Peters outduels Damico in Carmichaels’ 1-0 win
CARMICHAELS – The story of the game sounds more like Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Camp rather the most important regular season game this year in the Fayette County Baseball League. A 33-year-old former Pirate pitcher throws a two-hit shutout backed by the game-winning hit and clockwork defensive play of two local 16-year-old high school players.
This was no fantasy; this game counted.
The Carmichaels Copperheads (22-4) deferred visiting Bud Murphy’s (22-5) the top seed in the playoffs and increased their chances at having the league’s best record with a 1-0 win Sunday afternoon.
Ex-Pirate Chris Peters, who lost a game to Bud Murphy’s last year in the playoffs, improved his 2005 record to 6-0, pitching seven innings with no runs, two hits, five strikeouts and one walk.
The one run he needed to notch the win scored on a fourth-inning double by designated hitter Gene Franks, a junior-to-be at Albert Gallatin. Preserving the lead for Carmichaels was Connellsville High junior Joe Leonard, who threw out four of his team’s final nine outs by fielding grounders at shortstop.
“It’s an incredible balance,” raved Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause. “That’s the kind of balance you want with county league teams. To have these young kids come in here, it actually gives our older guys a little hop in their step. It’s a great relationship on the team.”
Jeff Thompson, one of the veteran players for Carmichaels, hit a one-out single to right field in the fourth inning. Thompson scored when Franks hit a rainbow down the left field line, but Franks was throw out at third when, after he held up at second, tried to take third when Bud Murphy’s botched the relay throw.
“I can’t say enough about Gene Franks,” Krause said. “He has hit his way into the lineup. He had the big hit today.”
Franks, who went 2-for-2 including a walk and two doubles, led Carmichaels’ eight-hit offense.
A part-time player with about 10 starts this season, Franks will be with the Copperheads for the remainder of the year after his summer traveling team recently completed its season.
“I’m impressed with the younger players,” Peters said. “They faced a good pitcher and what’s even more impressive is they are using wooden bats (instead of the aluminum bats they are accustomed to in high school).”
Peters also revealed that Sunday’s start was the best of his season.
“Today, as far as command, was my best overall,” Peters added. “I still need to get some of the velocity back on my fastball; it’s not quite there.”
Not to be completely outdone was Peters’ counterpart and fellow left-hander Nick Damico, who struck out eight and surrendered eight hits and two walks across six innings for Bud Murphy’s.
“He throws fast,” said Bud Murphy’s manager Tom Sankovich. “But against a good team he can’t throw as many fastballs.”
Sankovich acknowledged how close his team was to winning despite only registering two hits, a single by Brian Sankovich with one out in the fourth and a one-out single by Mark Riggin in the sixth.
“(We could’ve won) very easily,” Sankovich said. “It’s always a close game when we play Carmichaels. I thought we hit the ball harder, we had some hard outs and we don’t strikeout as much. All it takes is one swing of the bat.”
Carmichaels can wrap up the No. 1 seed in the league playoffs by avoiding a loss to Mill Run, the Copperheads’ opponent for their next two games beginning at Mill Run on Tuesday at 6 p.m.