WATERTOWN, NY – Seeing the Watertown Rapids for the first time all season, the Olean Oilers pulled out back-to-back wins in their double-header showdown, with consistency and power with the sticks leading the way.
Consistency would be the key for the Oilers in the first game. Olean set the tone early with a Josh Wilson home run – his first of the season – before rebounding from an empty second frame with two more runs in the third. While those runs came by errors from the Rapids, Olean’s two scores in the fourth came from the sticks, rather the singular stick of Owen Smith, who also notched his first home run of the season as he brought in Thomas Bates along the way.
Although Watertown countered with three runs in the same frame, narrowing the deficit to just two, Olean would seal the Game One win in the fifth.
The Oilers loaded the bases with three consecutive walks before a fielder’s choice would let in their sixth run of the day. They would score two more by the end of the inning as Brian Fleming and Chase Fischer rounded home on steals.
In the seventh, both teams would trade runs, however, the outcome remained unchanged as Olean tacked on win No. 11.
Wilson and Caden Wolfley would lead Olean with two hits each, with Wilson scoring twice and bringing in another via RBI. Neely (1-for-2) and Bates (1-for-4) also scored twice during the win alongside Smith, who ended 1-for-2 with two RBIs and one run scored.
Game Two proved to be more competitive, at least for the first few frames.
After two empty innings, the Oilers broke the seal once again in the third with a triple from Rahman that was immediately followed up by a RBI-single from Wolfley. However, Watertown would have a quick response, scoring two runs in the same frame to take their first lead of the day. Both teams would hang another zero on each other before Olean surged in the fifth.
The power combo of Rahman and Wolfley led the way once again, hitting back-to-back doubles that brought the game back to even. With Wolfley advancing to third on a passed ball, Wilson brought him in with a double before rounding home himself off a Fleming triple. Bates would close out the inning with an RBI single that put the Oilers firmly on top, 4-2. Although Watertown again retaliated soon after, their response amounted to just a single run. Shutting out the Rapids thereafter, Olean escaped the day with a double-header sweep in hostile territory.
Wolfley finished 3-for-5 with a day-high four RBIs alongside his lone run. Rahman scored twice during his 2-for-2 day in the batter’s box while Wilson (1-for-5) and Rahman (2-for-3) combined for three RBIs and one run scored.
Up next, the Oilers enjoy a single day’s rest before a Fourth of July showdown with the Dansville Gliders at Bradner Stadium. The first pitch is slated for 1:30 with live music and a fireworks show closing out the night.
GAME ONE
AT WATERTOWN
Olean 102 240 1 R:10 H:8 E:1
Watertown 000 300 1 R:4 H:6 E:3
OL: Smith (1 SO, 1 BB), Boffalo (5) (1 SO, 0 BB) and Yarborough
WT: Haas (8 SO, 3 BB), Jordan (5) (0 SO, 3 BB), Weber (6) (4 SO, 0 BB) and Butler
GAME TWO
AT WATERTOWN
Olean 001 040 2 R:7 H:10 E:3
Watertown 002 010 0 R:3 H:4 E:2
OL: Arreola (3 SO, 4 BB), Shaw (2) (2 SO, 1 BB), Fleming (4) (3 SO, 1 BB) and Ambrosio
WT: Wynne (6 SO, 0 BB), Hubner (5) (1 SO, 5 BB) and Hess
