Long layoff dulls Carmichaels’ chance against Union
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Carmichaels’ first base coach Adam Jack consoles Darren Krause after the Mikes lost to Union Tuesday. Union won 12-7.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Carmichaels’ Joel Spishock is congratulated by teammates Hunter Phillips and Jacob Wamsley after hitting an inside-the-park homerun the allowed the Mikes to score three runs in the sixth inning against Union.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Carmichaels’ Jacob Wamsley gets a hit in the top of the third inning against Union Tuesday.
Katie Roupe/Observer-Reporter Carmichaels’ Joel Spishock has Union’s Seth Pinkerton caught in a rundown after a pickoff attempt in the bottom of the second inning Tuesday.
McKEES ROCKS – If one listened closely, it was easy to hear the rust falling to the ground as Carmichaels High School took the field for its first-round WPIAL Class A playoff game against Union.
The Mikes had not played a game since May 2.
It showed.
Union pounded out 16 hits and used its team speed to create some unusual plays while defeating Carmichaels, 12-7, at Burkett Complex Tuesday afternoon.
Union, the champions of Section 3, moved to 13-5 and will take on Our Lady of Sacred Heart, a 10-2 winner over Jeannette, at a site, time and date to be determined.
Carmichaels, the third-place team in Section 1, finishes the season with a 10-7 record.
“You can’t win a playoff game when you haven’t played in 15 days,” said Mikes head coach Richard Krause. “We had entirely too much time off. We tried everything we knew to play games. We did everything we could to get ready for this: intrasquad, live batting practice, and we were too rusty.”
Carmichaels was riding a three-game winning streak after a 12-2 victory over Jefferson-Morgan. But games scheduled against Albert Gallatin May 6, Chartiers-Houston May 9 and McGuffey May 12 were postponed because of inclement weather.
“You could see it on the mound, you could see it in the field with mental mistakes,” said Krause. “We were actually playing pretty well by then. We have to come here and play the fourth seed with D-I kid and a lot of athletes, you can’t mistakes and we made too many of them.
“These kids never quit. They gave every ounce of energy they could. I told their coach, ‘We’re going to fight you. You might beat us but we’re going to fight you.’ That’s what these kids do.”
Union scored 11 runs over the third, fourth and fifth innings to put the game out of reach. Logan Schuller knocked in four runs and Tim Sumner went 2-for-5 with three RBI.
Joe Gunn, a senior center fielder considered one of the top baseball prospects in the state, went 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI. Gunn’s most impressive play might have come in the four-run fifth inning. Standing on second base after driving in two runs, Gunn scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center field that Reed Long caught near the outfield fence.
“We’re fortunate that we have kids who are really good athletes,” said Union head coach Mike Gunn. “Some of our kids are better athletes than baseball players. We try to use that athleticism. We have a kid (in Gunn) who is going to be a high-round draft pick. He scores from second on a fly ball. That shows you the kind of kid he is.”
Joel Spishock sparked Carmichaels’ offense hitting a three-run, inside-the-park home run in a three-run sixth inning that made it 11-7. Long went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.