Copperheads force Game 5 with 8-6 extra-inning victory
HOPWOOD 鈥� The resilient Carmichaels Copperheads overcame a game-tying, seventh inning rally with two runs in the top of the ninth inning for an 8-6 road victory over M&R Transit to force a fifth and deciding game in the Fayette County Baseball League championship series.
Game 5 in the best-of-5 series returned to Carmichaels High School Tuesday night as the Copperheads look for their third win in a row for the FCBL title, while M&R Transit seeks its third straight league crown with a victory
Results aside, both managers noted how entertaining the game was for those on the field, as well as those in the stands.
鈥淭hat was an unbelievable game. If you love baseball, you have to love that game,鈥� said Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause, adding, 鈥淯nder the lights, two teams, this was great.
鈥淭hat was fantastic.鈥�
鈥淭hat蘑菇视频 what I told these boys. It蘑菇视频 fun to be a part of a game like this,鈥� said M&R Transit manager Buddy Marra. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a lot more fun when you鈥檙e on the other end of it. Somebody蘑菇视频 gotta win, somebody蘑菇视频 gotta lose.
鈥淚t was an exciting game to be a part of. Fayette County baseball, it was like the old days.鈥�
Carmichaels put together some two-out lightning to push the final two runs across the plate.
Nick Ricco popped out and Hunter Mamie was out on a ground ball that ricocheted off first baseman Garrett Myers to second baseman Jace Cappellini, who threw to Marra for the out.
Dom Colarusso, in the No. 10 spot, doubled to center field to get the game-winning rally rolling. He easily scored when Justin Brestensky was unable to glove Jimmy Sadler蘑菇视频 fly ball to deep left-center field. Drake Long followed with an RBI single through the hole between first and second.
鈥淏restensky lost that one ball. He said he had it and lost it in the lights,鈥� said Buddy Marra.
Carmichaels appeared to be ready to head back home with a three-run lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, but M&R Transit did not go away meekly.
Krause and the Copperheads wanted to avoid the meat of the order with the ninth and 10th batters leading off the last at-bat.
However, Braeden O鈥橞rien蘑菇视频 ground ball to start the inning was not cleanly fielded for an error. Gavin Pratt struck out Garrett Myers, but Brestensky was hit by a pitch to keep the inning alive.
Kaleb Scott walked to load the bases, bringing Santino Marra to the plate.
With the infield playing back to concede a run for at least one out, Marra chopped the ball in front of the plate. Carmichaels third baseman Noah Mildren broke for the ball and in his haste, threw short of the bag. The infield single and misthrow allowed all three runners to score.
Pratt kept the score tied with a pair of fly outs.
鈥淭he seventh inning, I don鈥檛 know if they were mistakes. You have one of the top two or three hitters in the league and smokes everything, you can鈥檛 play him cheap at third base. We鈥檙e way back on him and the ball ends up in the spot (short of the pitcher蘑菇视频 mound) and we probably tried to do a little too much,鈥� said Krause.
鈥淚 was sick when they tied it up in the seventh, but I was still thinking this was unbelievable,鈥� added Krause. 鈥淲e played a great 6陆 innings. We couldn鈥檛 play any better.鈥�
Carmichaels grabbed the early lead on Mildren蘑菇视频 run-scoring single. M&R Transit tied the game in the bottom of the inning with Scott蘑菇视频 sacrifice fly.
The Copperheads had four hits and a couple of fortunate breaks to pull into a 5-1 lead in the top of the third inning.
Colarusso opened with a single and took third on Sadler蘑菇视频 single. Colarusso broke for home on Long蘑菇视频 ground ball, and during the rundown Braeden O鈥橞rien was called for obstruction on Colarusso, allowing Colarusso to score.
鈥淲e just had some misfortunes, like the obstruction call during the rundown. That should鈥檝e been one less run, and we win. We would鈥檝e won the game,鈥� said Buddy Marra.
Mildren followed with a run-scoring single off O鈥橞rien. Havanis had a sacrifice fly and Pratt drove in a run with a single.
AJ Vanata cracked a solo home run off the scoreboard to run the Copperheads鈥� lead to 6-1 in the top of the sixth inning.
M&R Transit sliced two runs off its deficit in the bottom of the inning on Ryan Covelens鈥� two-out, two-run double.
M&R Transit stranded two runners in the third, fourth, fifth and eighth innings.
鈥淲e left so many runners on. Yesterday, we left the bases loaded. We have to have three or four hitters that hit that kind of pitching,鈥� said Buddy Marra.
Krause praised his pitching duo of Long and Pratt.
鈥淒rake Long, that蘑菇视频 his longest outing of the season. He threw 93 pitches. Fantastic effort against a great lineup,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淕avin, the phone call today was how do you feel? Get to the game and warm-up and tell me how you feel, and let me know if I have you (available to pitch).
鈥�(Pratt) was our Game 5 starter. That蘑菇视频 out the window now.鈥�
Now, the 18-game regular season and two playoff rounds boils down to one game. Both managers believe their respective team is ready for the challenge.
鈥淕oing in we knew we were missing pieces. Everyone is busted up. You either have the heart to play or you don鈥檛,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e had such a rough streak with them. We were 0-3 in the regular season, three fairly close games.
鈥淭hen we got handled pretty easily in those two games (in the series). So, now we鈥檙e 0-5 against them.鈥�
Krause said the late-inning rally that led to a win in the third game was a key to setting up Game 5.
鈥淲e needed something. We鈥檙e down 7-1 in the third inning yesterday and it was that inning that got us right back,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淪o, you start believing. These are great guys.
鈥淎nd, now we have a little success and we got that lead today, we were really relaxed.鈥�
Krause said the Copperheads face their third-straight elimination game against a good team.
鈥淭heir whole lineup is really sharp. We tried to be as careful as we can, but you can only be so careful,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e had two elimination games. It蘑菇视频 just like that tomorrow.
鈥淥ur biggest issue is facing their guy (Vecchiolla). Because that蘑菇视频 who we have to figure out.鈥�
Krause was unsure of his starter, but Buddy Marra knows who鈥檒l be his starting pitcher.
鈥淚f there蘑菇视频 anything positive, they ran Pratt out. That蘑菇视频 a plus for us tomorrow. I don鈥檛 know what they have left,鈥� said Buddy Marra. 鈥淚鈥檓 starting Vecchiolla tomorrow. That蘑菇视频 why I ran Santino out there tonight.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e starting to hit now. They weren鈥檛 hitting all year long. Playing every day you start getting a rhythm, and we鈥檙e not.
鈥淚 hope we just come out busting with our bats. I hope we get a pitcher we can tee off a little bit.
We have to get up a bunch on these guys because they don鈥檛 quit either.鈥�