Walk off: Ricco鈥檚 fly ball plates deciding run in Copperheads鈥� 2-1 win
CARMICHAELS 鈥� The Oakland Oaks pitching staff didn鈥檛 walk a batter through the first six innings of Tuesday鈥檚 Fayette County Baseball League game at Carmichaels.
However, a wild streak by Jonathon Allen walked the bases loaded with no outs and Nick Ricco made the most of the opportunity with a sacrifice fly to lift the Copperheads to a 2-1 home victory.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a really good week of baseball. We played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and these guys have been off from college ball or high school baseball,鈥� said Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause. 鈥淎nd, some of these guys have played in a month and now you鈥檙e playing a game.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled. These are the games in the standings that separate you from finishing fourth and first or second.鈥�
Winning pitcher Forrest Havanis walked to start the rally after falling behind in the count, 0-2. AJ Vanata walked on five pitches.
Manager Chris Bosley called time out to talk to his lanky right-hander.
鈥淢aybe I should鈥檝e pulled him when I went out,鈥� said Oakland manager Chris Bosley in hindsight.
Dom Colarusso entered the game to pinch-hit for catcher Hunter Mamie and bunt the runners ahead. Colarusso fouled one pitch off and was able to pull the bat back on a couple pitches, and eventually worked a walk to load the bases.
Shane Clunan entered the game to face Ricco and Ricco lofted a fly ball to deep center field as Havanis sprinted home with the game-winning run.
鈥淥nce you get the leadoff guy on, the pressure changes and it鈥檚 no longer on the batter, it鈥檚 on the pitcher,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淲e talked in the dugout before the inning started. The kid had good stuff. We said nothing out of the zone.鈥�
Oakland (3-2) threatened to break the tie in the top of the seventh inning. Bryce Snyder was safely aboard when his infield ground ball was mishandled. Cole Parker walked and both runners advanced a base on a passed ball.
However, Havanis wiggled out of the inning with a high pop fly to Ricco at first base and a fly ball to right fielder Tyler Richmond.
The Copperheads (3-0-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning after stranding the bases loaded in the first inning.
Gianni Cantini sharply singled to right field with one out and was looking to stretch the hit into a double, but lost his balance as he was rounding the back and scrambled back to first base.
Jimmy Sadler came through with a two-out double as Cantini raced around the bases to score the game鈥檚 first run.
Oakland tied the game in the top of the fifth inning.
Snyder opened the inning with a double and was replaced by courtesy runner Levi Carrington. Cole Parker hit a gap shot that scored Carrington. However, center fielder Noah Burke ran down the ball and fired a strike to second baseman Drake Long for the out on Parker.
Oakland had a solid scoring chance in the fourth inning, but Carmichaels defense came up big when Havanis鈥� throw from left field cut down Lucas at the plate for the third out of the inning after Cameron Goble single.
鈥淲e had our chances. We just didn鈥檛 cash in,鈥� said Bosley. 鈥淲e just didn鈥檛 get barreled up.
鈥淲e made a couple of baserunning mistakes.Our catcher drills one off the wall and gets thrown out at second. And, he has a bad foot.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 just really happy. We played really good baseball most of the time defensively tonight. Two big throws from the outfield for an out at the plate and second base.Those were huge plays,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淚鈥檓 just really happy. We played well.鈥�
Ryan Opfer wasn鈥檛 the Copperheads鈥� scheduled starter, but was pressed into duty when the penciled-in starter had to work.
鈥淎 lot of positive things about Ryan. He hasn鈥檛 thrown since the college season ended at Waynesburg a month ago,鈥� said Krause. 鈥淗e comes out here and didn鈥檛 know he was going to start. He knew he was going to pitch, but not start.
鈥淗e came out and shut them down. He did a great job.鈥�
Krause continued, 鈥淥ur pitching situation was fluid. The guy that started for us was scheduled to be the No. 2 pitcher today. He came here knowing he was pitching, but not starting. We get a text and the starting pitcher has to go to work, so Ryan is the starter.鈥�