By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
OLEAN, NY – Despite plugging in two runs in the bottom of the seventh, the Olean softball team fell short of a comeback to open the season, falling to Randolph 6-3 in eight innings.
Ahead of the Huskies’ debut, head coach Steven Anastasia said the team would lean on their lone senior Emma Edwards and out of the gates, it seemed to be a stable game plan. Through the first few frames, the Cardinals couldn’t find an answer as Edwards fanned five batters through the three innings while the infield helped her march towards a budding no-hitter.
On the other hand, Olean wasted no time getting to work. Starting with the intentional walk of Edwards, Olean quickly gave her company on the bases with a deep shot to right field from Ava Finch. An ensuing pickle that fell the Huskies’ way put Edwards and Finch at third and second before Alaina Hirliman would send in the first run of the day with a sacrifice fly. Olean would then cash in on some luck with Finch scoring on a dropped pitch to put them up 2-0.
“Our top of our order is obviously our strength. We’ve got a really good first four batters so I was hoping that would set the stage for the game,” said Anastasia. “After that, we’re pretty young but I was still impressed by the way the girls swung the bat. All of our hitters were aggressive.”
Emma Edwards works the circle during the Huskies’ 6-3 loss to Randolph on Monday. Edwards ended with seven strikeouts in the loss. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
Olean’s offense would stay hot, putting a runner on base in each of the next two innings, however, they struggled to get one past second. In the meantime, they continued to subdue Randolph with hard-fought strikeouts and fluid fielding. Then came the top of the fourth, where the Cardinals would get some welcomed retaliation.
After not managing to tally a hit through the first three frames, Randolph’s bats came alive. Opening the inning was Aliza Hind, who earned a place on first base with a single through the middle. After stealing her way to third, she would be joined on base by a Sadie Steward walk before Grace Arnold-Hill cracked a shot deep into center field, hitting the fence and sending in two runs. In the blink of an eye, and with zero outs, the Cardinals had tied the game.
Although the Huskies stopped the bleeding thereafter, including fending off a runner on second and third with just one out, the tide had changed and roles reversed. The bottom of the fourth saw Olean be dispatched in just three batters while Randolph added some extra salt to the wound with another score in the fifth. With two outs, the Cardinals tallied a single followed by a deep hit that slipped through a Huskie glove, resulting in a triple and run scored.
“(Randolph) did really start hitting well until they got all the way through their order, until everyone saw Emma once, but their top of the order is good too,” said Anastasia. “It was a battle of the top of the orders and it was just what everybody else could do. Their bottom had some timely hits with runners in scoring positions. That’s what the game came down to.”
Olean would struggle to regain their footing, leaving runners stranded in both the fifth and sixth inning. After narrowly sneaking out of the top of the seventh without giving up a run, the pressure fell back on their shoulders. Yet, Olean rose to the occasion.
Anna Bates takes a swing during Olean’s season-opening loss to the Cardinals. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
After suffering a strikeout on their lead-off batter, Riley Sudbrook hit a perfectly placed bunt which allowed her to reach first before stealing second. Edwards would come up big with a shot past second base, bringing in Sudbrook for the game-tying run. Although they left another runner stranded at the end of the inning, the Huskies had stayed alive. Now all they had to do was weather extra-innings.
The challenge seemed easier said than done.
Despite going scoreless for the past two frames, Randolph entered the eighth ready to put the game away. Opening the inning was Arnold-Hill, who got on base with a single, and Ryanne Bushey, who hit a bunt and reached on an Olean error that also put Arnold-Hill on third. A dropped pitch immediately after would give the Cardinals the lead, but Olean was able to respond by collecting two quick outs – pop fly and strikeout. However, catastrophe struck for the Huskies.
Stepping to the plate was Isabella Syracuse, who had just made back-to-back highlight plays in the Cardinals’ right field. Clinging to that confidence, Syracuse nailed a deep shot over center field, smashing an extra-innings home run and sending in two runners as Randolph pulled away by three.
Following a subsequent third out, Olean took to the batters’ box, however, it seemed as if there was nothing left in the tank and no hope in the dugout. After two outs in two batters, Ari Finch reached on a single before Amelia Jones pushed her to third with a bunt and Randolph error. Just as they began to muster some life, the Cardinals shut it down, sealing their win with a final strikeout.
Ari Finch led the way for the Huskies at the plate, ending 2-for-3 in her first glimpse of action. Ava Finch finished 1-for-4 with one run scored, Sudbrook went 1-for-2 with a run while Edwards recorded a 1-for-3 day in the batters’ box with a run scored. In the circle, she fanned seven batters while giving up nine hits.
“I was pretty impressed with our defense. We had some young people in key positions and this was their first varsity game. They came out, had some nice catches in the right, I was pleased with their aggressiveness,” said Anastasia, “so all in all, it was a good game and we could have easily won it with some timely hits. Overall for a first game I was pretty pleased.”
AT OLEAN
R H E
Randolph 000 210 0 3 6 9 2
Olean 200 000 1 0 3 5 1
Randolph: Hind (7 SO, 4 BB) and Sears
Olean: Edwards (7 SO, 2 BB) and Bates
