Strong start: Mikes open season with 11-2 road victory
MASONTOWN – Carmichaels pieced together four multi-run innings Wednesday for an 11-2 non-section victory over Albert Gallatin on a cold, blustery afternoon at German-Masontown Park.
The game was the first for both teams, and the first for Albert Gallatin coach Nick Groover.
“First game, I got a little nervous earlier when I was thinking about it, but when I got here, it’s just baseball,” said Groover.
“Nick is going to do a great job for them,” complimented Carmichaels coach Dickie Krause. “He’s played for me in the county league and we’ve played against him. I really like him. I think he’s a very knowledgeable coach.
“He’s going to do very well for them. He’ll get those young kids going, and they’ll get better and better as the year goes along.”
The top of the order was the most productive slice of Carmichaels’ lineup with Dom Colarusso, Robbie Wilson-Jones and Liam Lohr combining for seven hits, seven runs scored and six RBI.
“We have a couple kids that have been through it. Colarusso’s played a lot of baseball in four years. So, we know what they can do,” said Krause. “But, we also have some kids that are in starting positions or playing positions for the first time.
“We’re a little uneven right now. We have some guys we know that can play. We know they’re good and we have some guys we think they’ll be good.”
The Albert Gallatin defense placed starter Evan Weakland, a freshman in his first high school start, in early trouble with back-to-back errors to start the game.
Lohr ripped a run-scoring double down the third base line and Ambrose Adamson came through with a two-out, two-run single.
Weakland settled down after the first inning, allowing one hit and a walk over the next two innings.
“Errors are always going to hurt. They add up,” said Groover. “Outside of that, I don’t think our pitchers didn’t do too bad. We’re young. We started a freshman. He threw well.”
The Mikes came back to life in the top of the fourth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. Carmichaels scored four runs on five hits.
Colorusso drove in two runs with a double. Lohr’s double brought home the third run of the inning and Mason Lapana’s ground out increased the lead to 7-0.
The Mikes were poised to enact the mercy rule in the top of the fifth inning.
Albert Gallatin got the first two outs in the inning, but Wilson-Jones singled to begin the rally. Lohr followed with a run-scoring single. The Mikes loaded the bases on back-to-back walks, and Chance Lemley walked home a run.
The Colonials escaped with an inning-ending strikeout.
Carmichaels’ lead grew to 11-0 in the top of the sixth inning.
Albert Gallatin extended the game to seven innings by staving off the mercy rule with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Valenti snapped the Colonials’ hitless streak with his second double of the game to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. Ethan Carr came through with a pinch-hit RBI single for the first run and then stole second for two runners in scoring position.
Hayden Metts hit a fly ball into short right-center field that just ticked off the edge of the outstretched glove of the infield that scored the second run. Carr also tried to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.
“I was happy with the first five innings. We knew we got good pitching. Defensively, we played well. Those last two innings we got a little sloppy,” said Krause. “For the conditions, I’m pleased with this game. I think once we got up 11-0, we just got a put when we thought it was just going to shut down. And, (Albert Gallatin) didn’t quit.”
Lohr was dominating on the mound, allowing just one hit over five innings with six strikeouts, two walks and four runners. Geno Valenti led off the bottom of the first inning with a double and Lohr then held the Colonials hitless through five innings.
Lohr allowed three runners over the minimum with one runner eliminated on an inning-ending double play in the fourth inning.
“(Lohr) threw well for them. We haven’t seen a ton of live pitching yet,” said Groover, adding, “I’m hoping the bats will come around. We put a lot of work in the cage this year.”
Lohr was used primarily in relief last season, moving into the starting rotation this year.
“I was really happy with (Lohr). Last year, he didn’t start much for us. He came in relief, a lot.
He’s going to be really good. I’m really high on him,” said Krause.
Albert Gallatin travels to Elizabeth Friday, while the Mikes open section play with games against Jefferson-Morgan on Monday and Tuesday.