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Richmond nearly hits for cycle in Mikes’ win

6 min read

Carmichaels’ Tyler Richmond almost had it.

In his first three at-bats, Richmond went 3-for-3 with a single, triple, home run, three RBI and three runs scored.

Anybody who read that and knows enough about baseball knows that this means Richmond was only a double away from the cycle.

Now, a cycle is quite an achievement at any level of baseball. But it’s extra rare in high school because there are only seven innings in a regular game, and thus fewer chances for players to have at-bats.

But through three innings, the cycle was in reach, and Richmond knew it.

Somewhat unfortunately for Richmond, he didn’t end up getting a chance.

It wasn’t because his prowess made the opposing pitcher walk him.

Thankfully, it wasn’t because of an injury or anything else unforeseen.

Richmond didn’t get another chance to bat because the game was over after four and a third innings.

On the plus side for Richmond, his team, No. 5 Carmichaels, mercy-ruled No. 12 Cornell 11-0 and advanced to the WPIAL Class A quarterfinal, where they’ll play No. 4 California Monday at a time and place to be determined.

So was Richmond bummed out that he didn’t get a chance for the cycle?

“Yeah, a little bit,” Richmond said after the game. “But I’m just glad we got the win. That was a big step for us. We really needed that to prove some things to a few people, and I’m happy about that.”

Richmond’s coach, Richard Krause, loved what his leadoff man and centerfielder provided offensively and defensively.

“He’s fantastic,” Krause said. “He made a really nice running catch in the outfield. He’s had a great year for us. He’s a great person who works hard at baseball and football and basketball. He’s a really talented kid.”

“He sparked us.”

Richmond’s signed to play football at Waynesburg.

So hypothetically, what would Richmond have done in his fourth at-bat if he hit a ball long enough to be a triple while knowing that a double was what he needed for the feat?

“I think I probably would stop at second,” Richmond said, laughing. “One of my coaches told me to because it’s just so rare to hit for the cycle. So, yeah, I think I probably would have.”

Krause agreed, so long as the Mikes (15-3) were still up by a comfortable margin.

“That came up in the dugout,” Krause said. “Because he’s a double away, and in high school baseball, you don’t see cycles very often. Teams don’t get to bat that much in a seven-inning game. Your top guy might get a fourth at-bat, but then you have to be 4-for-4. Yeah, the thought process basically was if there was a base hit and there was any opportunity to try to stretch it, he was going to stretch it. If he hit one in the ally, we were going to hold him at second. If the lead held up. If they start inching away on you and get a couple of runs here and there, we’re not going to do that. But it would have a nice honor.”

Krause also said he’d “rather play five (innings) and save the two hours of pitching.”

Carmichaels starting pitcher, Aydan Adamson, could have pitched all night, but thanks to the mercy rule, he only had to go five innings and 66 pitches for the complete game, two-hit shutout.

Krause was pleased with his starter.

“We were really hopeful that Aydan would throw like he did tonight,” Krause said. “Five innings, clean, right at them.”

So, what was working for Adamson?

“I just kept a clear head,” Adamson said, “and just kept thinking about good stuff, you know?”

It was a night full of “good stuff” for Carmichaels.

Carmichaels struck for three runs in the bottom of the first. Jacob Fordyce drove in Richmond for the game’s first run. Fordyce came home on a double by Robbie Wilson-Jones, and Wilson-Jones came in on a single by Mason Lapana.

The Mikes added big-time in the second.

Richmond made it 3-0 with a two-run triple, and Liam Lohr added a two-run triple later in the inning to make it 8-0. In between, Dom Colarusso and Fordyce had RBI singles. The Mikes’ onslaught chased Cornell (6-11) starter CJ Jackson from the game after being unable to get an out in the second. Carmichaels added two more to make it 10-0 and virtually put the game to bed, and Richmond added a solo shot in the third to cap off the scoring.

The way Adamson was throwing, he didn’t need anywhere near 11 runs.

But they were a solid luxury.

“Our offense was on it tonight,” Adamson said. “They were pounding the ball in every aspect. It got me pumped when we were pounding the ball.”

Now, Carmichaels will face a familiar foe.

California and Carmichaels finished with identical section records, but California is the section champ and the higher seed because the Trojans won both meetings with the Mikes- both 5-4 affairs- in consecutive days at each respective home field.

Krause knows Monday will be challenging.

“California’s gritty,” Krause said. “They’re tough. They’re a good baseball team. They play really hard; we know that. They’re the section champ. We’re not. We know that. They were looking at us tonight (in person), so we hope we’ve improved a lot since we played them.”

Fort Cherry ousted

Fort Cherry’s season ended in the first round of the Class A playoffs. The eighth-seeded Rangers fell 13-6 to No. 9 Sewickley Academy.

Sewickley Academy scored first in the top of the first without getting a hit. Penn State commit Aidn Zorn scored on a double steal.

Fort Cherry took the lead in the bottom of the first on a throwing error with the bases loaded that scored two runs and made it 2-1 Rangers.

Sewickley regained the lead in the top of the third on a two-run, two-out, bases-loaded single by No. 7 hitter Michael Woo. The next hitter, Hudson Colletti, drove in two more runs with a single to make it 5-2.

Sewickley added on in the bottom of the fourth on an error, which scored leadoff man Bennett Spencer.

Fort Cherry got two back in the fourth on an error and a fielder’s choice. Fort Cherry cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth when a single by starting pitcher Ryan Steele, who went 4-for-4, scored Luke Sweder. Fort Cherry tied the game later in the inning when the Sewickley shortstop misplayed a pop fly.

Steele allowed eight runs – five earned – on five hits, walking eight and striking out five.

Sewickley’s Nick Madison greeted FC reliever Adam Wolfe with a 2-run single to put Sewickley ahead, 8-6. Sewickley made it 10-6 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by pitcher Jordan Smith, with another run coming in on an error.

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