By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
OLEAN, NY – Leading with defense and ending with offense, the Olean Oilers came away with a double-header sweep of the Rochester Ridgemen, winning 6-4 and 4-2 as they put themselves back in the win column.
Coming back to Bradner Stadium, Olean still had the bad taste of Friday’s double feature still in their mouth. One night earlier, the Oilers faced their Allegheny River rivals, the Salamanca Lizards, in back-to-back contests that both narrowly fell the wrong way – 6-5, 7-6.
“That was probably our worst day of baseball so far. That happens when you play back-to-back-to-back games. Somethings going to happen,” said Olean Oilers co-manager Jake Meeker. “(Salamanca) hit the ball last night, we got down early (in the first game), we got ahead early (in the second) but they came back and scored. Other than that, we fought.”
Early through the contest, neither team could find a path around home, although Rochester came close in their initial appearance at the plate. After loading the bases with no outs in the first, the Ridgmen were left stranded as Olean turned a double play with a pop out and decisive tag at home before retiring Rochester in one more batter. Although the Oilers’ bats were stagnant in their response, they continued to subdue the Ridgmen through the next two frames, earning six outs in the next seven sluggers.
With their offense still stuttering, Olean was forced to rely on their defense. Although it had held strong up thus far, the top of the fourth would see a collapse.
The Ridgmen first two batters reached on back-to-back singles before a third from Angel Martinez would put Rochester on the scoreboard. In five of the next six batters, Olean would then see full-counts. The first two would result in Ks, albeit being separated by a walk that loaded the bases once again. Then, three consecutive walks would allow Rochester’s lead to swell to four.
“I think it comes down to being confident in your players. I’m in the dugout, I’m not pacing back and forth. I’m having fun with them, telling them to be ready,” said Meeker, whose team has won three come-from-behind games this season. “We just had one bad inning. Gave up a couple walks, gave up a couple runs. One bad inning doesn’t always cost you.”
Taking to the plate, the Oilers suffered two outs in just as many batters. However, they found some clutch luck with a double from Thomas Bates. Brodie Collins repeated the feat for Olean’s first run of the day, but their retaliation would end there, leaving their fifth man of the day stranded on base.
Thomas Bates hits a double during the Oilers’ 6-4 win over the Rochester Ridgemen in the first game of Sunday’s double-header. Through the first seven frames, Bates ended 3-for-3 in the batter’s box. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
In the fifth, Rochester found another man on base with a walk before an error and single moved him into scoring position. Threatening once again, the Ridgmen would ultimately walk away empty handed as three quick outs, including another Oiler double-play, would send them back to the dugout. Going three-and-out again in the bottom of the frame, Olean would hang another zero on Rochester before finding another surge.
Facing two outs early in the lineup, Bryce Neely countered the tide with a hard-hit shot over the fence, bringing Olean to within two runs as he rounded home plate with his first home run of the season. Building from there, Bates, Collins and JT Smith loaded the bases with a single and two walks, setting the stage for Caden Wolfley to crush a shot into the outfield for a two-run RBI, tying the game at four. Filling the diamond once again with another free trip to first, Noah Gerrick gave the Oilers their first lead of the day, driving in a pair with a clutch single.
After trailing for six frames, now Olean had to trust their defense once again. This time, it prevailed. The final three outs came in rapid succession, with the Oilers’ fielding shutting out the Ridgmen in three as Olean added win No. 6 to their scorebooks.
Bates led the day with three hits in three trips to the plate, scoring once. Noah Gerrick ended 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs while both Neely and Caden Wolfley each finished 1-for-3 with a combined two runs and three RBIs.
“(They key) was just sticking to our approach. Go up to the plate, have a good AB, get your pitch to hit,” said Meeker. “I think they did a really good job of just battling. Bryce Neely hit a huge home run that really jolted our offense.”
As they have in their previous two double-headers, the Oilers came into the afternoon’s second game ready to go.
After dispatching the Ridgmen in four, Olean’s sticks looked unstoppable. Through the first three batters, the Oilers loaded the bases, setting up Brian Fleming and Josh Wilson to drive in three runs with back-to-back RBI-singles. Again retiring the Ridgmen in four, Olean added to their lead in the bottom of the second from a sac-fly from Gerrick that brought in Bates.
Josh Wilson crushes a shot into the outfield during the Oilers’ win over the Ridgemen on Sunday. Wilson ended 1-for-2 through the second game of Olean’s double-header. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
“Starting hot was really big for us,” said Meeker. “We started late in the first game but being able to carry that momentum that we had over to the second game was big.”
However, their grip on the game loosened in the third. An error in the infield would lead to the Ridgmen getting real estate on second base and although Olean earned an out via K immediately after, an errant overthrow to third on a steal attempt would score Rochester’s first run of the game. Two batters later, with a man on second and third, the Ridgmen would cut the deficit to two with a score on a fielder’s choice.
Despite finally being in reach, the Ridgmen would stall out from then on. In the final four innings, neither team budged an inch as they traded outs back and forth. Although they were unable to continue producing timely hits, the Oilers watched as their early lead remained untouched, sealing a sweep along with win No. 7.
With two RBIs, Wilson led the team at the plate as he ended 1-for-2. Neely (1-for-2), Fleming (1-for-3) and Dustin Hendrix (1-for-3) all put the ball in play during the second win of the day, also combining for one run and one RBI.
After a stretch of five games in three days, the Oilers now have one day to rest and reload their arms. Then, they take back out on the road for a game against the Horseheads Hitmen to kick off a stretch of seven games in five days which also includes two more meetings with the Lizards.
“We’re going to take the off day tomorrow and enjoy it. We’ll get our guys right, make sure they’re taking care of their bodies. The heat today really plays a factor into that,” said Meeker. “Then we’re going to try to keep carrying the momentum. These guys are super close, I know they’ll be hanging out with each other tonight so hopefully we just keep it rolling.”
GAME ONE
AT OLEAN
Rochester 000 400 0 R:4 H:7 E:0
Olean 000 105 X R:6 H:8 E:1
RC: Wellman (6 SO, 1 BB), Yunkunis (6) (0 SO, 2 BB) and Wade
OL: Boffalo (2 SO, 7 BB), Roche (4) (0 SO, 1 BB), Arreola (5) (0 SO, 0 BB) and Ambrosio, Smith
GAME TWO
AT OLEAN
Rochester 002 000 0 R:2 H:2 E:1
Olean 310 000 X R:4 H:4 E:2
RC: Jeffcoat (5 SO, 4 BB), Bell (5) (4 SO, 0 BB) and Matti
OL: Laieta (4 SO, 1 BB), O. Smith (3) (2 SO, 0 BB) and Collins
