six runs on seven hits. Brandon Mallick came in to pitch the final three innings.

Mallick gave up singles to John Pochron and Kowalczyk in the bottom of the eighth, followed by RBI singles to Fanase, Mazur, Justin Corso and Denham to end the game.

Mazur lead all batters with three hits and two runs scored to help his own cause, while Busti registered two hits and scored two runs to go with his two RBI.

Carmichaels travels to Uniontown tomorrow for a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m., while Colonial is in action today at Charleroi.