Copperheads pull away from Mill Run, 10-2
CARMICHAELS — Carmichaels’ Joby Lapkowicz picked up the win on the mound for the Copperheads and pounded out four RBIs in a 10-2 win over Mill Run Monday night at Carmichaels High School in Fayette County Baseball League action.
With two games left in the regular season, the Copperheads (16-2) are poised to clinch the first seed this week. The FCBL playoffs officially start on Sunday.
“We got some timely hits tonight,” Carmichaels manager Richard Krause said. “The score is very misleading because this was a tight baseball game for most of the night. Mill Run is always a good team and they play the game the right way. It’s always a hard fought game and we couldn’t afford to give them any additional chances.”
In a rematch of last year’s finals, which Carmichaels won 3-0 for its ninth league title, Lapkowicz was the catalyst both on the rubber and at the plate for the home team.
The lefty threw five innings and limited the Millers (9-8) to one run on three hits with eight strikeouts and just one walk.
“We had a good pitching game, but our starter just ran out of gas,” Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff said.
“The sixth inning got away from us. We haven’t been hitting the ball and emotionally that has put us down. We are getting behind in counts and not stringing enough hits together. We are swinging defensively.”
After a scoreless top of the first, Lapkowicz aided his own cause with an RBI single that scored lead-off hitter Hunter Robinson to give the Copperheads an early 1-0 lead.
Mill Run knotted things up at 1-1 in the top of the fourth when a sacrifice fly by Kris Firestone scored Garrett Brooks.
Carmichaels quickly responded in the bottom half of the frame to regain the lead, 3-1, for good after a two-run homer by Joe Havrilak.
The Copperheads tacked on two more runs in the fifth, courtesy of a two-run homer by Lapkowicz.
“Joby’s home run was huge in the fifth and gave us a lot of cushion,” Krause said. “That one at-bat changed the game in our favor. We are a work in progress on offense and we are always going to rely on our pitching and defense. Both have been very good for us this season. We just have to be more consistent at the plate.”
Carmichaels opened the game up in the bottom of the sixth with five runs on three hits. Ty Cole collected an infield RBI single in the frame, while Gage Clark delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single for the Copperheads.
The home team registered two more runs in the frame, via Clark scoring on an infield error and a RBI single by Lapkowicz.
In the top of the seventh, the Millers garnered a run after a run-producing hit by Gabe Kemp that scored Corey Fogle.
Noah Holley and Chuck Gasti pitched the final two innings for the Copperheads.
Dakota McWilliams was tagged with the loss for Mill Run, going five innings and allowing five runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two free passes.
“We have our sights on the playoffs and we are looking for improvement,” Orndorff said. “We have to progress and I hope we can get out of this funk on offense. We are hoping this offensive struggle will stop before the playoffs.”