By SPENCER BATES
OLEAN — Having been the regular season finale for the Olean and Salamanca baseball teams, both were in search of momentum with the postseason fast approaching.
Over their last six games, the Huskies have found themselves jumping back-and-forth between the win and loss column, and a win for them would offer a big boost towards finding consistency in the playoffs.
For the Warriors, they had dropped each of their last seven CCAA Div. I games, entering the affair. A win for them would be a first step in righting the ship at a crucial moment of the season.
So, it makes sense that neither team was willing to budge in their low-scoring defensive battle.
One in which required a seventh-inning, bases-loaded strike from Ethan Woodring to secure the 2-1 win for the hosts via walk-off, a scene that elicited memories of last season’s league finale for Olean coach Les DeGolier.
“For (Woodring it was) deja vu,” DeGolier said. “In our last league game last year he walked it off to help us become co-champs, and then he walks it off today to get the last league win of the year again. It’s pretty cool, he’s Mr. Clutch, he has ice in his veins.”
And despite the disparity in hits between the sides, Salamanca recording just one hit to Olean’s seven, the fixture was neck-and-neck for just about all seven frames. Olean matched Salamanca’s game-opening run in the top of the second inning and while the hosts were able to get a number of runners on the basepaths, timely hitting was something both sides struggled with, but the majority of the credit for that goes to the battle that took place on the mound.
Olean’s Austin Miles (1) connects on a pitch. (Spencer Bates)
Olean’s Noah Cartmill replaced Austin Miles, who made his return to the mound after suffering an injury, after two innings and it was he who went toe-to-toe against Salamanca’s Cory Holleran.
Cartmill finished with five strikeouts and one walk through the final five innings, while Holleran went the distance himself, striking out four and walking six.
“(Salamanca’s) pitcher did a good job of scattering our hits, spreading them out,” DeGolier said.
For Salamanca coach Greg Herrick, what he got out of Holleran was exactly the type of stand-out performance that he needed from one of his team’s leaders.
“He just holds base runners well, and it’s, again, the compete level (he has),” Herrick said. “He knew it was going to be a challenge. They had their number one on the mound. So, just fielding his position, holding runners, being a leader, aligning the defense, it’s everything. Him and (our catcher) Payton (Bradley) do a great job.”
But those behind the pitchers were not without their moments in the spotlight, as the defenses of each team were pivotal in keeping the game as narrow as it was.
For Olean, Gehrig Perry stole the show at shortstop with a number of highlight-reel worthy interventions that kept the Warriors off the basepaths. And the outfielders did their job as well, tracking down fly balls, including one from Bradley that was mere feet from leaving the ballpark.
“Defense has been so big in winning all of our games this year,” DeGolier said. “Any game that we’ve won, we’ve had minimal errors, if any. We had another example of that tonight with a clean game with some big plays. Austin (Miles) tracked down a tough ball in center field, Gehrig made the diving play at short. Everybody was just ready to make a play when their number was called.”
Salamanca’s Cory Holleran (1) delivers a pitch against Olean. Holleran went the distance against the Huskies, recording four strikeouts in the process. (Spencer Bates)
Meanwhile, defense has been a point of concern for Salamanca throughout the campaign with some inexperienced players learning in real time leading to some problems. However, against the Huskies, its defense was relatively stout, a big positive that Herrick plans on taking from the fixture.
“When we put Cory on the mound, it takes him away from shortstop,” Herrick said. “We got to shift Jake (Herrick) from center field to short. So, there’s a lot of moving pieces. It’s not, typically, our best defensive lineup behind Cory, but tonight, we made a couple changes, guys that have been showing good energy and good confidence, and they really came to play. So, I’m happy with the guys that stepped up finally, that’s what we’ve been asking for.”
And while the win would have provided an even bigger boost in morale for his team, Herrick noted that the improvements were obvious, considering the last time they faced Olean, they were defeated by a 7-0 scoreline. It may have been another tally in the loss column, but one that came with plenty of positives they will take into the fast-approaching playoffs.
“We did see some long faces in the huddle afterwards, but I saw a lot of the leaders encouraging others, and I think it was a sense of relief that we got back to who we were tonight,” Herrick said. “So, I think more than the disappointment of losing a tight game like this, I think the leaders and the coaches definitely identify that this is what we needed going (into the postseason), and I think it’ll be a huge springboard into the playoffs.”
DeGolier felt the same way about the performance he got from his team. It was just another step toward shaping up for the win-or-go-home portion of the season.
“That was one of our (goals) tonight, to continue to get ready for the playoffs,” DeGolier said. “And I thought we did that tonight.”
Salamanca’s Payton Bradley (8) swings at a pitch. (Spencer Bates)
Salamanca is currently scheduled to square off against Clymer/Sherman/Panama next in a non-league tune-up game before the playoffs on May 21 at 5 p.m. at Dietrich Park in Jamestown.
As for Olean, its tune-up game against Portville will be played at home on May 21 at 5 p.m.
AT OLEAN
R H E
Salamanca 010 000 0 1 1 2
Olean 010 000 1 2 7 0
Sala: Holleran (4 SO, 6 BB) and Bradley
OL: Miles (4 SO, 3 BB), Cartmill (5 SO, 1 BB) and Myers
