Carmichaels Legion wins doubleheader
MAPLETOWN – Spurred on by home runs from Shayne Busti and Jared Lapkowicz, Carmichaels American Legion made the most of its third doubleheader of the week as it swept visiting Farmington, 11-1, 9-1, at Mapletown High School. But it was no surprise to Carmichaels manager Jerry Kowalczyk.
“My kids love to play baseball,” Kowalczyk said. “They get it up for every game. They love to hit the ball, as well.”
And hit they did.
Seven of Carmichaels’ 17 hits in the second game were for extra bases, including Busti’s solo homer in the third inning, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
“Shayne just crushes the ball,” Kowalczyk said. “He knows how to cut down on his swing and drive it for a home run. I’ll put him up against anyone in the league, batting wise.”
Busti led all hitters going 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, followed by teammates Drew Denham, Colby Giles and Jared Lapkowicz with two hits apiece.
Kyle Clay led Farmington’s second-game charge with two hits.
Jono Menhart sparked Carmichaels’ fourth inning with a fly-ball triple on the left field line, scoring Denham. After Busti singled home Menhart, Jared
Lapkowicz stroked a two-run homer to right-center giving Carmichaels (10-3) a 7-0 lead.
“We were finding the gaps,” Kowalczyk said. “We like to play power ball instead of small ball.”
“They hit the ball hard,” said Farmington manager Alan George. “Carmichaels is a good, disciplined team and we knew we had to be at our best. We just didn’t have it.”
George was well aware of the opposition’s hitting, but what he was hoping for was to steal a win benefiting from Carmichaels’ eight-game schedule and supposed lack of pitching during the week.
“We were resting some of our pitchers and were hoping to get the second game,”
George said. “We didn’t know who they were going to pitch coming in (because they’ve played three doubleheaders).
After John Pochran pitched a complete-game two-hitter in the first game with seven strikeouts, Denham came in to pitch six shutout innings of two-hit ball in the second game before surrendering Farmington’s lone run on three hits in the seventh inning.
“We’re deeper than a lot of teams,” Kowalczyk said. “We are on our sixth pitcher already this week. No other team can say that; we probably shocked them with that.”
Denham struck out six and walked none. His final strikeout ended the seventh
Inning, where D.J. Yonash scored the one run after singling and scoring when
Carmichaels mishandled a Nate Klingensmith grounder to the left side.
Howie King suffered the loss, pitching into the third inning before Yonash came in on relief.
Mike George suffered the loss in the first game, also pitching three innings before Gary King took the mound. Only Gary King managed to strike out a Carmichael’s batter out during both games.
Farmington (6-8) scored its lone run of the first game when Gary King reached base on a bunt single, and later scored on a Mike George single comprising both Farmington hits of the game.
“We’re up, we’re down,” George said. “Coming in we were 6-6, so hopefully we can get back to even. I told the guys before the season: if we play .500 ball we’ll be fine. That’s what we are looking for.”
Menhart led all first-game batters with three hits and an RBI, as Carmichaels rolled to a 6-1 lead by the third inning before tacking on four runs in the fourth.
The 10-run rule was enforced in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Carmichaels will play its fourth doubleheader of the week today when it hosts Waynesburg at Mapletown High, while Farmington hosts Masontown-Point Marion.