By SPENCER BATES
OLEAN — Through six innings, the Allegany-Limestone and Olean softball teams were stuck in a defensive battle.
The Gators and Huskies combined for just three hits heading into the seventh with the former holding 2-1 advantage — both runs were walked in during the very first frame.
The game would ultimately be decided by whichever team would find the breakthrough first. Olean threatened, scoring a run in the fifth inning, but, staving off the momentum that the hosts had been working to build, A-L was the one to break open the game. Much in part thanks to Kendall Truman.
The seventh-grader, coming to bat with the bases loaded and one out on the board, connected on a pitch for a line drive that found the center field fence. Before Olean could get the ball back in, the bases were empty, save for Kendall Truman (2-for-4, run, 3 RBI) that stood triumphantly at third base.
In the biggest moment of the game for the Gators, it was their youngest member of the lineup that came up clutch.
“Kendall did great today,” A-L head coach Kaelyn Arnold said. “She just did everything we asked her to and that’s all I can ask. We pulled her up today just to see what she could do, and she did everything that we asked her to. She did a great job, especially as a seventh-grader.”
However, the triple was just the start of a seventh-inning deluge of runs that provided the dagger. Kendall Truman was brought in to score on a single from Riley Sudbrook (1-for-4, 2 runs, RBI), who accounted for the final run of the game after scoring on an RBI single from Kailey Truman (2-for-2, run, RBI, 3 walks).
Arnold praised the experience and resolve of her players, as they did not just try to coast over the finish line with a narrow victory, but apply the knockout blow.
“I think we had 11 runners left on base in the first four innings,” Arnold said. “I told them, ‘we gotta find a way to score those.’ Unfortunately, it took until the seventh inning, but they never gave up. The adversity really showed. If we can do that all the way through these next couple of games, I think we’ll be OK.”
Allegany-Limestone’s Kailey Truman (10) winds up a pitch against Olean. Kailey Truman recorded eight strikeouts for the Gators in their win over the Huskies. (Spencer Bates)
The Huskies were held to just one hit on the day after a strong effort in the circle from Kailey Truman, who struck out eight batters and walked three. But not to be glossed over is the stellar performance Arnold got out of her entire defensive unit. More than one diving catch made in the outfield and an error-free game frustrated the hosts.
“The outfield made some great catches, great saves, and, I mean, all around it was a great, great team win,” Arnold said. “That’s what I told the team, it was a great team win. We can continue to build off of this. There are some things we still got to work on, but overall, it was a good team win.”
Prior to the seventh inning, Olean held their own on the defensive side as well. A-L had just two hits before the final frame and head coach Ryan Nawrot praised the effort.
“I think they played fantastic,” Nawrot said of his team’s defense. “I think we had some really good defensive plays. Unfortunately, (A-L) just hit those spots that we just couldn’t get to. And you can’t really defend the spots if you’re not there. When we’re in those spots, though, we have great defense. We covered the slap well, and we backed up Tiana (Maine) very well.”
Maine got the start in the circle for the Huskies and while her four-strikeout to 12-walk ratio may stand out, she ultimately allowed minimal damage from those walks, doing well to battle back and strand numerous base runners. To Nawrot, that showed a level of maturity rare for a freshman.
“Allegany, knowing that they’re probably the other best team that’s in our league, our nerves were up,” Nawrot said. “We knew that they were gonna be a very good competitor. They were gonna bring their best pitching and hitting to the plate, and for a freshman to walk into a varsity softball game and be able to throw as well as she did, yeah, there were a couple walks in the beginning, but she bounced back and she pitched five great innings. Truthfully, even in that seventh inning there, she was still pitching well, they just finally caught up to her. … It’s a phenomenal thing to see a freshman come in and have pitching ability like that.”
Olean’s Tiana Maine (5) winds up a pitch against Allegany-Limestone. Maine tallied four strikeouts against the Gators. (Spencer Bates)
For Allegany-Limestone it is a fifth consecutive victory. It will look to keep the streak going in its next game, at home against Fredonia on May 1 at 5 p.m.
As for Olean, it will look to bounce back in its next affair, at Salamanca on April 29 at 5 p.m.
AT OLEAN
Allegany-Limestone 200 000 5 R:7 H:6 E:1
Olean 000 010 0 R:1 H:1 E:1
A-L: Ka. Truman (8 SO, 3 BB) and P. Truman
OL: Maine (4 SO, 12 BB) and Bates
