Carmichaels rallies past Mill Run to win FCBL title
The Carmichaels Copperheads pose for photos after winning the Fayette County Baseball League championship series over visiting Mill Run at Wana B Park in Carmichaels on Tuesday. The Copperheads won 5-4 to sweep the best-of-5 series, 3-0. Carmichaels has now won 11 FCBL championships. (Photo by Holly Tonini)
Holly Tonini
Carmichaels’ Clay Roman drives in the winning run against Mill Run in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s Fayette County Baseball League Championship Finals at Wana B Park in Carmichaels. The Copperheads swept the Millers, 3-0, in the best-of-five series to win the championship.
FCBL President Dan Kupets (right) presents Scott VanSickle with the MVP trophy after Carmichaels wins the Fayette County Baseball League championship Tuesday at Wana B Park in Carmichaels.
Mill Run's Derek Orndorff is safe at home before Carmichaels' Nate Torbich (75) can make the tag during Tuesday's Fayette County Baseball League championship game at Wana B Park in Carmichaels.
Carmichaels' Scott VanSickle gets the out at second against Mill Run's Derek Orndorff during the Fayette County Baseball League championship game Tuesday at Wana B Park in Carmichaels.
CARMICHAELS — It took an extra inning, but it was well worth the wait for Carmichaels.
The Copperheads rallied from a one-run deficit with two runs in the bottom of the eighth to prevail, 5-4, over Mill Run in the decisive Game 3 of the best-of-five series in the Fayette County Baseball League Finals Tuesday night at Wana B. Park.
After a couple of turbulent seasons in the FCBL, both on and off the field, the Copperheads (18-5) won their first championship since 2012, and ended the season on an 11-game winning streak.
It also was the team’s 11th FCBL title.
“What a series, what a game,” Carmichaels skipper Richard Krause said. “This type of atmosphere is what this league is about. Both pitchers threw great games, and both teams had clutch hits. I respect their team and their coaching staff so much. It was a fun series.”
Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Delval led off the frame with a single. After a fly out to center, Eric Holt and Joby Lapkowicz walked to load the bases.
Clay Roman was up next, and delivered the clutch two-run single to give Carmichaels the dramatic walk-off win.
“Clay has been clutch for us all year,” Krause said. “We knew we had the right guy up there when the game was in limbo. Clay has been hot these last couple of weeks and always seemed to get that key hit for us.”
Both pitchers threw stellar games in the contest and relied a lot on superb fielding on the diamond.
Nate Torbich picked up the win for the Copperheads, going all eight innings and scattering four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and two free walks.
“This was Nate’s first start for us ever,” Krause said. “We used him as a middle reliever most of the year and we had to keep an eye on his pitch count because he pitched for a legion team too. Nate was poised and got a lot of groundouts for us.”
Garrett Brooks received the no-decision, going seven innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts and six walks for the Millers (9-14).
“Garrett is a competitor,” Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff said. “Both pitchers were locked in. Garrett was in command of his pitches and was not intimidated. He may not get double-digit in strikeouts, but he knows how to keep an offense on their toes and mix his pitches up. He stays around the plate and is aggressive in the zone.”
Corey Fogle was tagged with the loss after coming on in relief in the bottom of the eighth for the save.
Carmichaels’ Scott Van Sickle blasted two home runs in Game 1 and came up with several clutch at-bats throughout the series and was named Finals’ MVP.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first three innings before Mill Run cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fourth when Derek Orndorff collected a double and later scored on a passed ball.
The Copperheads countered in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of runs, courtesy of two-out RBI singles by Lapkowicz and Roman.
Seth Bruner’s RBI single in the fifth inning tied the game up at 2-2.
After a scoreless inning, Mill Run plated a run in the top of the seventh by way of a RBI single by Cody Ward for a 3-2 lead.
“These three games were fun to be in, but I wish we could have come out with a win,” Ray Orndorff said. “My hat goes off to Carmichaels, that’s a really good team over there. We battled the whole year and never quit. Our guys treated the playoffs like a new season and we played our best ball down the stretch.”
Carmichaels loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning after Mill Run committed two infield errors and issued an intentional walk. With two outs, VanSickle worked the count and drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 3-3.
Before the heroics by the Copperheads in the bottom of the eighth, Mill Run grabbed a 4-3 lead in the top of the inning after a RBI single by Orndorff.
“We were 7-5 at one point and things were not going our way,” Krause said.
“We won 11 games in a row and just took it one game at a time. We knew we had to get better as a team, and our pitching and defense came through for us. To win this title this year means a lot. We have a lot of veterans on this team and this is a remarkable feeling.”