Workmanlike effort
Carmichaels pulls away from Mill Run in playoff opener
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause was worried about his team being rusty when the Fayette County Baseball League playoffs began Wednesday.
The Copperheads took a while to get going but once they did they pulled away for a 9-3 victory over Mill Run in Game One of their best-of-three, first-round series at Carmichaels Area High School.
Brock Bonadio and Anthony Romano both hit two-run triples and Alex Vansickle smacked a two-run single for Carmichaels (13-3-1), the regular-season champion, which headed to Mill Run for Game Two on Thursday looking to close out the series.
“We were very workmanlike,” Krause said. “One of the things I worried about coming in is that we hadn’t played since Thursday and did not play a good game in losing to Charleroi, 7-6. We had a workout Sunday that wasn’t as well attended as perhaps I would’ve liked, although I will say they needed a little time off because we played seven games in 10 days before that.
“I expected us to be a little rusty and we were in some phases. We’ve got some things we’ve got to tighten up for Game Two. Overall, we did what we needed to do.”
Winning pitcher Matt Bamford pitched a four-hitter with one walk and 14 strikeouts and allowed two earned runs in going the distance.
“He’s poised and very even keel,” Krause said of Bamford. “He could be in a groove where he’s retired nine in a row or in the midst of a bumpy inning and he always seems the same. He’s a mature college pitcher, first team all-conference at Chatham (College).”
The Millers (2-15) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Bamford hit Hunter Smiley in the helmet with a 3-2 pitch and he came around and scored one out later on Cade Warrick’s double.
The Copperheads tied it in the bottom of the inning when Smiley walked Dom Colarusso, Noah Mildren and Ben Shields to load the bases with one out and Dom Obiecunas hit a sacrifice fly.
Carmichaels took the lead for good in the bottom of the second when Smiley again walked the bases loaded, issuing free passes to AJ Vanata, Robbie Wilson-Jones and Colarusso with one out, and Vansickle grounded a sharp, two-run single into right field.
Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff called on Colby Simmons to relieve Smiley, who shifted to third base and eventually was taken out of the game for precautionary reasons.
“We checked on Hunter after he got hit by that pitch in the first inning and he seemed OK and said he was good to stay in the game,” Orndorff said. “But as the innings went on he said his head started to hurt a little bit so at that point I didn’t want to take a chance and pulled him out and put his brother (Lane Smiley) in for him.”
Carmichaels upped its lead to five against Simmons with three runs in the third inning.
Shields started the rally with a lead-off single, Obiecunas walked and Bonadio followed with a two-run triple to center. Vanata’s sacrifice fly made it 6-1.
Krause pointed to Bondio’s hit and Vansickle’s single in the second inning as key moments in the game.
“Alex’s hit was critical because it was 1-1 and that made it 3-1,” Krause said. “Bonadio had a big hit, too, crushed it over the center fielder to bring in two, then he ended up scoring, too. We had nine runs and that was five of them right there.”
Mill Run got two runs back in the top of the fourth.
Warrick blasted a solo home run to left leading off the inning to make it 6-2. Logan Kemp walked and Simmons reached on an error, prompting a mound visit by Krause.
“Sometimes things get a little off-kilter and it’s just breaking the rhythm of the other team,” Krause said of his talk with Bamford. “They hit the home run and had a couple guys on base. I just went out and said we’re going to give you a little break here. Let’s reset and let’s go.”
Bamford got a pair of strikeouts around a sacrifice fly by Teran Kemp to get out of the inning with the score 6-3.
The Copperheads pushed across a run in the bottom of the inning when Wilson-Jones singled, raced to third on Vansickle’s single and scored on Mildren’s sacrifice fly.
Carmichaels capped the scoring in the fifth inning when Bonadio singled, Vanata was hit by a pitch and pinch-hitter Romano brought in both with a two-out triple to center.
Vansickle and Bonadio each had two hits and two RBIs for the Copperheads.
Warrick had both of Mill Run’s extra-base hits and knocked in two runs.
Orndorff was pleased with his team’s effort.
“We got off to a good start with an early run, but we knew coming into the series that they’re a very good team,” Orndorff said. “They have a good pitching staff and we knew they could hit the baseball.
“I told these fellas I thought we hung in there and we played a good baseball game today. They hit the ball better and got more runs on the board than us.”
Krause lauded the Millers.
“In terms of how they’re run, Ray does a fantastic job with the team, they’re always first class,” Krause said. “It’s always about baseball. You know their guys are always going to play hard. Their shortstop today made one of the best plays I’ve seen this year.”
The play of the game Krause was referring to was by Mill Run shortstop Teran Kemp on a hard hit ground ball by Jacob Rush that seemed destined for left field in the sixth inning. Kemp quickly dove to his right to snag the ball then scrambled up and made a strong throw to first for the out.
“Just phenomenal,” said Krause, who was looking forward to Game Two at Mill Run.
“Going up to Mill Run has always been one of my favorite things, win or lose. You’re going to be treated really well and it’s what a County League environment is supposed to be. There’s a tradition there that’s over 110-plus years. They are really important to this league. The league would not be the same without them. I have the utmost respect for them.”
The win was special for Krause because of the day it fell on.
“This is nice because my dad’s birthday is today. He’s 85,” Krause said. “My sister is in so I’m going there next. I lost my mother in May so it’s been tough. We have that thing where I always call my dad after our game so he’s probably waiting for that right now, then I’ll head over to meet them.”