Published: May 20, 2008 12:13 am            

Carbaugh’s blast carries Richland

Bobby Carbaugh’s two-run homer in the sixth inning Monday carried fourth-seeded Richland into the District 6-AA baseball semifinals on a 3-1 decision.

Carbaugh’s two-out shot just cleared the fence in right-center as Philipsburg-Osceola fielder Colt Harris, who had sprinted to the spot, stretched desperately for it.

“I’ve been notorious for hitting long balls, but the wind helped push that one out a little bit,” Carbaugh said. “I had one earlier that should have gone out, but the wind held it in. I finally got one to go.”

Most of the game was a pitching showcase between Richland starter Joe Novotny and Philipsburg’s J.D. Mason. Combined, they allowed just six hits, with Novotny striking out five and Mason holding the Rams hitless through four innings before finishing with four strikeouts.

“We have amazing high school pitchers,” Mounties coach Doug Sankey said. “We have three really good pitchers – four actually – but we just can’t score runs. It’s been like that all year. I thought sooner or later it would come together, because we’ve got some talent. But it just never did. We scraped to score runs all year, but our pitching was outstanding. He (Mason) gave up that hit there in the last inning – a routine fly at our field – but he pitched great.”

Sankey conceded that Novotny also had an outstanding game.

“We knew that kid was good,” he said. “I’ve seen him throw a little bit before. He was good (Monday).”

Philipsburg scored in the second inning after Matt Curtis turned a grounder to short into two bases thanks to a fielding error, then came home on Paul Hahn’s single.

The 1-0 lead held until the fifth inning, when Jake Norman singled for the Rams’ first hit of the day. He reached second when Novotny walked, and took third on a single by Austin Urban.

When Travis Gelles drove a fly ball deep into left field, where it was caught, Norman broke for home to tie the score. The Mounties complained that he left third early, but the run counted.

Richland opened the sixth with a pair of ground-outs followed by Russ Gray’s single. Then, Carbaugh cracked his homer, Norman singled and Novotny’s fly to center ended the inning with Richland holding its first lead of the game, 3-1.

“The whole sixth inning was frustrating, from the pop-up we missed – pop-up, fly ball, whatever you want to call it – and then the walk, close call, the sac fly where the kid left early and we appealed it; there was a lot of things that didn’t go our way there,” Sankey said. “That’s the way our team’s been all year. Our pitching’s been phenomenal, but we just can’t score runs.”

With a two-run advantage, Richland coach John Sidor decided to put Carbaugh on the mound.

“I wasn’t tired,” Novotny said of the switch. “They wanted to save me for Thursday. If we play then, I can at least throw a little bit. They brought in Bob because they knew he would do fine and close for us. It worked out for the best.”

Carbaugh faced four Mounties in the seventh before retiring the side to secure the victory.

Richland will take a 15-5 record into the semifinals against Bald Eagle Area, which underscored its No. 1 ranking with an 11-2 win over Laurel Valley on Monday. Fifth-seeded Philipsburg finishes 13-9.

        

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