Mikes play near flawless game
PITTSBURGH – Dave Bates likes all aspects of baseball. “There’s nothing I hate worse than watching a one-dimensional baseball team,” said the Carmichaels coach.
Not surprisingly, Bates’ Mikes put all of their many talents on display in a beautiful blend of baseball in steamrolling Bishop Canevin, 10-0 in five innings, in the WPIAL Class A championship game at PNC Park on Thursday.
You like pitching?
Jared Lapkowicz was in complete command, facing only one batter over the minimum in firing a shutout that included seven strikeouts. If not for an infield hit and a bloop triple that escaped into the right-field corner, Lapkowicz could’ve been looking at a no-hitter.
“I thought it was excellent,” Canevin coach Robert Locke said of Lapkowicz’s performance. “He kept us off stride, then when he got the lead he put the ball over the plate and we just couldn’t hit him.”
You like hitting?
The Mikes pounded out 13 hits in their five innings, including four by Shayne Busti, three by Lapkowicz with two doubles, and two by Jamie Kowalczyk.
They may not have hit a home run, but don’t be fooled. Busti’s monster smash near the 410 sign in left-center field that went for a ground-rule double would’ve been out of any high school ball park he played in this season.
“Nobody hit that well against us,” Locke said in stacking up the Mikes against the rest of the Crusaders’ 2003 schedule.
You like fundamental baseball?
Jono Menhart and Donnie Hewitt both laid down sacrifice bunts, the former coming with two strikes, and Colby Giles and Jeff Lapkowicz each hit a sacrifice fly.
You like defense?
Carmichaels was flawless in the field. Giles made two plays at third base in the first inning to set the tone, and just missed making a spectacular barehanded play on a slow roller by Shawn McDonald in the second inning. McDonald wasn’t on the base paths for long anyhow, as Jeff Lapkowicz gunned him down trying to steal second with a perfect strike to shortstop Busti to end the inning.
“Let’s give Carmichaels credit for being prepared and playing very well,” Locke said.
You like running teams?
Well, here may have been the only grade lower than an “A” on the Mikes’ report card as two runners were thrown out trying to advance to third base on throws to the plate. Even so, Kowalczyk stole a base which led to his scoring in the fourth, and Menhart’s daring sprint to third later in the inning resulted in a throwing error and an interference call which awarded him home.
“We take chances,” Bates said. “Sometimes you lose, but that’s our style of baseball.”
You like teamwork?
Everyone contributed to the Mikes’ victory. Every player in Carmichaels’ lineup got a least one hit except for Andy Mazur and Niko Buday, but even each of them took one for the team, reaching base by getting hit by a pitch. In fact, Buday was hit twice and reached base once on an error.
The only player Bates’ used off the bench contributed, too, as Sean McCombs scored one run as a courtesy runner and another as a pinch runner.
It was a complete team effort for sure, and Bates wanted everyone to know it. While Jared Lapkowicz, Giles, Busti and Menhart accompanied him at the press table, Bates then called for the rest of his team to come up as well.
“This is a team win,” Bates said, “a team effort from all our players.”
Bates gave credit to his coaches, Scott Van Sickle and Rob Cole, and even his wife for standing by him and “putting up” with his love for and involvement in baseball.
You can’t blame Bates for his exuberance. The day couldn’t have gone more perfectly for him and his team.
The brand of baseball his Mikes showed while on this big stage was about as good as you’ll ever see in a WPIAL championship game.
Rob Burchianti is assistant sports editor of the Herald-Standard and can be reached online at begin rvburchianti@hotmail.com rvburchianti@hotmail.com end
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