CARMICHAELS – Joby Lapkowicz got off to a tough start but a strong end on Monday night to keep Carmichaels’ 4-2 Fayette County Baseball League win over the Masontown visit.
Carmichaels improved to 7-2 and had six games left to play on Tuesday night at Mill Run. Masontown goes to 6-4 with five games remaining.
Carmichaels suffered a heavy loss to the Fayette Raiders late last week but bounced back against the defending champions.
“That was a great setback game,” said Carmichaels coach Dickie Krause. “They are the champions. I have great respect for their pitchers.
“It would be a low-mileage game if you can contain them.”
The Copperheads led 4-0 into the top of the seventh inning behind starting pitcher Nate Torbich.
Reed Long prevailed with an out and moved up to second when Austin Bergman was drummed.
Krause asked the young left-hander Beau Bigam to end the game. Chad Petrush greeted Bigam with an RBI single to left field.
Bigam got Kaine Frye on a fly ball to center field for the second out of the inning, but lost pitcher Willie Palmer to load the bases.
When Bigam went 2-0 against the clear-up hit Nate Zimcosky, Krause Lapkowicz called. But his first two pitches were balls for running.
However, the experienced left-hander was stranded while tying and starting the game when Zach Uhazie flew to the right field for the final.
“Joby was the emergency (pitcher). He’s a veteran who was there. I just drove with the veteran,” said Krause.
The Copperheads made three runs on two hits in the lower part of the sixth inning to extend their lead.
Drake Long left to open the inning but was forced onto the ground ball by Alex Gesk in second. Ron Nopwasky followed with a single above the third basebag.
Conner Kelly went to load the bases.
Pinch hitter Joe Pacconi hit Bergman with a ground ball. The first baseman stepped on the bag for the out on pacconi, but his hasty throw on the plate for the day on Gesk sailed to third base on the plate. Uhazie was able to contain the throw, but not in time to mark a sliding Gesk.
Joel Spishock then crowned the rally with a sharp double-run double into midfield.
Neither team had a hit by the first two innings, although Masontown threatened in the top of the first inning.
Chad Petrush walked to start the inning. Willie Palmer hit a floor ball on the right side that was not handled properly. The throw to first place with Torbich cover was decided late when Palmer stumbled over the base.
Torbich rushed out of early trouble with an infield fly and strikeout.
Torbich only allowed one baserunner in the next two innings and was supported by his defense in the second inning when Lapkowicz made a diving catch in short right midfield for a sinking line drive out of Michael Colls.
Torbich allowed his first hit, an infield single for Michael Coll, in the top of the fourth inning. The single, paired with a mistake, got Masontown runners out on first and second, but Torbich stranded both with another infield fly and landed on second base.
Bergman opened the fifth inning with an infield single after the dive of second base player Ron Nopwosky stopped the ball but couldn’t find the handle in time to get out. Bergman moved up to second at Petrushs Opferbunt and third at Kaine Fryes Infield Ground Out.
Torbich escaped trouble again when he brought Palmer on a comebacker for the final.
The left-hander withdrew the team in turn in the sixth inning. Torbich hit three, walked three, and allowed three hits.
“Nate is amazing to me. Having not thrown more than three innings this season, he had a great command tonight. He was in 100 pitches (when he was replaced). It was a really brave performance,” Krause praised.
“That’s the story of our season so far. We’re definitely not hitting the ball where we need to be. We’re in a bit of a crisis,” said Masontown coach John Palmer. “We don’t hit out. We put the club on the ball, but it’s right with someone. Either fly-outs or ground-outs.”
“I’m glad it’s happening now instead of the playoffs.”
Palmer was just as efficient during the early innings. He finished with six strikeouts and five walks.
The right-handed man walked two thugs in the lower part of the first inning but stranded both. In the second inning he went one more stroke, but initially left him stranded.
Chuck Gasti interrupted the no-hitter with a single in the middle with two outs in the bottom third of the third inning, but another ground ball out ended the threat.
The Copperheads eventually broke through in the lower part of the fourth inning.
Nopwasky separated with two outs and was pimped by Logan Mahle. Conner Kelly’s flyball to midfield carried Kaine Frye to the fence and Mahle chugged around the bases for the first run of the game.
“The big hits were Kelly’s double and Spishock’s double run,” said Krause. “Those were huge two-out hits.”
John Palmer expects his squad to get rolling in defending the league title.
“We now have to learn from these mistakes and grow. These guys are masters,” said John Palmer. “It doesn’t matter where we stop. Of course we want to win the championship, but the goal is to get to the playoffs first.
“The bats have to come to life. Thats the one thing. The bats have to come to life. We haven’t had that spark yet. We have to get that spark and get hot at the end of the season.
“The pitching is always there.”
