Blue Mountain avoids elimination in FCBL playoffs
Blue Mountain Copperheads' J.W. Kayla is congratulated by coach Dick Krause (99) after hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the second inning.
On the mound for the Blue Mountain Copperheads is pitcher Chuck Gasti.
Blue Mountain second baseman Ron Nopwosky makes the force out against Belmont Inn's Sam Beucher. Nopwesky tried to connect with the first baseman for a double play but the throw was not in time.
CARMICHAELS 鈥� In the aftermath of one of its toughest losses of the season just 24 hours prior, Blue Mountain responded with offensive fireworks in defeating Belmont Inn, 6-0, on Monday night.
Entering the game with a 2-0 series deficit in the FCBL semifinals, the Copperheads (19-8) forced Game 4, tonight at 5:45 p.m., in Hopwood thanks to an errorless performance bolstered with three home runs.
鈥淚n baseball it鈥檚 about responding to things, and we had to respond to our effort last night,鈥� said Blue Mountain manager Dickie Krause. 鈥淲e were really loose coming into night and played with a lot of upbeat energy. We didn鈥檛 make the same mistakes last night, but played with the same intensity. Tonight, the result was different.鈥�
JW Kayla had two home runs, including a two-run shot over the right-field fence line in the bottom of the second that gave the Copperheads a 2-0 lead.
Kayla added an insurance run with a second homer to right field in the sixth to make the score 6-0.
Reflecting on his success in the batter鈥檚 box, Kayla thanked Krause for advice.
鈥淗e (Krause) called time and told me if I was going to swing at the first pitch that I had to know what I wanted and to drill it,鈥� said Kayla. 鈥淚鈥檝e faced their pitcher (Bob Madison) before, and I know he can change things up on you pretty well. I was looking for fastballs and on both occasions I got that pitch first and drilled it.鈥�
Joe Havrilak tacked on a home run in the third, his second of the series and seventh of the year.
Havrilak, Kayla and Gene Franks finished with two hits.
While the Copperheads made the most of their offensive opportunities, leaving only two men on base, solid pitching from George Taylor limited Belmont to only three hits.
Taylor pitched a complete game as he improved to 3-1 with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Madison falls to 5-2 as he allowed six hits, five earned runs, while walking one batter and striking out two.
Belmont manager Steve Kezmarksy felt Madison鈥檚 effort was better than the pitcher鈥檚 stats indicated.
鈥淗e鈥檚 had to go to doctors in the past and the fact he played the complete game for us is a testimony of his effort,鈥� said Kezmarsky. 鈥淚f we were playing at our field those home runs would have been outs. Madison did well for us, and we knew they wanted to come out hitting.鈥�
Despite the loss, Kezmarsky likes his odds heading into tonight鈥檚 game.
鈥淐oming into this series if you would have told me we have a 2-1 advantage and a game at our place, I would have told you I liked our odds,鈥� said Kezmarsky. 鈥淭hat said, we know they won鈥檛 just quit. If we want to win this we鈥檒l have to earn it, and they鈥檒l make us earn every hit and run.鈥�
With a win, Belmont (16-11) would face Bud Murphy鈥檚 in the FCBL finals.