May 21, 2007 By Dave Stofcheck 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Jason Greene had three hits, and five Blaney Farms pitchers combined on a five-hitter, as Blaney Farms defeated reigning league champion Carmichaels in the Fayette County Baseball League opener, 8-3, Sunday at Carmichaels High School. Greene also drove in two runs and scored a pair, as Blaney Farms knocked off the team that ended its season on a sour note a year ago.

Formerly Mario’s, Blaney Farms was swept by Carmichaels in last year’s finals.

On Sunday, Blaney Farms broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Scott VanSickle and Greene laced back-to-back two-run singles, and Greene later scored when Jim Cales’ grounder was mishandled.

VanSickle finished with two hits in three plate appearances and also scored two runs, while Shayne Busti and Ryan Robowski added two hits each, with Busti recording a double.

“I’m pleased with the way we hit,” said Blaney Farms manager Lou Pasquale. “It’s hard to come out (at the beginning of the season) and hit, especially against good pitching.”

Wes Kisner, the second of five pitchers, picked up the win. Kisner (1-0) worked a scoreless third inning, retiring three of the four batters he faced.

Marty Fagler started for Blaney Farms and didn’t allow a hit through two innings. Todd Dunham followed Kisner with an inning, Robowski worked the fifth and sixth, and Jeff Barnyak recorded the final three outs.

Carmichaels used four pitchers, as both teams wanted to avoid high pitch counts so early in the season.

“It’s probably going to be that way for the first five or six games,” Pasquale said. “We don’t want to burn anybody out.”

Justin Schrader (0-1) suffered the loss, starting and lasting 3 and 2/3 innings. Schrader allowed four runs on four hits, with four strikeouts and four walks.

Ron Nopwasky then tossed 1 and 1/3 innings, with Zach Solly and Eric Holt working the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.

“Our pitching was OK,” said long-time Carmichaels manager Richard Krause. “They bunched their hits together and we had ours spread out.”

Carmichaels scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dan Novak’s one-out double scored Brad Baker.

Blaney Farms took an 8-1 lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. VanSickle was hit by a pitch, Greene singled and Busti chopped an infield single to load the bases. Cales then reached on catcher’s interference and VanSickle was forced home to make it 6-1.

Solly then walked Jared Lapkowicz to force home another run, and after Jeremy Thomas struck out, Robowski singled home Blaney Farms’ eighth run.

Thomas was officially 0 for 1, but walked in his first three plate appearances.

Carmichaels pushed a run across home plate in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tyler Anderson’s double, and the Copperheads scored their final run an inning later when Chris Buncic walked and eventually scored on a passed ball.

“It’s always good to get a win against a really good team,” Pasquale said.

The field, home to the high school’s Mighty Mikes, was in very good shape, even after light rain fell Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

Clouds then gave way to sunshine as Sunday’s game played out.

Having nice weather for the opener was of little solace to Krause.

“I’d rather have a rainout than lose,” he said.