New Kids in Town: Masontown upends Carmichaels, 9-3
Jim Downey | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Brant Bonadio makes contact in the bottom of the fourth inning in Tuesday鈥檚 Fayette County Baseball League game against Masontown at Carmichaels High School. Bonadio was safe on an errant throw.
Carmichaels starting pitcher Nate Torbich pushes off the rubber to deliver the ball to a Masontown batter in the top of the fourth inning in Tuesday's Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels High School.
Carmichaels' Brody Bonadio crosses the plate as Masontown catcher Zach Uhazie waits for the throw in the bottom of the third inning in Tuesday's Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels High School.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Masontown might be in its first year of play in the Fayette County Baseball League, but it showed the poise of a veteran squad during a 9-3 victory over Carmichaels on July 14.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still growing. We鈥檙e getting better and better as we go along,鈥� said Masontown manager John Palmer. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a hot team right now. We鈥檙e hot with our bats for the last four games in a row.
鈥淲e stress to the team to put it in play somewhere and make them make a play. If you can鈥檛 score, you can鈥檛 win. Don鈥檛 make it easy.鈥�
Masontown (4-2) finished with 12 hits in the victory to back up Palmer鈥檚 statement.
Palmer added, 鈥淭his is a big win. I have a lot of respect for Carmichaels.鈥�
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause also has a lot of respect for the first-year Masontown squad.
鈥淎ll the credit in the world to them,鈥� praised Krause. 鈥淭he one thing I noticed the first time we played them (won by Carmichaels, 6-2), they were very organized, very focused and very structured. (John Palmer) has done a great job with them.鈥�
Holding a precarious one-run lead in the top of the seventh inning, Masontown responded with five runs on five hits and was aided by a couple errors.
Kaine Frye opened the inning with a double to deep left-center field. Willie Palmer showed bunt on a couple pitches and then perfectly grounded the ball to a soft spot between third base and shortstop for an infield single.
The Copperheads recorded a 1-6-4 out at second base, but could not turn the double play. Two errors and Bergman鈥檚 sacrifice fly led to three runs and knocked Carmichaels starting pitcher Nate Torbich out of the game.
Kenny Ryan greeted Logan Mayhle with a two-run double.
The visitors wasted little time, scoring two runs in the first inning off Torbich.
Darion Palmer opened the game with an infield single. Willie Palmer walked with one out. Zach Uhazie laced a single into left field, with the Palmers holding their bases. But, the ball took a errant bounce, allowing both Palmers to score for an early 2-0 lead.
Masontown kept up the offensive pressure in the second inning.
Austin Bergman struck out on a ball in the dirt, but hustled down to first and was ruled to beat the throw to open the inning. Torbich caught Christian Forsythe looking.
Ryan followed with a home run over the right field fence for a 4-0 lead.
Carmichaels used two errors and Tyler Reyes鈥� sacrifice fly for a run in the bottom of the third inning.
The Copperheads cut the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Tyler Godwin singled through the middle with one out. Brody Bonadio lofted a fly ball into short center field and Frye鈥檚 attempt at a diving catch came up short as Bonadio sprinted into second base for a double.
Willie Palmer caught Chuck Gasti on a rare strikeout looking, but Reyes was hit to keep the inning alive. An infield error on a ground ball hit by Joel Spishock allowed Godwin and Bonadio to score.
鈥淭he miscues, that is the thing with this team,鈥� commented John Palmer about Masontown committing errors in another game.
Carmichaels had one last shot against an ailing Willie Palmer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Brant Bonadio doubled with one out and John Przybylinski walked. Dylan Wilson grounded to second, but Masontown was unable to turn the double play to give Carmichaels runners at the corners with two outs. But, Willie Palmer mustered enough to close the threat when he caught Godwin looking.
鈥淲e just have to be better,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e get a gap and we score two runs (in a 4-3 game).鈥�
Willie Palmer allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks in six innings.
鈥淲illie was a little sick at the end of the game,鈥� said John Palmer.
Darion Palmer left nothing to chance in the seventh inning by striking out the side.
鈥淲e played five games in eight days. That adds up,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e weren鈥檛 ready mentally in a lot of ways. We fell apart in the seventh inning.
鈥淚 hope it becomes a wake-up call.鈥�