Bamford pitches Copperheads to 2-0 series lead over Mudcats
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Potomac Valley hadn鈥檛 been shut out all year in rolling to a 16-2 regular season record and a pair of playoff wins.
Carmichaels鈥� starting pitching has had the Mudcats number in the first two games of the Fayette County Baseball League finals, however.
Matt Bamford twirled a three-hit shutout and Noah Mildren homered as the Copperheads took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series with a 2-0 win at Carmichaels on Thursday.
Bamford walked three and struck out 10 to follow up Gavin Pratt who tossed a two-hit shutout in Game 1.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say enough about Matt,鈥� Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause said. 鈥淗is last time out against Charleroi he had a couple struggles but he got through them. Today he was on, mixing three different pitches really well.
鈥淭wo complete games, two shutouts. It鈥檚 allowed us to keep people in reserve and so we know what we want to do in our next two games with our pitching.鈥�
If the Copperheads keep getting the same type of performances on the mound, only one more game may be necessary.
Game 3 was scheduled to be played Friday at Garrett College.
Carmichaels (20-2) put up multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive playoff game.
Dom Colarusso led off the bottom of the first with a double to left, Alex VanSickle moved him to third with a ground out and Santino Marra followed with a sacrifice fly to give the hosts the only run they would need.
Colarusso was 2 for 3 with a stolen base.
After manufacturing a run, the Copperheads got another on one swing of the bat as Mildren followed with a home run over the right field fence for 2-0 lead.
The Mudcats鈥� biggest threat came in the second inning when they loaded the bases with two walks and a single with two outs but Bamford recorded a three-pitch strikeout to escape the jam.
The Copperheads turned a double play in the third inning when Conner Blake lined out to second baseman Marra who threw to first baseman Andino Vecchiolla to double off the runner.
Bamford retired the next nine hitters before allowing a lead-off walk to Bryce Snyder in the seventh then going to a 2-1 count on the next hitter, prompting Krause to make a mound visit.
Bamford responded with two strikeouts in a row and then knocking down a line drive by Jeremy Shingler and tossing to Vecchiolla at first base for the final out.
鈥淚 said relax, have fun with this,鈥� Krause explained of what he said to Bamford during the mound visit. 鈥淎t this point in time you鈥檝e pitched a great game, don鈥檛 push, don鈥檛 press and let鈥檚 go at them a little bit, and he did.
鈥淎nother reason was just to give him a break. It鈥檚 hot, let him breathe a little bit and calm down.鈥�
Snyder took the tough loss despite a strong outing. He allowed just five hits and two walks with five strikeouts
鈥淐redit to their guy because he threw really well,鈥� Krause said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a really good-hitting team. I didn鈥檛 expect us to shut them out two straight games. But we have good kids over here. They鈥檙e great to work with and they鈥檝e worked really hard to get to this point, and they listen. They buy in to what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
JJ Charlton had two of Potomac Valley鈥檚 three hits.
Neither team committed an error.
鈥淭hat was a clean game,鈥� said Krause, who remains wary of the Mudcats (18-4).
鈥淵ou can never take anything for granted,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going down there two of the next three. They have really good players. This series isn鈥檛 over.鈥�