Apr 14, 2015 4 min read

COAL CENTER – California’s baseball team has dismantled opposing pitching in its quest to defend the WPIAL Class A title.

The Trojans averaged more than 14 runs per game in their seven victories entering Tuesday. Though a loss to Class AAA Mt. Pleasant showed possible flaws, Cal responded with back-to-back 15-run performances.

California head coach Nick Damico tends to drown out the hype surrounding his program. With the Trojans set to face Carmichaels, Damico heard predictions of a mercy-rule victory.

The second-year head coach knew that would not be the case.

Carmichaels junior starting pitcher Jacob Kinsell struck out nine batters, but a three-run first inning for California carried the Trojans to a 5-1 victory over the Mikes in a Section 1-A game at Malden Yards.

“Any time we can beat Carmichaels it’s great. We knew it’d be a tough game coming in,” Damico said. “I wasn’t expecting to dominate this team. They have a great coach over there, too. (Dickie Krause) is a winner. It was a fun game.”

Kinsell, a hard-throwing righty making his first varsity start against the Trojans, struggled in the first inning with pitch location. After allowing back-to-back singles to Cal’s Louden Conte and Johnny DeFranco, Kinsell walked Aaron Previsky to load the bases with no outs. He then hit Michael Luketich, giving the Trojans a 1-0 lead, and walked two more batters with the bases loaded as California took a three-run advantage into the second.

The section game was originally scheduled to be played at Carmichaels (1-1, 4-1), but the Mikes’ home field was not ready after rain Monday night. The effects of facing the defending WPIAL champions with an inexperienced lineup and the change of plans showed early.

“It came down to the first inning. We gave up three right off the bat,” Carmichaels head coach Dickie Krause said. “I think we were a little nervous – on the mound, in the field and at the plate. It’s a big stage for these kids. You are talking about the defending WPIAL champs, a team ranked No. 1 in the WPIAL.”

California (2-0, 8-1) added a run in the second inning on an RBI single by Luketich, but Kinsell began to find a groove on the mound – not allowing a hit over the next two innings – by mixing speeds and keeping the Trojans guessing.

An offense that rolled over Brownsville, a Class AA opponent, last weekend looked uncomfortable against the Mikes’ ace.

“After the first inning he was able to locate his off-speed,” Damico said. “He looked good. He’s going to be a tough kid if he keeps pitching like that. He’s going to beat a lot of teams.”

Pitching – one of California’s few weaknesses this season – became a strength in the Trojans’ biggest section game. Senior right-hander Garitt Woodburn, who struggled in the loss to Mt. Pleasant, returned to the mound Tuesday and held the Mikes to four hits with four strikeouts by mixing his fastball, curveball and changeup.

“After last game, that was something I needed. I was a little more focused,” Woodburn said. “I was making sure my mechanics were good, and when I felt them getting bad I was able to make that adjustment. I felt good all day.”

Carmichaels scored its only run in the fourth inning when Bill Bowlen hit an RBI single to right field, cutting the Trojans’ lead to 4-1, but Conte, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, drove in Cal’s fifth run with an RBI single in the sixth.

“It was a big difference from his last outing,” Damico said of Woodburn. “We’re really happy. That’s our weakness right now: defense and pitching. He really came through and bailed out our offense today. Kinsell threw a great game and Garitt shut them down.”