Carmichaels wins first game of Legion series
MAPLETOWN – Andy Mazur was in a groove while his teammates chipped away for a big lead. The diligent combination helped Carmichaels sculpt a 7-1 win over California in the first round of the Fayette American Legion baseball playoffs Monday at Mapletown. Mazur pitched five no-hit innings before giving up a leadoff single to Shane Tonkavitch in the sixth. Carmichaels escaped the inning and went on to tack on four runs to its 3-0 lead in the bottom of the inning to secure the win.
“Mazur pitched an excellent game,” said Carmichaels manager Jerry Kowalczyk. “He gets by the first and second innings and then gets into a nice groove.”
Carmichaels (19-3) escaped the sixth inning on a 6-4-3 double play. California had runners on first and second and cleanup hitter Trevor Consavage at bat, but Shayne Busti, Jamie Kowalczyk and Jared Lapkowicz teamed for the rally killer.
“We played decent,” said California manager Mark Hollowood. “But when we needed the key hits, they just didn’t come.”
Mazur pitched the seventh inning before Drew Denham came on in relief. Mazur gave up four hits while striking out five and walking two.
Denham gave up California’s lone run-an unearned run in the eighth inning when Tonkavitch reached on an error, advanced toe second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a failed pick off attempt.
The Carmichaels’ sticks accounted for runs in the third, fourth and fifth before Jared Lapkowicz capped off a four-run sixth inning by belting a two-run homer to right-centerfield. Denham and Colby Giles slapped singles to ignite the inning, before Busti knocked them in with a double to left field.
“We chipped away and got runners on,” Kowalczyk said. “It seemed like every inning we’d almost have that big inning, but we finally got it in the sixth.”
Jamie Kowalczyk’s seeing-eye single to centerfield plated Jared Lapkowicz in the fifth inning, while Giles and Matt Fanase scored Carmichaels’ first runs on an error in the third inning and on a fielder’s choice in the fourth, respectively.
Jared Lapkowicz and Fanase, who doubled twice down the right-field line, led all hitters with two hits apiece.
Consavage absorbed the loss for California (7-16) pitching seven innings. He gave up all seven runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked two.
“We pitched fine,” said Hollowood. “We started to get down from not scoring, then we were looking uphill the rest of the game.”
Carmichaels, last year’s champion, will travel to California for the second game of the best of three series for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.
“As the defending champions we can’t have a letdown,” Kowalczyk added. “We’ve got to turn it up an extra notch.”