Oaks take control early, even series with Copperheads
Photos: Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Carmichaels鈥� Hunter Hamilton (left) is congratulated at home plate by Nick Ricco after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Oakland蘑菇视频 Ty Wickline goes goes into his windup during Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels. Wickline, a former Waynesburg University player, pitched a complete-game, six-hitter in the Oaks鈥� 6-2 win.
Rob Burchianti | 蘑菇视频
Oakland蘑菇视频 Alex Beiler looks back as Carmichaels shortstop Jim Sadler makes a backhand stop of a ground ball before throwing onto to first base for the out during Monday蘑菇视频 Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels. (Photos by Rob Burchianti)
Carmichaels' Drake Long sends a single into left field聽during Monday's Fayette County Baseball League playoff game against Oakland at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels' Garrett Woodburn throws a pitch as Oakland's Clay Mattolic leads off second base聽during Monday's Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels. Woodburn allowed just one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings of relief but the Copperheads lost, 6-2.
Carmichaels catcher Marco Gambino prepares to throw out an Oakland runner at first base after fielding a chopper in front of home plate聽during Monday's Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels. Gambino also threw out two Oakland runners attempting to steal but the Copperheads lost, 6-2.
Oakland's Luis Rodriguez scampers back to second base as Carmichaels' Joe Sabolek attempts a pick-off throw聽during Monday's Fayette County Baseball League playoff game at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause discusses a call with the base umpire聽during Monday's Fayette County Baseball League playoff game against Oakland at Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Oakland (Md.) rode a hot start to a 6-2 victory over host Carmichaels to stave off elimination and force a deciding third game in their Fayette County Baseball League best-of-three semifinal series Monday evening.
Ty Wickline pitched a six-hitter as the Oaks bounced back from a 16-12 Game 1 loss in Maryland on Sunday.
Game 3 was set to be played Tuesday evening back in Oakland.
The winner faces top-seeded M&R Transit in the best-of-5 championship series which is slated to begin Thursday at Hutchinson Field. M&R Transit swept Mitch蘑菇视频 Bail Bonds, 2-0, in the other semifinal series,
The Oaks scored three runs in the first inning and two in the second to chase Copperheads starting pitcher Joe Sabolek, who took the loss. It was in stark contrast to the last time Sabolek faced Oakland.
鈥淲e had a good start tonight, hit the ball well,鈥� Oaks manager Craig Bosley said. 鈥淎ctually, the gentleman shut us out the last time we faced him.鈥�
Unfortunately for Carmichaels, Wickline蘑菇视频 performance mirrored the last time the left-hander faced the Copperheads late in the regular season.
鈥淗e beat us the other day, pitched five shutout innings against us,鈥� Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got one earned run off him in 12 innings. You know what they say, momentum is only as good as the next day蘑菇视频 pitcher and that蘑菇视频 what happened. He did a great job for them.
鈥淚 thought we would hit him better after seeing him the first time but he just mixes his pitches so well. A lot of credit to him. The kid threw a great game.鈥�
Luis Rodriguez, who had two hits, two runs and two stolen bases for Oakland, reached on an error to lead off the game and Alex Beiler bunted him to second. After Chris Green walked the Oaks pulled off a double steal and both runners scored on Hunter Cottrell蘑菇视频 hard-hit, bad-hop double to left. Zach Hallenback蘑菇视频 RBI single made it 3-0.
In the second inning Oakland got a one-out single from Rodriguez, a walk by Beiler and a two-run double by Green to go up 5-0, prompting Krause to call on Garrett Woodburn to relieve Sabolek, who allowed three earned runs on five hits with two walks and no strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
鈥淭he big key was they came out and just hammered us early,鈥� Krause said.
Woodburn limited Oakland to one run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 say enough about what he蘑菇视频 done,鈥� Krause said of Woodburn. 鈥淗e蘑菇视频 been great. He蘑菇视频 worked really hard. He comes on the mound when it蘑菇视频 5-0 and kept us in the game. He did a fantastic job.鈥�
Oakland scored its lone run off Woodburn in the third inning. After a diving play by Carmichaels first baseman Nick Ricco resulted in the second out, Clay Mattolic doubled to right-center and scored on Conner O鈥橞rien蘑菇视频 single up the middle to make it 6-0.
Woodburn got some help from catcher Marco Gambino who gunned down two would-be base stealers to squash potential Oakland rallies.
鈥淗e goes to West Liberty,鈥� Krause said of Gambino. 鈥淗e蘑菇视频 athletic and does a great job back there.鈥�
Wickline, who played for Waynesburg University, kept the Copperheads off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when Hunter Hamilton hit a solo home run to left.
Carmichaels pushed across one more run in the seventh inning. Pinch-hitter Luke Camden ripped a one-out double to right, advanced to third as Anthony Romero reached on an error and scored when Jim Sadler was ruled out on a close play at first base.
Wickline got Gavin Pratt to pop out to end it.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 throw hard but he蘑菇视频 very crafty,鈥� Bosley said of Wickline. 鈥淗e has a slider and a curveball and is able to keep batters off-balance.鈥�
Besides Hamilton蘑菇视频 homer and Camden蘑菇视频 double, Carmichaels鈥� only other hits were singles by Sadler, Drake Long, Marco Gambino and Romero.
鈥淪ix hits in a game is not going to cut it, especially when we had 18 yesterday,鈥� Krause said referring back to the Copperheads鈥� Game 1 win.
鈥淭he first game was one of the best wins we鈥檝e had in a long time. We went down there with 11 guys, didn鈥檛 expect a whole lot and played our butts off, played a great game and hit the ball like crazy.鈥�
Oakland wound up with nine hits in Game 2, including a double and a single by Ryan Valentine.
Bosley liked his team蘑菇视频 chances in Game 3.
鈥淲e have some momentum and we鈥檒l be at home,鈥� he said. 鈥淧itching is the name of the game right now because everybody蘑菇视频 staff is kind of worn down playing back-to-back-to-back games. But we should have a starter ready for tomorrow and then I鈥檝e got some crucial guys set to come in so I鈥檓 prepared.鈥�
鈥淚t comes down to a rubber match and I鈥檓 not surprised by that,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e gone back and forth with these guys.
鈥淪o saddle up and play Game 3 tomorrow.鈥�