Apr 6, 2018 By Adam Brewer for The 5 min read

CARMICHAELS — Carmichaels’ high-powered offense was in mid-season form Friday afternoon, as the Lady Mikes pounded out 14 hits, six for extra bases, in a 17-1 rout of visiting California in Section 2-A softball action.

The Lady Mikes (3-1, 2-0) have scored a total of 43 runs in their three wins this season.

“We really stung the ball today,” Carmichaels coach Dave Briggs said. “That’s probably the best hitting performance of the season for us. We have been lucky to be outside and play a couple of times already this season. In these cold weather games, it’s always important to make contact with the ball and put pressure on the defense.”

After coming back from the Ripken Experience in Tennessee last week, Carmichaels has put together a pair of lopsided section wins over Avella (14-2 on Thursday) and California.

Emma Holaren had a team-highs with three hits and three runs.

“Emma is only a freshman,” Briggs said. “She hit the ball hard today and has very quick hands. She’s a little raw and is learning every game, but we really like what we see from her. We plug her in as the No. 3-hole hitter and she has gotten some big hits.”

Megan Walker, Maddie Ewart, Shelbee McCann and Mia Ranieri all collected two hits apiece in the win.

Playing in just their second game of the spring, the Lady Trojans (0-2, 0-1) couldn’t keep up with Carmichaels offense and committed five errors.

Carmichaels went up 2-0 in the first inning after Ewart delivered a two-out, two-run single to left field.

The Lady Mikes exploded with eight runs in the second on six hits and three errors. Walker started the big inning with a bases-clearing triple for a 5-0 lead.

Walker later scored on an outfield error, followed by run-producing hits by Holaren, Madison Ellsworth and Ranieri for a 10-0 lead at the end of two.

“We always hope for a balance line-up one through nine every year,” Briggs said. “It can’t just be one or two kids that hit. We need all nine batters to produce at the plate. We have some youth mixed in our lineup and so far they have been up to the task.”

Ewart and McCann cracked RBI hits in the third to stretch the lead to 12-0.

The Lady Trojans grabbed their first base runner of the contest in the top of the fourth when Marlee Renner led off the inning with a single.

Renner advanced to second on a wild pitch and then moved to third on an errant pickoff throw. The sophomore outfielder scored on a passed ball that made it 12-1.

The Lady Trojans had their second hit of the game after a single by Ashley Gush, but her courtesy runner was caught stealing for the final out in the inning.

Carmichaels invoked the 15-run mercy rule with five runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Kylie Sinn had a RBI double, followed by a two-run double by Holaren. Gina Ranieri capped off the victory with a two-run, inside-the-park homer.

Sinn retired the first nine batters she faced. She allowed a run on two hits with six strikeouts and no walks on 56 pitches.

“Kylie got some strikeouts today, but she didn’t use a lot of pitches,” Briggs said. “She didn’t have a lot of three-ball counts and was able to get ahead with strikes. Her control is always going to be the difference maker. She has to work ahead and get in the zone.”

California’s Anna Glawinski was tagged with the loss.

Besides starting out the season facing two strong offensive squads in Waynesburg Central and Carmichaels, first-year California coach Vance Caetti feels part of his team’s early problems stem from a lack of practice time.

“You can’t win many games with just two hits, but I think our main problem is we just can’t get our girls on the field (for practice),” said Caetti. “It’s always either snowing or raining. We’ve been on the football field, in the gymnasium. It’s been tough to just get a normal, basic practice in.”

The Lady Trojans were playing without one of their top players, Kristina Luko, also, but Caetti was still disappointed in their performance on Friday.

“I’ve coached most of these girls since they were eight, in summer ball and in middle school, so I know what they’re capable of,” Caetti said. “Carmichaels is a really good team. Are they beatable? Yes, but not the way we played today.”

Caetti is hoping his team will warm up with the weather.

“I think as the season goes on, we’ll start to get in sync and start to play a lot better.”

Carmichaels travels to Monessen on Monday for a critical section showdown, while California is idle until a home game against Avella on Wednesday.

“We have a couple of big games next week with Monessen and West Greene (on Wednesday),” Briggs said. “We lost some girls from last year’s team, but so far I like how our younger kids have stepped up into their roles. I like where we are at right now.”

(Sports editor Rob Burchianti contributed to this story).

Section 2-A

California      000-1 — 1 2 5

Carmichaels  282-5 — 17 14 1

Game called in the bottom of the fourth with one out due to the 15-run mercy rule.

W: Kylie Sinn. L: Anna Glawinski. 2B: Kylie Sinn (Car), Emma Holaren (Car), Maddie Ewart (Car). 3B: Megan Walker (Car), Madison Ellsworth (Car). HR: Gina Ranieri (Car). Pitching: California, Anna Glawinski 3.1ip-14h-17r-3bb-1so. Carmichaels, Kylie Sinn 4ip-2h-1r-obb-6so. Records: California (0-2, 0-1), Carmichaels (3-1, 2-0).