County League
Connellsville hangs loss on Carmichaels Wes Kisner “slid” back into his usual pitching form at just the right time, and at the same time got one big load off his manager’s back.
Kisner worked an eight-hitter and got some timely backing from his teammates as Connellsville nudged Carmichaels, 3-2, in a Fayette County Baseball League nail biter Wednesday at the Laurel Highlands High field.
Manager Len Kolencik had two good reasons for enjoying the win by his Warriors (3-6).
He called the occasion “a very big win for us on a great effort by Wes, and secondly, in my six years as manager of this team, there are two teams that we had never beaten before today, Carmichaels and Bud Murphy’s. We almost had Bud’s on Tuesday and let them get away, but today we got Carmichaels and now it’s just Bud’s to go.”
Kisner walked only two batters, fanned seven and yielded eight singles – two each to J.W. Kayla, losing pitcher Scott Swinchock, Jeff Thompson and George Taylor.
The Copperheads got single runs in the third and fifth and had a threat going in the seventh, but Kisner pitched out all three times, with the help of some timely defense.
Former Albert Gallatin right-hander Kisner, who recently concluded his first season at Penn State-Fayette, said, “This is a big win for the team and a huge win for me. This is only my second start ever in the County League.
“The first couple of innings I had trouble with my slider, which is my best pitch, so I had to rely on the fastball and curve. Then about the third inning I started to get the slider back and was able to throw it for strikes.”
The Copperheads made one last try to catch Kisner in the top of the seventh, getting two runners aboard on an error and Swinchock’s single with one out. But a pop to second and a fly to right ended that move.
Kisner said, “I think I got a little nervous there in the seventh, but they had threatened two other times, and I got out of trouble with the defense back of me, so I just threw what Mike (catcher Miskanin) called for. Mike called a great game for me.”
Kolencik said, “Mike is a natural second baseman, but he went back there today and was a big help, plus having that big defensive play at the plate.”
In the second, Thompson and Taylor singled to open the inning, putting runners on first and third. Vince Zapotosky hit a slow roller back toward the mound, and Thompson broke for home. Kisner flipped the ball to Miskanin, who gave away about 60 pounds at the plate, and despite a hard collision with Thompson; he held the ball for the out.
Kolencik said, “There were so many good plays today. Swinchock didn’t have his usual fastball, but his curve was breaking well. We like to play Carmichaels, for Dickie (manager Krause) and his team are real class guys.”
Krause cited “too many missed opportunities early” as helping with the loss.
“We left too many runners on base (10), especially at second and third. We are only 4-for-23 with runners on second and third. We had our chances, but we didn’t hit in the clutch.”
The Warriors counted seven hits off two pitchers, including Ray Alekson’s single and triple, the only extra-base hit of the game and Dan Gratchic’s two singles.
Connellsville led 2-0 in the first. Brian Sass walked to lead off, stole second and scored on Gratchic’s single, and Alekson tripled in Gratchic.
Carmichaels got one in the third and had a big threat going. With one out, Kayla singled, Lee Fritz was nicked by a pitch and Swinchock singled. But Kisner got two strikeouts to end that push.
Connellsville got that run back in the third as Gratchic singled, stole second and scored on Anthony Griffith’s single.
Carmichaels added a run in the fifth. Kayla singled, and with two out, Thompson and Taylor singled.
Connellsville is on the road today, playing at Rostraver.