Mikes rally past Falcons, 6-3
REPUBLIC 鈥� Just like in life, sometimes in baseball it鈥檚 how you bounce back from adversary that really show your character.
Carmichaels gave up three runs in the first inning and then struck out looking three times in a row with the bases loaded in the second frame.
For most teams that would have been the nail in the coffin.
But the Mikes, and starter Gavin Pratt, showed their resolve and rallied back for a 6-3 victory over Brownsville for a huge Section 1-AA win last Wednesday afternoon at Redstone Park.
鈥淚 am so proud of this team for battling for all seven innings today,鈥� Carmichaels coach Richard Krause said. 鈥淭hey showed a lot of poise. Gavin was very poised on the mound. It was a lousy start for us as a team, but we never panicked. A lot of people don鈥檛 know this, but we usually start five freshmen or sophomores. I love their poise today.鈥�
After throwing 25 pitches in the opening inning, Pratt rebounded and put together a fantastic outing is tossing a complete game.
Pratt, who was sparingly used only as a reliever last season, allowed just four hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks on 106 pitches.
鈥淚 just had to adjust to the mound,鈥� Pratt said. 鈥淚 really couldn鈥檛 find my footing in that first inning and that affected me a little. After that I just calmed down and threw my game. They have a couple of good hitters, so I just wanted to keep the ball low in the zone and hit the corners.鈥�
Pratt was also effective at the plate for the Mikes (4-1, 9-1), going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
鈥淕avin was our lead-off hitter last season,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淲e moved him to the three-hole because he can hit the ball to all fields. He has gotten a lot stronger and he is just driving the ball into some gaps this year.鈥�
Despite grabbing the early lead, the Falcons (1-3, 5-3) couldn鈥檛 muster enough offense in the later innings.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to give a lot of credit to their pitcher for bouncing back after a rocky first inning,鈥� Brownsville coach Skooter Roebuck said. 鈥淭hings were working for us early on, but we just couldn鈥檛 add onto our lead. We took way too many fastballs, and too many pitches in general. We made it too easy for them and were not aggressive at the plate.鈥�
The Falcons tallied the opening run when lead-off hitter Austin Lincoski drew a walk, advanced to third on a couple of passed balls and then scored on a wild pitch.
Nicholas Keeney, who had two of Brownsville鈥檚 four hits, later scored on an errant pickoff attempt. Rocco Frisco then added an RBI single later in the frame to push the lead to 3-0.
After the Mikes left four runners on base through the first three innings, the offense came through in the fourth inning and the rally was sparked by the bottom of the lineup.
Al Cree was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score the Mikes鈥� first run, followed by a perfectly placed squeeze bunt by Drake Long that scored courtesy runner Jacob Hair.
Dylan Wilson then launched a ball to center field for a sacrifice fly that tied it up at 3-3, and then Pratt hit an RBI single to give the visitors their first lead of the day.
After a scoreless fifth, Carmichaels tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth. Cree started the frame with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Long. Matthew Barrish singled with two outs and scored on a double by Pratt.
鈥淚 put in a lot of work in the offseason,鈥� Pratt said. 鈥淛ust seeing the ball in the cage has really helped my swing this year. I am more confident and I鈥檓 just looking to drive the ball. I am staying back on the ball and just looking the ball into the zone.鈥�
Despite allowing one-out singles in the final two innings, Pratt was able to work around the hits and preserve the victory. The sophomore righty induced seven ground outs.
Stush Ferek had two singles for Carmichaels.
鈥淲e stayed the course,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淚 am thrilled with the way we battled at the plate. We have a lot of balance in our lineup. We knew that going into the season. I don鈥檛 think our offense is there just yet, sometimes it鈥檚 hit or miss. We can鈥檛 leave people on base. To win on this field against a quality team is huge for us.鈥�
Frisco took the loss for Brownsville, going three innings and allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Zachary Kutek pitched the remainder of the game and recorded two strikeouts.
鈥淲e just have to bounce back,鈥� Roebuck said. 鈥淭he kids are young and a lot of the kids didn鈥檛 start for us last year. They are used to winning and we have to figure out how to get back to our winning ways.鈥�