Back on the diamond: Mikes return to action with 6-0 road victory over Trojans
COAL CENTER – Carmichaels broke open a close game with three runs after two outs in the top of the seventh inning for a 6-0 victory on a sunny Monday afternoon at California in Section 1-A play.
The Mikes remain undefeated, improving to 3-0 in the section and 5-0 overall. The Trojans go to 2-3 in the section and 2-6 overall.
“We scratched for some runs. My idea coming in was contact. In some moments we did it well, and in some moments we didn’t,” said Camichaels coach Dickie Krause. “We have a lot of improvement to do there. There were several times with a runner on third and less than two outs.
“We keep talking about that.”
California coach Taylor Andrisko also noted his squad’s inability to produce timely hits.
“We’re a young team and we’re searching for our identity now,” said Andrisko. “Unfortunately now, in our last three games, we’ve scored two runs.
“Our approach at the plate has been not great. We’re not forcing enough action.”
Mason Lapana opened the seventh inning with a walk and then stole second. California was poised to strand Lapana after consecutive fly ball outs to left field.
Aydan Adamson walked to keep the inning alive and Colin Andrews followed with a run-scoring single. Dayton Reynolds’ bunt landed between the pitcher and catcher for an infield single to load the bases.
Dom Colarusso walked in a run and Nathan Beringo drove in a run after he was hit by a pitch.
Colarusso was hit by a pitch to open the game and promptly stole second. Colarusso came home on Liam Lohr’s one-out single.
Carmichaels stranded two runners in the second inning.
The Mikes eked out a run in the top of the third inning, helped out by a pair of fielding errors.
Beringo opened the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on Lohr’s single. Mason Lapana’s grounder was mishandled to lead the bases. Beringo was forced at home for the first out, but Lohr scored when Ambrose Adamson’s ground ball was mishandled.
The Trojans escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts looking.
Robbie Wilson-Jones increased the Mikes’ lead to 3-0 when he scored on an errant pickoff throw to third base.
Meanwhile, Lohr was holding the Trojans at bay, despite allowing four singles and six base runners through the first five innings.
He stranded all six runners, though, with nine strikeouts and solid defensive play behind him, notably by Colarusso at shortstop and left fielder Ambrose Adamson. Aydan Adamson picked up the final four outs to preserve the win.
“Our guy was a little bit better,” said Krause. “We got absolutely more out of Liam than we expected today. I would’ve been happy with four competitive innings, even if he gave up a couple runs.
But he gave us shutout innings, we got him into the sixth inning. That was unexpected.
We only expended one pitcher. We will have everybody eligible.”
Caden Monticelli had a solid start for the Trojans, allowing 3 runs (one earned) on six hits in 5.2 innings of work. He struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter, although he hit three.
“We knew going in their kid’s a good pitcher. He’s a little quicker than what we typically see.
We knew about his velocity,” said Krause. “We were working really hard to be patient at the plate. We were trying to get his pitch count up.
“He had 23 pitches in the first inning, so that helped. Then we bailed him out a couple times because we were chasing high fastballs. We have to stop doing that.”
“Those two pitchers came out and spun a good game. Credit to Carmichaels. That’s a great team. (Lohr) came out, worked ahead and threw strikes,” said Andrisko. “They’re well coached and very prepared.”
Both coaches were happy to be back on a baseball field.
“We played Springdale in a non-section game seven days ago. The game before that was Jefferson-Morgan on March 28, so we played one game in 18 days,” explained Krause.
Andrisko said his team needs to play, and hopes the Trojans will improve with more game action.
“We;re getting better and better and better. With a young team, we know we’ll have to deal with these bumps and bruises along the way,” said Andrisko. “And, try to get better at it as the year goes along.
“The only way we’re going to get better is to keep playing, so let’s keep playing and get better. That’s all we can do.
“The goal is to keep growing as the season goes and get better, and we’re not going to stop working until we do.”