Pratt’s pitching makes one run enough for Carmichaels
GREENSBURG – There have been two keys for success for Carmichaels’ baseball over the years: stellar pitching and fundamental offense.
The Mikes used both of those winning ingredients Thursday afternoon at Seton Hill University in their WPIAL Class AA first-round game.
Gavin Pratt pitched a complete-game gem and Carmichaels was able to eke out a run in the fifth to secure a 1-0 victory over Jeannette.
“What an effort by our kids,” Carmichaels coach Richard Krause said. “Gavin threw an outstanding game and he just pounded the strike zone today. We were able to manufacture a run in the fifth and that proved to be enough. Our kids hung in there all afternoon.”
This was the Mikes’first playoff win since an opening-round triumph over Sewickley Academy in 2015.
“This win is very importance to the team,” Krause said. “We have won our fair share of big, regular-season games and section titles, but nothing is like a win in the playoffs. The kids put in the work and they executed today. Now we are the underdogs in the next round with nothing to lose.”
Carmichaels (16-2) will play the winner of Neshannock and Carlynton in the quarterfinals next week with a time and site to be determined.
Pratt went the distance with 91 pitches and scattered two hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in his first playoff start on the mound.
“It’s just a big win for us,” Pratt said. “I just want to thank our coaches and the team for this win. It was a total team effort. We were upbeat and we knew we could win a game like this. We wanted this game so much.”
Pratt retired the first eight batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk to Zac Berginc in the third.
Jeannette put two runners on base to start the fourth, but Carmichaels got out of the jam with a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play and then a sharp groundout to Drake Long.
“Drake made some outstanding plays for us in the infield,” Krause said. “Actually, our whole infield were on their toes and got to everything on this turf. If we play defense like this, we can win a lot of games.”
Jeannette pitcher Zander Malik gave up a leadoff single in the first to Dylan Wilson and then retired 12 consecutive batters before hitting Stush Ferek with an 0-1 pitch in the fifth.
Ferek’s courtesy runner, Jacob Hair, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Zach Gamble and to third on a wild pitch, which turned out to be a key play.
Hair scored the game’s only run when Nick Ricco grounded out to shortstop.
“You can’t overthink things,” Ricco said. “I just wanted to make contact with the ball and get the runner in. You just have to choke up and make contact. I thought there would be more runs today, but we’ll take this 1-0 win any day.”
Wilson had the second hit for the Mikes, in the sixth, but he was doubled off at second after a flyout to center field.
The Jayhawks (9-8) didn’t go down quietly in the top of the seventh. Drake Petrillo started the inning with a hard-hit triple to right field.
On the next at-bat, Petrillo was gunned down at home plate when Long collected a grounder and threw it high to Ferek for the out.
Sandwiched around a catcher’s interference, Pratt registered two strikeouts to end the game and continue the Mikes’ march into the postseason.
“I was able to hit my spots and work the outside corner,” Pratt said. “My catcher framed a couple of nice pitches for me and we were in sync today. My fastball had some movement and I was in the zone the whole day.”
Malik finished with 60 pitchers over six innings. He allowed a run on two hits with four strikeouts, no walks and two hit batsmen.
“We were in close games all year,” Krause said. “None of our kids backed down today and we were confident we could win a close game like this. Our section was tough and it really prepared us for this type of game in the playoffs.”