By HUNTER O. LYLE
DUKE CENTER, PA – Playing in front of their home fans for the first time this season, the Otto-Eldred baseball team earned their second win of the year, beating Oswayo Valley 2-1 with steady work on the mound and in the infield.
Three days before the meeting of the Terrors and Green Wave, O-E took on their first Allegheny Mountain League opponent, Northern Potter. Leading with their work at the plate, which produced double-digit hits, the Terrors recorded the first win of the season, beating NoPo 12-6.
“Friday was kind of the opposite of today. On Friday we hit the ball really well and put the ball in play,” said Otto-Eldred head coach Lance Baker. “We had a few freshmen step up and hit the ball well and we pitched by committee and pitched pretty well.”
The game against OV, however, would play out completely differently. Rather than constant dingers and men on base, both squads went tick-for-tack with dueling defenses.
Through the first frame, both teams were dispatched in just three batters – each recorded one strikeout and two plays in the infield. The Green Wave would tally the first hit of the day in the second, with Dawson Welch smacking a single, but O-E would tag him out while stealing first before getting two more outs immediately after. For the Terrors, they didn’t fare much better in the bottom of the second, with Landon Francis nabbing a single in between two strikeouts and a play at first.
“I think two of the better pitchers in the league pitched today,” said Baker. “They had both teams off balance for the most part.”
Jared Obenrader hurls a pitch down range during the Terrors’ win over the Green Wave. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
However, once each team went through their lineup first, the bats started to produce. O-E would get through the cycle first.
After putting OV out in three at the top of the third, Davey Schenfield would reach second off a single and subsequent Green Wave overthrow. Lead-off hitter Manning Splain would then step to the plate, cracking his own single that moved Schenfield to third before stealing his way to second. Then, Macaide Splain found contact and while he didn’t beat the play at first, he had successfully driven in the first run of the day.
The Terrors’ elation would only last so long. Immediately after scoring, O-E would leave two men on base as OV collected the final out of the inning with a play at first. Then, once they reached the top of their order, their own bats would begin to shine.
On a full-count, Isaiah Goode reached first on a walk before rounding his way to third on a steal and dropped pitch. Although the next batter would join Goode on base, he would get tagged out on an attempted steal of second. Then, Luke Karr stepped up and drove a high flying ball to left field. The arching ball was caught, but Goode saw his window. Tagging up on third, he then hurried across home plate, scoring OV’s first run of the day and tying the game at 1-1.
Through the next inning and a half, neither team could find an advantage. O-E failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth and while both teams found men on base in the fifth, neither could send them in.
Outfielder Shane Magee fields a pop fly during Otto-Eldred’s second win of the year. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle
In the top of the sixth, O-E would once again shut out the Green Wave, getting three outs in just as many batters. Finding themselves with a small gust of momentum, they turned their talents towards the plate. Jaden Prince made it to first off a walk but was eventually tagged out at second after Ryan Schenfield’s single one batter later. After Ryan Schenfield stole second, he gained some company with a Landon Francis walk before making it to third on an OV dropped pitch.
Then, with a man on first and third, Wyatt Blendinger would smack a deep shot to center field. Although it was ultimately caught, Ryan Schenfield had enough time to tag up and score, putting the Terrors in front once again. A strikeout would put O-E on defense, leaving them just three outs away from victory.
“I think we adjusted to Karr a little bit and started to put the ball in play a little bit more. We got a guy on the start and Wyatt came up with a big hit,” said Baker. “It’s a big hit for a freshman. I think it’s only his third game in varsity action and really only his second game hitting. It was good to see.”
Jared Obenrader would get the first with a strikeout, his third on the day. Although Welch singled and made it to second on a dropped pitch, the Terrors got the second out on a pop fly immediately after. O-E would intentionally walk Drayden Norton, putting the weight of the game on Brayden Bachand. Whether it be the pressure, a perfect pitch or just an unlucky swing, Bachond did find contact at the plate, however, the grounder rolled right to O-E’s third baseman, who delivered the third out on a routine play to first. Despite a day with just six combined hits, the Terrors had pulled through, claiming their second win of the year.
Manning Splain and the Schenfield brothers carried the load at the plate for the Terrors. Manning Splain and Ryan Schenfield both ended 1-for-3 with the latter scoring once. Davey Schenfield would also score on a 1-for-2 day in the batters’ box. Tending the mound for the full seven innings, Obenrader ended with three strikeouts and three hits.
“What I like to see is that we won two different ways, two different styles. We scored a lot of runs on Friday in different ways and we found a way to win today,” said Baker. “Good teams do that. They find a way to win.”
AT DUKE CENTER
R H E
Oswayo Valley 000 100 0 1 3 4
Otto-Eldred 001 001 X 2 3 0
OV: Karr (8 SO, 3 BB) and Norton
O-E: Obenrader (3 SO, 3 BB) and Mac. Splain
