Title rematch: Copperheads advance to FCBL final with 10-0 win
REPUBLIC 鈥� Carmichaels scored four runs in the first inning and didn鈥檛 look back for a 10-0 road victory Tuesday night over WBAC to sweep its Fayette County Baseball League best-of-3 semifinal series.
The game was scheduled for Monday but was postponed due to rain.
The league championship will be a rematch of last year鈥檚 final with M&R Transit winning its second-consecutive title with a 3-1 series win.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of weird. We had the best overall record so we get to host the first game, but we lost to them all three times. All three games were tight. We just have to find a way to hit against them,鈥� said Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause.
Krause likes where his team is as they head into the best-of-5 series.
鈥淚 was really happy with our intensity because I didn鈥檛 think we had enough for a playoff game two days ago,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e had 21 guys dress today. It鈥檚 nice to have that depth where we can make a lot of moves. If one guy is having a rough day at the plate, then there鈥檚 somebody equally as good that we can insert. That depth is going to be big in that series.鈥�
The Copperheads came out swinging against starter Dylan Brosky.
Jimmy Sadler鈥檚 flair over third base became a game-opening double. Alex Van Sickle followed with a flair over the shortstop for runners on the corners and he then stole second.
Left fielder Colby Simmons made a diving catch of Noah Burke鈥檚 sinking line drive with both runners holding their bases. Sadler scampered home for the first run on a passed ball.
Noah Mildren walked and Forrest Havanis drove in both runners with a double.
Havanis scored on AJ Vanata鈥檚 double.
鈥淭hat makes it tough when you go down 4-0,鈥� said WBAC manager Trevor Stewart.
Brosky walked Gianni Cantini to start the top of the second inning, but retired the next two batters. Van Sickle came through with a two-out, run-scoring single that landed in the short left field.
鈥淲e thought we鈥檇 see Brosky in Game 1. That threw us off a little (when he didn鈥檛 pitch). I have a lot of respect for him. That kid鈥檚 been so good at every level he鈥檚 pitched,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e changed our lineup to face him. Because he鈥檚 a hard rightie, we put as many lefties in the lineup as we could.鈥�
The first four batters 鈥� Sadler, Van Sickle, Burke and Mildren 鈥� were all left-handed.
Matt Malinsky came on in relief of Brosky in the third inning and managed to retire the Copperheads in order.
鈥淵ou go from seeing Brosky, who is such a good pitcher, and then you see a younger guy, who has a nice curve ball but doesn鈥檛 throw as hard,鈥� said Krause.
Carmichaels again put together a big inning with two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
Hunter Mamie started the rally with an RBI single. Courtesy runner Jacob Rush advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Sadler鈥檚 single.
Sadler took second on a wild pitch and Van Sickle walked. Both runners jogged around the bases on Burke鈥檚 home run over the right field fence.
WBAC鈥檚 Geno Thorpe retired the side in order in the top of the fifth inning.
Carmichaels鈥� Ethan Erhard struck out the side in the bottom of the first inning and retired nine of the first 10 batters, six by strikeout. Brosky鈥檚 single was the lone blemish in the first three innings.
WBAC鈥檚 lone rally came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Trevor Stewart walked with one out and Josh Davison followed with a single. Erhard bore down and stranded the runners with back-to-back strikeouts.
Wyatt Walker finished the game, allowing a two-out walk to Anthony Dellapenna. The defense got a break on Thorpe鈥檚 grounder when the ball slipped under Van Sickle鈥檚 glove, but bounced right to Drake Long, who was standing on second for the final out.
WBAC finished fifth in the final standings, but was given the playoff berth the day before the semifinals when Oakland withdrew.
鈥淲e got the call Saturday night, so we were just scrambling to find enough guys,鈥� explained Stewart. 鈥淲e lost today, but we got two more games out of it.
鈥淪o, I鈥檓 not going to complain about that.鈥�
鈥淭o their credit, they got a nice start from their kid in Game 1. I give them credit. They could鈥檝e easily said their season is over,鈥� complemented Krause.
While Carmichaels prepares for the championship, Stewart and WBAC will prepare for the 2025 season.
鈥淲e鈥檒l regroup for next year and try to find more guys,鈥� said Stewart, adding, 鈥淚t was a good year, a fun year.鈥�