Bill’s Bit Service advances, meets Copperheads in FCBL playoffs
Mill Run and Bill鈥檚 Bit Service both used big innings Sunday afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the Fayette County Baseball League playoffs.
Mill Run held off AMD Industries, 5-3, as did Bill鈥檚 Bit Service with a 7-5 win against the Fayette Raiders.
Mill Run (13-6) traveled to Charleroi鈥檚 Veteran Memorial Stadium Tuesday night to play Mitch鈥檚 Bail Bonds (14-4). Carmichaels (16-2) hosted Bill鈥檚 Bit Service (9-10) in the other best-of-three semifinal.
Mill Run scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning without benefit of a hit. The Millers pieced together an error, three walks and two hit-batsmen for the early lead.
The Millers scored the eventual winning run in the bottom of the second inning. Garrett Brooks was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Kris Firestone鈥檚 single.
The home team added an insurance run in the bottom of the third inning.
AMD Industries (4-15) put together five singles in the top of the fourth inning to score its three runs.
Jimmy Malone went the distance for the win, allowing eight hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Todd Dunham lasted three innings for the loss, with three strikeouts and four walks.
AMD Industries upended Mill Run in the season finale, 2-1, so that was in the back of the Orndorff鈥檚 mind.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a better team than their record indicates, by all means,鈥� said Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff, adding, 鈥淚t got real monotone after the first inning.鈥�
As for the semifinals against Mitch鈥檚 Bail Bonds, Orndorff said, 鈥淚 think it鈥檒 be a good series.鈥�
Bill鈥檚 Bit Service was trailing 2-1 after five innings, but the visitors put up six runs in the top of the sixth inning. Fayette rallied with three runs in the bottom of the inning, but Zach Uhazie held the home team scoreless in their last at-bat to preserve the win and earn the save.
Winning pitcher Nick Groover had a two-run single, and Cory Lent and Alec McLay both had a run-scoring single in the six-run inning. Shane Roebuck also drove in a run with a double.
McLay had an RBI single in the top of the second inning.
Groover started and pitched into the sixth inning, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits. He struck out 11 and walked three. Uhazie allowed two runs on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts for the save.
Anthony Dellapenna had an RBI double in the fourth inning for the Fayette Raiders.
鈥淚f we win, I think the scores will be low. To keep it low will be good for us,鈥� Groover said of the Carmichaels series.