All square: Brestensky, big first inning spark M&R Transit to 7-0 win in Game 2
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
M&R Transit’s Justin Brestensky pitches against Carmichaels during Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals at Carmichaels on Friday night. Brestensky allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings as M&R Transit evened the best-of-five series at 1-1 with a 7-0 win.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Santino Marra (center) is greeted by teammates near home plate after hitting a solo home run in the first inning of Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals at Carmichaels on Friday night. Marra had two hits in his team’s 7-0 victory.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Carmichaels’ Noah Mildren singles to right field against M&R Transit during Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals at Carmichaels on Friday night. It was one of only two hits the Copperheads could muster in a 7-0 defeat.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
M&R Transit’s Jace Cappelini slides home to score the final run in a five-run first inning that propelled M&R Transit to a 7-0 victory over the Copperheads in Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finials Friday night in Carmichaels.
M&R Transit's Santino Marra pitches against Carmichaels in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals at Carmichaels. Marra, who pitched a scoreless frame, joined with starting pitcher Justin Brestensky to throw a two-hit shutout in a 7-0 win.
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause makes a mound visit during Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals against M&R Transit at Carmichaels on Friday night.
M&R Transit's Justin Brestensky goes into his windup during Game 2 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals at Carmichaels on Friday night. Brestensky pitched six scoreless innings in M&R Transit's 7-0 win.
CARMICHAELS — Justin Brestensky was ready for the task at hand Friday evening.
M&R Transit had fallen in Game 1 of the Fayette County Baseball League best-of-five finals at home to Carmichaels and manager Buddy Marra called on the lefthander to make sure the regular-season champions didn’t fall into a 2-0 deficit.
“I knew my team needed me today and I had to bring it because if we lost this one it wouldn’t be looking good for us,” Brestensky said. “The whole way here I was laser-focused. I didn’t say a word in the car. I was ready to come in and throw strikes.”
Brestensky delivered and so did M&R Transit’s offense early on in a 7-0 win at Carmichaels to even the series at 1-1.
Game 3 was scheduled to be played Sunday evening at Hutchinson Field.
After being blanked by Gavin Pratt in a 10-0, six-inning, series-opening loss, Santino Marra gave M&R Transit a quick 1-0 lead in Game 2 by drilling a solo home run to spark a five-run first inning.
“It felt good after being shut out to get a run on the board right off the bat and then we got four more,” Buddy Marra said. “Knowing that we had Brestensky today I knew we were going to be good.”
Brestensky welcomed the early cushion.
“That just takes a lot of stress off your back,” said Brestensky, who combined with Santino Marra on a two-hitter. “Now you know if you give up a run or two it’s not the end of the world, you’re still good.
“Just being able to go out there and pitch and know my guys have got my back makes it easier to get into your groove and cruise.”
Brestensky was in command in all six innings he pitched, allowing just four baserunners with three walks and a third-inning single by Reed Long while striking out seven.
“Justin was approaching 100 pitches which is why we took him out,” Buddy Marra said. “If he had a no-hitter we might have let him go that last inning.
“He’s a bull. He doesn’t tire out too easily and with his mental state he’s the guy you want out there. He’s confident and sure of himself. When he gets fired up while he pitches it fires the rest of the team up.”
The only other hit the Copperheads managed was a single by Noah Mildren off Santino Marra who tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Marra’s one-out homer off Carmichaels starting and losing pitcher Garrett Woodburn seemed to jumpstart M&R Transit’s hitting attack.
Andino Vecchiolla followed with a walk, went to third when Nate Zimcosky smashed a double off the left field fence and scored on a wild pitch. After Chad Petrush walked, Jace Cappelini hit a run-scoring single to center and both runners moved up on the throw to third base.
Wyatt Lefley’s RBI ground out and Sevi Vecchiolla’s run-scoring single to left made it 5-0 and prompted Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause to pull Woodburn for Anthony Romero who got out of the inning without any further damage.
Brestensky, who never allowed more than one baserunner in an inning, took over from there.
“I was throwing a two-seam and four-seam fastball and a curveball,” Brestensky said. “I threw my change-up a couple times but they weren’t anywhere near the strike zone so I kind of shut that one down.”
Krause wasn’t shocked by the sudden turn of events from Game 1.
“That’s baseball,” Krause said. “One day you win 10-0 and the next day you lose 7-0.
“There’s not a whole lot that’s surprised me so far to be honest. Nobody was sweeping anybody in this series. Last night we played a really great game and shut them down. Today pitching got away from us early, we didn’t hit the ball well. They got a great effort from their pitcher and won the baseball game.”
Krause did see some positives in the loss.
“Even though it was a bad night for us there are still a few things I’m going to take out of this that were pretty healthy,” Krause said. “The back end of our bullpen, which hasn’t had a lot of chances, held them to two runs over six innings and if we don’t have a wicked hop over our second baseman’s head it was one.”
Romero gave up one run in 2 1/3 innings, Nick Pegg tossed a scoreless frame and Ryan Opfer allowed one run in three innings for the Copperheads.
M&R Transit tacked on insurance runs on RBI singles by Zimcosky in the fourth and Brestensky in the seventh. Brestensky helped his own cause by going 2 for 2 with a pair of walks. Santino Marra and Zimcosky also had two hits apiece.
Krause also lauded catcher Marco Gambino who threw out one runner trying to advance to second and picked off runners at third and first.
“Marco plays for West Liberty and does a great job on the running game,” Krause said. “He’s real aggressive defensively.”
Buddy Marra cited his team’s baserunning as the one negative of his team’s performance.
“We have young players who are used to playing high school level but guys like that, you can’t fool around with them,” Marra said. “Their eyes are always going. We had a couple guys lollygagging back to the bag and the next thing you know they’re out. You better not play that way in a close game or it’s going to cost you.”
Marra was pleased to have a fairly full roster available to him.
“We struggled getting guys all year to field our best team and now in the playoffs they’re showing up,” he said. “So even though we’re kind of thin pitching-wise, we have defense.”
Both managers turned their attention to Sunday’s game.
“We didn’t want to go into Sunday down 2-0,” Buddy Marra said. “Then you’re not playing your game because you’re nervous knowing if you lose you go home. So now it’s a best-of-three from here and we feel really good. We don’t know how much pitching they have left.”
Krause is looking for his team to get off to a better start in Game 3.
“When you fall behind like we did it’s tough to come back,” he said. “We can’t play like we did today. We only had a couple hits. We’ll have to kind of refocus. It’s 1-1 so now we’ll buckle up for Sunday.”
Brestensky made it known that he wants the ball again whenever he’s needed.
“I’m ready to get back on the mound later in the series,” he said, “and do the exact same thing.”