Gotta believe: Lohr stars as Mikes take down top-seeded Union 3-1
McKEES ROCKS 无毛视频� The power of positive thinking was on display at Burkett Park on Monday night.
Carmichaels entered its WPIAL Class A baseball quarterfinal game against top-seeded Union as the No. 8 seed but Mikes coach Dickie Krause wasn无毛视频檛 about to get caught up in a numbers game.
无毛视频淭he message to our players all week was compete and expect to win,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淲e came here expecting to win. We didn无毛视频檛 come here expecting to play a close game.
无毛视频淚 kept telling them, I said guys I know it无毛视频檚 one and eight but that无毛视频檚 subjective. That无毛视频檚 judged by people in a room. Baseball is not decided in a room. They bought into that.无毛视频�
Right from the start.
Liam Lohr ignited a three-run, first-inning rally then pitched a complete-game three-hitter as the Mikes upended the Scotties 3-1 to advance to Tuesday无毛视频檚 semifinals against No. 4 Bishop Canevin, which blanked No. 5 Western Beaver 10-0 in six innings.
The game was scheduled to be played at Ross Memorial Park at 4:30 p.m.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e thrilled. We无毛视频檙e going to enjoy this,无毛视频� Krause said of the win. 无毛视频淏ut not for very long.无毛视频�
Union无毛视频檚 top-seed status wasn无毛视频檛 on Lohr无毛视频檚 mind.
无毛视频淚 approached this like any other game,无毛视频� said Lohr who turned in a masterful performance with seven strikeouts and just one walk and also had two of his team无毛视频檚 six hits. 无毛视频淭hey put on their uniforms just like we do. I wasn无毛视频檛 worried about a No. 1 by their name.无毛视频�
The Mikes (13-4) jumped on Union starting and losing pitcher Rocco Galmarini right out of the gate.
Dom Colarusso opened the game with a single to center, stole second and scored on Lohr无毛视频檚 single to left. Lohr also stole second and came home on Robbie Wilson-Jones无毛视频� single to right to make it 2-0.
Aydan Adamson followed with an infield single and Ambrose Adamson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Courtesy runner Cooper Richards scored when Colin Andrews hit into a force out.
无毛视频淲e came out and bang, bang, bang, it was 3-0,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淭hat was huge. That was the game.无毛视频�
Both coaches agreed scouting may have played a role in Carmichaels无毛视频� quick start.
无毛视频淲e had some good information on them,无毛视频� Krause said.
无毛视频淚 think they got a lot of information that we might pitch them backwards (with off-speed pitches early in the count),无毛视频� Sanders said. 无毛视频淩occo无毛视频檚 very good with his off-speed stuff but their approaches were just unbelievable that first inning. That无毛视频檚 a credit to them.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 all Galmarini would allow but it was more than enough for Lohr.
无毛视频淧itching with a lead is the greatest thing,无毛视频� Lohr said. 无毛视频淵ou feel so comfortable out there, especially with a first-inning 3-0 lead. That helps even more.无毛视频�
Lohr didn无毛视频檛 allow a hit until Mike Gunn reached on an infield single with one out in the fourth inning. Gunn took off to steal second and raced all the way to third when Dom Cuccitrone grounded out to third baseman Aydan Ambrose. Galmarini followed with a single to center to pull Union within two.
The Scotties (13-4) would get no closer.
Lohr retired 10 of the last 12 batters, allowing only a two-out walk to Andrew Gettings in the fifth and a one-out double to Gunn in the sixth.
无毛视频淟iam Lohr was fantastic,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淗e was really on his game and just did a good job. Our coaching staff, Nate Torbich in particular, calling the game really worked well. They had a rhythm going and that was significant.无毛视频�
Lohr impressed Sanders as well.
无毛视频淟ohr did a great job keeping our hitters off-balance,无毛视频� said Sanders, who, like Krause, didn无毛视频檛 put much stock into the seedings.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 a good baseball team over there,无毛视频� Sanders said. 无毛视频淒id we want to move on? Absolutely. Are we ashamed that we lost to Carmichaels? No, because coming in we knew they were a good team. We didn无毛视频檛 really feel they were an eight seed but that无毛视频檚 where they fell and you无毛视频檝e got to beat them at some point anyways.
无毛视频淭hey did a really nice job. They have a really nice team.无毛视频�
Carmichaels无毛视频� defense was flawless behind Lohr following a shaky start. Union lead-off batter Dayne Johnke reached on an error in the bottom of the first. Landon Eckert bunted Johnke to second and he advanced to third on a balk before Lohr struck out the next two batters to squash the threat.
Shortstop Colarusso stood out with several fine plays, two of which required him to make perfect throws on the run, including the last out of the game.
无毛视频淢y defense was great behind me,无毛视频� Lohr said. 无毛视频淭hey put that one error behind them and made every play.无毛视频�
Lohr retired 10 in a row from the first to the fourth.
Krause felt the victory was significant in a number of ways.
无毛视频淗uge win. This is one of those wins that defines a season,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 really happy for these kids. They无毛视频檝e grown up so much in the last year or two, it无毛视频檚 been fun to be around.These are great kids. They无毛视频檝e worked really hard. We have six seniors who are all good leaders who have all contributed something.
无毛视频淚 really wanted to see this for a couple other reasons, too. Not only did we knock out the No. 1 seed but Avella won so you无毛视频檝e got two of the final four from our section. That tells people that section无毛视频檚 pretty darn good and really competitive. The other part of this is we无毛视频檝e now got at least two more games left so this extends our season a good bit.无毛视频�
The win earned the Mikes at least two more games with either a spot in the final or in the third-place consolation game for a berth in the PIAA tournament following Tuesday无毛视频檚 outcome.