Carmichaels ready to go, tops West Greene again
McMURRAY – Dave Briggs could sense his Carmichaels softball team was getting impatient as it waited to get back on the field.
The Mikes’ WPIAL Class A semifinal game against Greene County rival West Greene was scheduled for Wednesday but rain postponed it twice until the two teams finally got to play Friday.
“We were getting really antsy,” Briggs said. “I told them it seems to like the movie Groundhog Day but they didn’t know what I was talking about.”
While his players may be too young to know of the 1993 movie comedy where actor Bill Murray is stuck in the same day over and over, the Pioneers likely can relate to the concept in more than one way.
Bailey Barnyak pitched a three-hit shutout, Carys McConnell had three hits and Ali Jacobs drove in a run in each of her four at-bats as second-seeded Carmichaels defeated third-seeded West Greene for the third time this season, 10-0 in six innings, to advance to the WPIAL championship game for the second time in three years.
The Mikes (16-0) won the two regular-season meetings, 9-1 at Carmichaels and 6-1on a neutral field.
A chilly, windy day at Pleasant Valley Elementary School produced an even more emphatic victory for the Mikes.
“The three times we played them the weather has been terrible, so we’re used to this type of stuff,” Briggs said.
Carmichaels will face top-seeded Union, which blanked Jefferson-Morgan 15-0 in three innings, in the final on either Wednesday or Thursday at PennWest California’s Lilley Field.
“We put so much work into this, this is where we want to be right now,” said Barnyak, who had three walks and 12 strikeouts. “It was our goal this season and every season to get to the WPIAL championship game.”
The Mikes took control from the start with Barnyak striking out the side in the top of the first inning and then Carmichaels striking for three runs in the bottom of the frame and never looking back.
Kaitlyn Waggett drew a leadoff walk to start the rally, advanced all the way to third on Ashton Batis’ sacrifice bunt then scored on a wild pitch. McConnell followed with a single, stole second and came home when Jacobs doubled to left and advanced to third on the throw home. Jacobs scored when Ke’Lani Chun’s deep fly ball was dropped for an error to make it 3-0.
“I think we set the tone right away,” Jacobs said.
“That’s the mark of a good team,” West Greene coach Bill Simms said. “When you have a dynamic lineup like they’ve got with a hammer pitcher you need to get off to a good start to have a chance. We didn’t. We’ve been on the other end of that with some of our better years. But credit to Carmichaels, they’re a great team.”
West Greene (15-4) had an opportunity to get back in the game in the second inning when Emmaline Beazell drew a walk and Katie Brudnock reached on a bunt single but Barnyak struck out the next three batters.
The Pioneers put two runners on twice more but Barnyak slammed the door each time.
Beazell and Brudnock drew consecutive one-out walks in the fourth and Barnyak struck out the next two batters. Kylee Davis had an infield single and Marissa Tharp slapped a two-out single to center in the fifth and Barnyak again got an inning-ending strikeout.
Meanwhile, the Mikes scored in every inning but the fifth.
Carmichaels made it 5-0 in the second. Duski Staggers lined a one-out single off losing pitcher Payton Gilbert, took third on Wagget’s double and scored after McConnell and Jacobs both drew walks. Waggett then scored on an error.
The Mikes’ Avery Voithofer laced a double to right-center leading off the third, went to second on Payton Plavi’s ground out and scored on Staggers’ sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead.
Staggers made a fine running catch in the outfield and was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI after almost not playing in the game due to a pregame mishap.
“Shout out to my center fielder Duski,” Briggs said. “She got hit in the mouth with a ball before the game, broke her tooth, and then made a great catch out there and had a couple nice at bats. She gutted it out and played a heck of game.”
Carmichaels tacked on two more runs to go up 8-0 in the fourth after doubles by Batis and McConnell, the first of which prompted Simms to call on Brudnock to relieve Gilbert, and a sacrifice fly by Jacobs.
The Mikes ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule in sixth. Batis walked, went to third on McConnell’s single and scored on Jacobs’ hit to center to make it 9-0. Chun ended the game with a one-out single to right that brought in courtesy runner Malanna Herig.
Carmichaels pounded out 11 hits, including five doubles.
“It was nice to hit some gap shots,” Briggs said. “We’ve got good players, athletes who can run and hit, so we’re able to put a lot of pressure on the other team.”
The Pioneers still have a chance to join Carmichaels and Union in the PIAA tournament if they can defeat Jefferson-Morgan in a third-place consolation game with the day, time and site of that meeting to be determined.
“We’ve got to rebound, put this one behind us and set our sights on Jefferson-Morgan,” Simms said.
Carmichaels fell to Union in the WPIAL final two years ago.
“The kids put a lot of work in. I told them now we’re back,” Briggs said.
“Let’s try to finish it this time.”