Gotta believe: Lohr stars as Mikes take down top-seeded Union 3-1
McKEES ROCKS 鈥� The power of positive thinking was on display at Burkett Park on Monday night.
Carmichaels entered its WPIAL Class A baseball quarterfinal game against top-seeded Union as the No. 8 seed but Mikes coach Dickie Krause wasn鈥檛 about to get caught up in a numbers game.
鈥淭he message to our players all week was compete and expect to win,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淲e came here expecting to win. We didn鈥檛 come here expecting to play a close game.
鈥淚 kept telling them, I said guys I know it蘑菇视频 one and eight but that蘑菇视频 subjective. That蘑菇视频 judged by people in a room. Baseball is not decided in a room. They bought into that.鈥�
Right from the start.
Liam Lohr ignited a three-run, first-inning rally then pitched a complete-game three-hitter as the Mikes upended the Scotties 3-1 to advance to Tuesday蘑菇视频 semifinals against No. 4 Bishop Canevin, which blanked No. 5 Western Beaver 10-0 in six innings.
The game was scheduled to be played at Ross Memorial Park at 4:30 p.m.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled. We鈥檙e going to enjoy this,鈥� Krause said of the win. 鈥淏ut not for very long.鈥�
Union蘑菇视频 top-seed status wasn鈥檛 on Lohr蘑菇视频 mind.
鈥淚 approached this like any other game,鈥� said Lohr who turned in a masterful performance with seven strikeouts and just one walk and also had two of his team蘑菇视频 six hits. 鈥淭hey put on their uniforms just like we do. I wasn鈥檛 worried about a No. 1 by their name.鈥�
The Mikes (13-4) jumped on Union starting and losing pitcher Rocco Galmarini right out of the gate.
Dom Colarusso opened the game with a single to center, stole second and scored on Lohr蘑菇视频 single to left. Lohr also stole second and came home on Robbie Wilson-Jones鈥� single to right to make it 2-0.
Aydan Adamson followed with an infield single and Ambrose Adamson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Courtesy runner Cooper Richards scored when Colin Andrews hit into a force out.
鈥淲e came out and bang, bang, bang, it was 3-0,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淭hat was huge. That was the game.鈥�
Both coaches agreed scouting may have played a role in Carmichaels鈥� quick start.
鈥淲e had some good information on them,鈥� Krause said.
鈥淚 think they got a lot of information that we might pitch them backwards (with off-speed pitches early in the count),鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淩occo蘑菇视频 very good with his off-speed stuff but their approaches were just unbelievable that first inning. That蘑菇视频 a credit to them.鈥�
That蘑菇视频 all Galmarini would allow but it was more than enough for Lohr.
鈥淧itching with a lead is the greatest thing,鈥� Lohr said. 鈥淵ou feel so comfortable out there, especially with a first-inning 3-0 lead. That helps even more.鈥�
Lohr didn鈥檛 allow a hit until Mike Gunn reached on an infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Gunn took off to steal second and raced all the way to third when Dom Cuccitrone grounded out to third baseman Aydan Ambrose. Galmarini followed with a single to center to pull Union within two.
The Scotties (13-4) would get no closer.
Lohr retired 10 of the last 12 batters, allowing only a two-out walk to Andrew Gettings in the fifth and a one-out double to Gunn in the sixth.
鈥淟iam Lohr was fantastic,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淗e was really on his game and just did a good job. Our coaching staff, Nate Torbich in particular, calling the game really worked well. They had a rhythm going and that was significant.鈥�
Lohr impressed Sanders as well.
鈥淟ohr did a great job keeping our hitters off-balance,鈥� said Sanders, who, like Krause, didn鈥檛 put much stock into the seedings.
鈥淭hat蘑菇视频 a good baseball team over there,鈥� Sanders said. 鈥淒id we want to move on? Absolutely. Are we ashamed that we lost to Carmichaels? No, because coming in we knew they were a good team. We didn鈥檛 really feel they were an eight seed but that蘑菇视频 where they fell and you鈥檝e got to beat them at some point anyways.
鈥淭hey did a really nice job. They have a really nice team.鈥�
Carmichaels鈥� defense was flawless behind Lohr following a shaky start. Union lead-off batter Dayne Johnke reached on an error in the bottom of the first. Landon Eckert bunted Johnke to second and he advanced to third on a balk before Lohr struck out the next two batters to squash the threat.
Shortstop Colarusso stood out with several fine plays, two of which required him to make perfect throws on the run, including the last out of the game.
鈥淢y defense was great behind me,鈥� Lohr said. 鈥淭hey put that one error behind them and made every play.鈥�
Lohr retired 10 in a row from the first to the fourth.
Krause felt the victory was significant in a number of ways.
鈥淗uge win. This is one of those wins that defines a season,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really happy for these kids. They鈥檝e grown up so much in the last year or two, it蘑菇视频 been fun to be around.These are great kids. They鈥檝e worked really hard. We have six seniors who are all good leaders who have all contributed something.
鈥淚 really wanted to see this for a couple other reasons, too. Not only did we knock out the No. 1 seed but Avella won so you鈥檝e got two of the final four from our section. That tells people that section蘑菇视频 pretty darn good and really competitive. The other part of this is we鈥檝e now got at least two more games left so this extends our season a good bit.鈥�
The win earned the Mikes at least two more games with either a spot in the final or in the third-place consolation game for a berth in the PIAA tournament following Tuesday蘑菇视频 outcome.