Mill Run uses big inning for 7-4 win at Carmichaels (copy)
Carmichaels starting pitcher Gavin Pratt releases the ball in the top of the second inning in Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League game against Mill Run at Carmichaels.
Mill Run蘑菇视频 Kace Shearer slides across the plate as Carmichaels catcher Nick Ricco looks for the errant throw in the top of the fifth inning in Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels. (Photos by Jim Downey)
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Mill Run蘑菇视频 Alan VanSickle strides to the plate as he delivers a pitch in the bottom of the second inning in Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels. VanSickle went the distance in Mill Run蘑菇视频 7-4 victory.
Mill Run蘑菇视频 Cole Shearer is hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning in Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels.
Jim Downey | 蘑菇视频
Carmichaels' Brandon Robaugh whips the ball to the plate in the top of the sixth inning in Monday's Fayette County Baseball League game against Mill Run at Carmichaels.
Mill Run shortstop Teran Kemp tracks down a fly ball hit by Carmichaels' Jim Sadler in front of left fielder Luke Warrick in the bottom of the fourth inning in Monday's Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff had only nine players Monday night, but his nonet was a spunky bunch, rolling one big inning into a 7-4 victory at Carmichaels.
The victory kept Mill Run蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League postseason hopes alive. Mill Run improves to 5-8 with a suspended home game that was scheduled for Wednesday with M&R Transit and its season finale Sunday at home against Bud Murphy蘑菇视频.
鈥淭hey just kept battling. They battled to the end,鈥� Orndorff said of his squad. 鈥淭hese guys play baseball for seven innings.鈥�
Carmichaels (7-4) slips two games in the loss column behind M&R Transit.
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause was not pleased after the loss.
鈥淯nacceptable, disinterested, they walked through this game,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e got the bare minimum.鈥�
Mill Run left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning, but made the most of its opportunities in the fifth inning.
Kace Shearer walked to start the inning and scored on Josh Burns鈥� double. The throw to the plate was wild as Shearer slid across the plate, allowing Burns to advance to third.
Cole Shearer followed with single up the middle to bring Burns to the plate.
Gavin Pratt struck out Logan Kemp and Shearer was forced at second base on Cade Warrick蘑菇视频 ground ball. Pratt was an out away from any further damage, but Wyatt Nehls kept the rally going with a run-scoring double.
Pratt struck out Taren Kemp, but the ball kicked to the screen. Kemp hustled down the line and was safe on a wide throw.
Ryan Opfar came on in relief and had trouble finding the plate with walks to Luke Warrick and Alan VanSickle to load the bases.
Kace Shearer took a pitch off the top of his helmet for an RBI. Josh Burns walked in another run and Cole Shearer was hit in the ribs for an RBI.
Brandon Robaugh replaced Opfar and ended the inning with a strikeout.
鈥淲e loaded the bases with one out in the fourth inning and didn鈥檛 score. Then, they gave us some freebies in the fifth,鈥� said Orndorff. 鈥淲e took advantage of the freebies they gave us. That蘑菇视频 not the norm for them.鈥�
Mill Run threatened again in the top of the sixth inning.
Cade Warrick opened the inning with a shot to left-center field, but was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. Nehls followed with a shot down the third base line for his second double.
鈥淣ehls has been hitting everything the past few games,鈥� said Orndorff.
Luke Warrick walked with two outs for runners at first and second, but Robaugh struck out VanSickle to end the inning.
Carmichaels grabbed the early lead with two runs in its first at-bat.
Jim Sadler singled to start the rally and moved to second on Forrest Havanis鈥� one-out walk. The pair executed a double steal, and Drake Long came through with a two-out single to right field.
The Copperheads鈥� lead grew to 3-0 with an unearned run in the second inning.
Joe Chambers鈥� ground ball was mishandled to start the inning. Chambers moved to second on Nick Ricco蘑菇视频 ground out.
Chambers scored when Sadler蘑菇视频 two-out ground ball was not fielded cleanly.
The Copperheads scored another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning after Hunter Hamilton蘑菇视频 ground ball to start the inning was mishandled.
Hamilton moved to second on Chambers鈥� single. Chambers was forced at second base on Ricco蘑菇视频 ground ball.
Robaugh came through with a sacrifice fly that scored Hamilton.
Carmichaels had one last shot in the bottom of the seventh inning when Havanis opened the inning with a single.
Noah Mildren蘑菇视频 infield pop fly should鈥檝e been the first out of the inning, but was not caught to give Carmichaels runners at first and second.
Havanis advanced to third base on Long蘑菇视频 fly ball to center field and scored on Hamilton蘑菇视频 sacrifice fly to right field. The game ended on another fly ball out to Kace Shearer in right field.
VanSickle only struck out two, but recorded 13 outs on fly balls to the outfield and two more in the infield. Kace Shearer caught 10 of those fly balls in right field.
VanSickle told Orndorff he might not make the fourth inning, but the veteran left-hander felt better after he retired the side in the third and fifth innings.
鈥淎lan did a tremendous job. Around the third or fourth inning, he said put me on a short leash. I yelled out to him on the mound in the sixth inning and he gave me a thumb蘑菇视频 up,鈥� said Orndorff.
鈥淎lan pitched a great game. He蘑菇视频 super smart. He always commands his pitches,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 press him. He got life (after the two 1-2-3 innings). He蘑菇视频 a pitcher. We had 13 fly ball outs.鈥�
鈥淲hen we fell down, 7-4, this dugout died.鈥�