Tight tussle
Pitching, defense shine as Copperheads top Hopwood in Game 1
Pitching and defense took center stage during Game 1 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals on Sunday.
Carmichaels无毛视频� Matt Bamford out-dueled Hopwood Village Plaza无毛视频檚 Matthew Firestone as the Copperheads squeezed out just enough offense to come away with a 2-0 victory at Carmichaels Area High School.
Carmichaels无毛视频� Ben Shields had the only RBI of the game, which included two outstanding defensive plays, one by Copperheads left fielder Aaron Previsky and one by Hopwood center fielder Justin Brestensky, that helped keep the score close.
无毛视频淏oth teams played well,无毛视频� Hopwood manager Buddy Marra said. 无毛视频淐armichaels has a nice team. I definitely respect those guys. I was proud of how our kids fought.无毛视频�
无毛视频淔rom a pitching and defensive standpoint it was a game very worth of the finals,无毛视频� Copperheads manager Dickie Krause said. 无毛视频淭he two pitchers just shut everything down.无毛视频�
Bamford fired a three-hit shutout with two walks and 11 strikeouts while throwing 109 pitches. Firestone limited Carmichaels to four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
无毛视频淔irestone and Bamford both pitched really well,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a shame we couldn无毛视频檛 put any runs up for Matthew. He pitched better than I无毛视频檝e ever seen him pitch, and was very efficient.无毛视频�
Firestone threw just 73 pitches in his six innings of work.
Krause lauded Bamford.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 pitched really well all season for us,无毛视频� Krasue said. 无毛视频淗e didn无毛视频檛 disappoint. He threw a great game.无毛视频�
Hopwood无毛视频檚 best chance at scoring came in the top of the first inning. Chase Sankovich walked and Santino Marra smashed a deep fly ball to left field that sent Previsky back to the fence.
无毛视频淎aron had a bead on it the whole way.无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淵ou could see him positioning himself and he reached out. The ball was over the fence and he caught it and brought it back in.
无毛视频淛ust amazing.无毛视频�
Marra was impressed as well.
无毛视频淏asically, Santino hit a ball out of the park and their left fielder scaled the fence and brought it back in,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚 saw him go back and I said that无毛视频檚 gone. It would无毛视频檝e been a two-run home run. I have to tip my hat to him.无毛视频�
Krause cited the catch as the key play in the game.
无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 know that in the first inning but the way the game went, those two runs would无毛视频檝e changed things a lot,无毛视频� Krause said.
Hopwood would turn the tables on Carmichaels in the third inning on a play that, ironically, involved Previsky, who hit a lead-off double. Robbie Wilson-Jones followed with what looked like a sure hit into right-center field.
Brestensky made a diving catch that not only robbed Wilson-Jones of a hit but also resulted in a double play with his throw doubling Previsky off second base.
无毛视频淛ustin laid out and made an unbelievable catch,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚t was like he was running down the boat dock and diving into the water. Their runner was already crossing home plate so we got a big double play on that one. He made similar catch the other day against Charleroi.无毛视频�
Krause, who coaches third base, blamed himself for the double play.
无毛视频淲e had a guy at second and nobody out and we dumped a ball in the outfield and I didn无毛视频檛 see it well,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淚 thought it hit the ground but he caught it and doubled us off at second. Tremendous catch.无毛视频�
The lone runs of the game came in the fourth inning when Carmichaels recorded three of their four hits.
Brodee Latoucha led off with a single to center and took second base on a wild pitch. Dom Colarusso followed with a perfectly place bunt single and Latoucha came around to score what proved to be the deciding run when Firestone threw high to first base. Colarusso took second on Noah Mildren无毛视频檚 ground out and scored on Shields无毛视频� single to left.
Bamford didn无毛视频檛 allow a runner to reach third base in closing out the game from there for the Copperheads.
Chad Petrush had two of Hopwood无毛视频檚 three hits and a stolen base with Anthony Piasecki accounting for the other hit, all singles.
While he was satisfied with his team无毛视频檚 pitching and defense, Krause voiced concern about its hitting.
无毛视频淥ffensively, we have got to start hitting,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淲e need to compete more at the plate and just get better at-bats.无毛视频�
Buddy Marra, who only had nine available players, was upbeat despite the loss.
无毛视频淲e had five starters out,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淲e have Wyatt Nehls, Tate Musko and Jarod Hough on vacation, and Erik Streussnig and Ryan Covelens, neither of them could make it. So we struggled to get nine on the field.
无毛视频淚 expect a couple guys to be back for Game 2 so I think we无毛视频檒l be in a little better shape. I think if we can pull a win out in Game 2 we can make this a very close series.无毛视频�
The tentative starting pitching matchup for Monday无毛视频檚 game was Brestensky for Hopwood and Gianni Cantini for Carmichaels.
Pitching and defense took center stage during Game 1 of the Fayette County Baseball League finals on Sunday.
Carmichaels无毛视频� Matt Bamford out-dueled Hopwood Village Plaza无毛视频檚 Matthew Firestone as the Copperheads squeezed out just enough offense to come away with a 2-0 victory at Carmichaels Area High School.
Carmichaels无毛视频� Ben Shields had the only RBI of the game, which included two outstanding defensive plays, one by Copperheads left fielder Aaron Previsky and one by Hopwood center fielder Justin Brestensky, that helped keep the score close.
无毛视频淏oth teams played well,无毛视频� Hopwood manager Buddy Marra said. 无毛视频淐armichaels has a nice team. I definitely respect those guys. I was proud of how our kids fought.无毛视频�
无毛视频淔rom a pitching and defensive standpoint it was a game very worth of the finals,无毛视频� Copperheads manager Dickie Krause said. 无毛视频淭he two pitchers just shut everything down.无毛视频�
Bamford fired a three-hit shutout with two walks and 11 strikeouts while throwing 109 pitches. Firestone limited Carmichaels to four hits with no walks and three strikeouts.
无毛视频淔irestone and Bamford both pitched really well,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a shame we couldn无毛视频檛 put any runs up for Matthew. He pitched better than I无毛视频檝e ever seen him pitch, and was very efficient.无毛视频�
Firestone threw just 73 pitches in his six innings of work.
Krause lauded Bamford.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 pitched really well all season for us,无毛视频� Krasue said. 无毛视频淗e didn无毛视频檛 disappoint. He threw a great game.无毛视频�
Hopwood无毛视频檚 best chance at scoring came in the top of the first inning. Chase Sankovich walked and Santino Marra smashed a deep fly ball to left field that sent Previsky back to the fence.
无毛视频淎aron had a bead on it the whole way.无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淵ou could see him positioning himself and he reached out. The ball was over the fence and he caught it and brought it back in.
无毛视频淛ust amazing.无毛视频�
Marra was impressed as well.
无毛视频淏asically, Santino hit a ball out of the park and their left fielder scaled the fence and brought it back in,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚 saw him go back and I said that无毛视频檚 gone. It would无毛视频檝e been a two-run home run. I have to tip my hat to him.无毛视频�
Krause cited the catch as the key play in the game.
无毛视频淵ou don无毛视频檛 know that in the first inning but the way the game went, those two runs would无毛视频檝e changed things a lot,无毛视频� Krause said.
Hopwood would turn the tables on Carmichaels in the third inning on a play that, ironically, involved Previsky, who hit a lead-off double. Robbie Wilson-Jones followed with what looked like a sure hit into right-center field.
Brestensky made a diving catch that not only robbed Wilson-Jones of a hit but also resulted in a double play with his throw doubling Previsky off second base.
无毛视频淛ustin laid out and made an unbelievable catch,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淚t was like he was running down the boat dock and diving into the water. Their runner was already crossing home plate so we got a big double play on that one. He made similar catch the other day against Charleroi.无毛视频�
Krause, who coaches third base, blamed himself for the double play.
无毛视频淲e had a guy at second and nobody out and we dumped a ball in the outfield and I didn无毛视频檛 see it well,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淚 thought it hit the ground but he caught it and doubled us off at second. Tremendous catch.无毛视频�
The lone runs of the game came in the fourth inning when Carmichaels recorded three of its four hits.
Brodee Latoucha led off with a single to center and took second base on a wild pitch. Dom Colarusso followed with a perfectly place bunt single and Latoucha came around to score what proved to be the deciding run when Firestone threw high to first base. Colarusso took second on Noah Mildren无毛视频檚 ground out and scored on Shields无毛视频� single to left.
Bamford didn无毛视频檛 allow a runner to reach third base in closing out the game from there for the Copperheads.
Chad Petrush had two of Hopwood无毛视频檚 three hits and a stolen base with Anthony Piasecki accounting for the other hit, all singles.
While he was satisfied with his team无毛视频檚 pitching and defense, Krause voiced concern about its hitting.
无毛视频淥ffensively, we have got to start hitting,无毛视频� Krause said. 无毛视频淲e need to compete more at the plate and just get better at-bats.无毛视频�
Buddy Marra, who only had nine available players, was upbeat despite the loss.
无毛视频淲e had five starters out,无毛视频� Marra said. 无毛视频淲e have Wyatt Nehls, Tate Musko and Jarod Hough on vacation, and Erik Streussnig and Ryan Covelens, neither of them could make it. So we struggled to get nine on the field.
无毛视频淚 expect a couple guys to be back for Game 2 so I think we无毛视频檒l be in a little better shape. I think if we can pull a win out in Game 2 we can make this a very close series.无毛视频�
The tentative starting pitching matchup for Monday无毛视频檚 game was Brestensky for Hopwood and Gianni Cantini for Carmichaels.