By SPENCER BATES
OLEAN — The Olean Oilers have officially opened Bradner Stadium for business in their Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) era.
After a number of years hosting New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) fixtures, the Oilers’ historic home welcomed in the Jamestown Tarp Skunks for its first game in its new league.
Olean ultimately fell 14-6 for its second loss in as many days to Jamestown. But, in the eyes of head coach Mike Threehouse, the lopsided loss does not hold much weight. After all, the main goal of this league is for the players to improve.
“We’re coming in here trying to get better every day,” Threehouse said. “So it’s not just about winning and losing, they never know who is watching. … So understand why you’re here and continue to make good at bats, make plays and pitch the ball like you’re pitching a championship game. It doesn’t matter what the score is. At the end of the day, we’re not playing for the World Championship here. … They have to leave here a better player. So it doesn’t matter what the score is. You still got to take great swings and you got to make great plays.”
It was a chaotic start for both the Oilers and the Tarp Skunks as after just two innings a combined 11 runs came across.
Jamestown jumped on Olean’s starting pitcher Jake Manendo, scoring six runs — four of which came on a two-out grand slam from Cole Schwochow — on five hits.
However, momentum did not follow the visitors into the bottom half of the game’s opening frame, as the Oilers, thanks much in part to some superb plate discipline, slowly but surely shaved down the deficit. After working six consecutive full counts, Olean scored three runs in the first and tacked on two more via a walk and wild pitch in the second to cut Jamestown’s advantage to just one run.
“The big key as a hitter is just making sure that you’re swinging at pitches that are hitable,” Threehouse said. So, I don’t mind the way we’re hitting the ball. I don’t have a problem with that. It just comes down to us making sure that we hit the ball when it’s necessary. We’re still leaving some people on base at times, and that’s what’s getting us behind the 8-ball. But if we can score some runs and we get them on base, we’re in good shape.”
After the Oilers were mercy ruled 13-3 in their first game in the PGCBL on May 29, Threehouse noted that his team had an early opportunity to work on how they react to adversity. Safe to say, he was happy with the reaction today, especially after it looked as though Jamestown had brought its hot hand on the road.
“Anytime a team gets a six-run lead and you come back and put five up to make it a one run ball game it tells you they answered the call,” Threehouse said. “The scoreboard can’t count right now. You got to get better as a team. So whether it’s a 6-0 in the first inning, you got to keep playing baseball like it’s a 0-0 score. I think they did that today.”
The Tarp Skunks pitchers had their fair share of struggles throughout the contest, with three arms being utilized before the end of the second inning. They needed seven pitchers to complete the contest and when all was said and done they racked up 15 walks.
But Olean’s good response was not limited to its offense. Manendo bounced back in a big way after the first inning, blanking the Tarp Skunks over the following two frames.
“He walked into the park brand new and when I walked out and talked to him, I said, ‘Hey, you had two great innings, that first inning didn’t count.’ It was a new experience, the first time he’s been pitching in a game for us, he just met his new teammates, so how he reacted after that first inning was fantastic to see.”
Olean’s Jake Manendo (35) delivers a pitch against Jamestown. Manendo struck out one batter in 3.0 innings for the Oilers in their loss to the Tarp Skunks. (Hunter O. Lyle)
Manendo was ultimately relieved in the fourth after Jamestown put two more runs on the board before he could pick up an out.
Olean’s pitching staff also struggled with walks, combining for 10 on the night.
The offense ground to a halt for both teams between the fifth and seventh innings, before Jamestown put the game out of contention with four runs in the eighth and one in the ninth.
Despite the loss, the game was special for Threehouse, an Olean native making his return to coaching summer league baseball.
“It was good to see everybody,” Threehouse said. “I got to wave to a lot of people. It brings me back to the days when I was playing in an amateur league and played some all-star games in this stadium way back in the day. So, it was good to be back here playing in this stadium. It was fantastic. Fantastic fans, fantastic town, I can’t be more happy.”
Olean will return to action tomorrow as they travel to Batavia to face the Muckdogs at Dwyer Stadium at 4:05 p.m.
AT OLEAN
Jamestown 600 300 041 R:14 H:14 E:0
Olean 320 100 000 R:6 H:4 E:2
JT: Johnson (0 SO, 2 BB), Price (0 So, 2 BB), Churchill (2 So, 5 BB), Castillo (1 SO, 2 BB), Santos (1 So, 2 BB), Beran (2 So, 1 BB), Spagnoli (0So, 3 BB) and Fetchik
OL: Manendo (1 SO, 1 BB), Holm (4 SO, 3 BB), Arreola (4 SO, 6 BB) and Radice
