Aug 11, 2005 By Alan Smodic For The 3 min read

The defending Fayette County Baseball League champions lived to see another day with a 3-2 victory over Mario’s Wednesday night in Leckrone. Pitching on four days rest, Bud Murphy’s ace Nick Damico notched a complete-game win against Mario’s, pushing the two teams’ series to a fifth and deciding game for the second year in a row.

Damico scattered five hits over seven innings and didn’t allow a run until the bottom of the seventh inning. He struck out five and walked five in the effort.

“I might be a bit prejudiced,” Bud Murphy’s coach Tom Sankovich said, “But I think when Nick has his rest, he’s the best pitcher in the league. I think he can beat anybody.”

For the first three innings though, Mario’s looked to break open the scoreless game and take an early advantage off of Damico, but could never capitalize on its opportunities.

In the first inning, Mario’s loaded the bases on a single and two walks, but Damico struck out Jared Lapkowicz to end the inning.

Bill Rouse was left stranded in the second inning, while Damico used a strike out and ground out to leave Jason Greene and Chris McManus in scoring position, preserving a 2-0 Bud Murphy’s lead.

“We left too many runners on base,” Mario’s coach Lou Pasquale said. “We left six on in the first three innings. All we’ve got to do is bring two of those guys in and we win the game.”

Two innings after Bud Murphy’s posted its first two runs for a 2-0 lead, Mark Riggin added what proved to be the game-winning run with a single.

Third baseman Brian Shipley singled to lead off the inning and reached second when the ball was misplayed in left field. A sacrifice fly moved Shipley to third with just one out.

After a ground out to second base that held Shipley at third, Riggin delivered a clutch two-out RBI single for a 3-0 Bud Murphy’s advantage.

“Riggin has struggled more than anybody on our team this year,” Sankovich said. “He’s a dangerous hitter; everyone knows that and a hit like that couldn’t have happened to a nicer kid.”

Bud Murphy’s 3-0 lead wasn’t safe in the bottom of the seventh inning, however, as Damico began to lose the plate and put Mario’s in position to win the game.

He walked Tony Rose and Rouse before hitting Scott VanSickle in the foot to load the bases with no outs. After a sacrifice fly scored one run, Damico walked the bases loaded again with a free pass to Jeff Lapkowicz.

With the bases loaded and one out, McManus scored another run with a sacrifice fly to right field, leaving the tying run on second base with two outs for John Harvey. Damico, however, sat Harvey down swinging to end the game.

“I looked at Mark Edenfield during the inning and said there’s a sugar plum fairy dancing in my head, saying that John Harvey’s going to win the game for us,” Pasquale said. “He eventually got up, but things just didn’t go our way.”

Jim Kubina suffered the loss for Mario’s, working all seven innings and allowing the three runs on seven hits, while striking out and walking two apiece.

Game 2 starters, Todd Dunham and Richie Means, will meet up on the mound today for the deciding Game 5 scheduled for 5:45 p.m. at Breakneck Ball Field.

“If Richie can hold them to a few runs, because I know we can score some runs, then it’s going to be interesting,” Sankovich said, “Especially on our home field.”