Bringing the lumber: M&R Transit bats come alive in 10-0 win over Mill Run
HOPWOOD 鈥� M&R Transit was able to time Bill Bendis from the opening pitch as the defending champions opened their Fayette County Baseball League semifinal series Sunday evening with a 10-0 victory in five innings over visiting Mill Run.
Game 2 in the best-of-3 series moves to Mill Run pending weather conditions on Monday.
M&R Transit pounded out four hits in the bottom of the first inning for two runs. The home team stranded the bases loaded.
Louden Conte doubled with one out and Santino Marra followed with a double. Nate Zimcosky and Andino Vecchiolla had back-to-back RBI singles.
Bendis wiggled out of any further damage by leaving the bases loaded.
The M&R Transit bats were still alive in the second inning for six hits and five runs.
Garrett Myers opened the inning with a bad-bounce single. Jace Cappellini followed with a single.
Bendis was on the verge of stranding the runners after back-to-back fly ball outs, but Marra kept the inning alive and drove in a run when shortstop Jonathan Kelly was unable to get the throw to first in time after a sliding stop in the hole.
Zimocosky singled to lead the bases. Vecchiolla slapped a single to the outfield for two runs and kept coming around the bases to the plate when the ball in the choppy outfield was misplayed.
鈥淲e thought (Bendis) was going to pitch and I think it was a good move for them to pitch him because he owns us,鈥� said M&R Transit manager Buddy Marra. 鈥淏ut, these guys were sitting back on the pitch and not being out on our front foot when he threw all of his junk. They weren鈥檛 cheap hits today.鈥�
鈥淭hey came out of the dugout in the first inning and they just hit. I knew coming into this game those guys were coming to swing the bat. That was a given, and they did,鈥� said Mill Run manager Ray Orndorff. 鈥淚f that first pitch was there, they were on it. They were swinging.鈥�
M&R Transit added to its lead in the bottom of the third inning.
Garrett Myers walked with one out. Winning pitcher Justin Brestensky singled with two outs to keep the inning alive and Conte followed with a three-run home run.
Bendis stayed in the game and retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth inning.
鈥淏ill鈥檚 a competitor. He loves the game. I went out to him and said here鈥檚 the deal. If you want, I got other arms. I didn鈥檛 want to use Beau (Bigam) and Alan (VanSickle) at that point because we have Game 2 and maybe Game 3, but he finished out the game,鈥� said Orndorff.
While the M&R Transit bats were pounding out the hits, the pitching staff held Mill Run batters at bay.
Brestensky retired the first six batters before allowing a single to Marc Prinkey. Prinkey was erased on a 6-4-3 double play and the left-hander struck out Teran Kemp swinging.
Jace Cappellini pitched the fourth inning and walked the first batter he faced, VanSickle. He was forced a second on Jonathan Kelly鈥檚 grounder. Beau Bigam then hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
鈥淲e had great defense,鈥� said Buddy Marra.
Conte pitched the fifth inning and faced five batters. He walked Cade Warrick to start the inning and Bendis singled with one out. Conte closed out the inning with a strikeout and ground out.
鈥淚鈥檓 really pleased because we鈥檙e fresh,鈥� said Buddy Marra. 鈥淏restensky only had 20-some pitches. We weren鈥檛 going to throw many guys over 30 pitches if we got a four-, five-run lead.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to pitch Cappellini or Conte today. Conte hasn鈥檛 pitched since high school and he was in my ear for the last three games. This was a perfect chance, now we have another arm. He threw great.鈥�
Marra added, 鈥淎nd, we have Vecchiolla fresh as can be.鈥�
Orndorff said that鈥檚 the way baseball goes sometimes.
鈥淲e had two hits. We put the ball in play, but they had two double plays. And, we hit the ball right at them, at times,鈥� said Orndoff, adding, 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the way it goes鈥�
Both managers said their respective teams would be ready to play the second game, pending the forecasted rain.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going hard. There鈥檚 no fooling around. We鈥檙e worried about winning Monday,鈥� said Buddy Marra.
鈥淗ey fellas, it鈥檚 Game 1. It鈥檚 over. We鈥檙e going to wipe our hands clean and we鈥檙e going to Game 2. Let鈥檚 go,鈥� said Orndorff. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing we could do. It鈥檚 by us. It鈥檚 in the past. Let鈥檚 look forward to tomorrow.
鈥淭here鈥檚 times when things just don鈥檛 click.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the way baseball goes. It鈥檚 a funny game.鈥�