Specially designed firework donation canisters are now available throughout Olean and Portville, giving residents convenient opportunities to contribute. 

Current locations include Pleasant Valley Greenhouse & Nursery on North Route 16; The Beach House Tanning Salon, Kevin’s Custom Creations, Austin’s Lock and Key, and 3rd Base on West State Street; Mastel Ford-Lincoln, Tony’s Napoli, Mickey’s, and Toad’s Butcher Shop on East State Street; Worth W. Smith Company locations on both East and West State streets; 2 Sweets Desserts, Beef ’N’ Barrel Restaurant, Christie’s Boutique, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, and Green Acres on North Union Street; Threehouse Law Firm on North Barry Street; Worthy’s Pharmacy on Main Street; Walmart on Plaza Drive; and ZET’s Cuisine on South Main Street in Portville.

Donations may be made by placing spare change or cash directly into the canisters or by using the Venmo information displayed on each container. Additional locations continue to be added as more businesses join the effort.

The fundraising initiative reflects a strong collaboration among local businesses, volunteers, and community leaders. Organizers extended their appreciation to Worth W. Smith Company and Nate Smith for generously providing the materials used to construct the canisters.

The concept for the fundraiser originated years ago with Claudia Attard-Keary and Ed Jennings, whose vision helped inspire the current initiative. Over the winter months, Mike Threehouse dedicated significant time assembling the canisters, which feature patriotic designs including the American flag, stickers representing all branches of the U.S. military, and imagery celebrating the nation’s anniversary.

Organizers emphasized that the Olean Fireworks celebration is entirely funded through community donations, making public participation essential to continuing the longstanding tradition.

A continually updated list of donation canister locations will be shared through social media at www.facebook.com/OleanFireworksShow and www.facebook.com/OleanOilers as additional placements are confirmed, allowing residents to easily find opportunities to contribute.

Community members are encouraged to participate and help ensure another successful fireworks celebration at Bradner Stadium with the Olean Oilers.

The former St. Bonaventure baseball player and long-time softball coach is set to lead the Oilers into the future and according to team president Matthew Fidurko, they could not be more thrilled he said yes.

“We think Mike Threehouse was the perfect candidate,” Fidurko said. “He checks a lot of boxes. First, what we were looking for in our first head coach going into the Perfect Game League was a local connection. We want people in the community to be connected to our coaches and ‘House’ definitely checks that box. He is an ingrained member of our community through-and-through. He grew up in Olean, went to school at St. Bonaventure, coached at St. Bonaventure and helps run the Twin Tiers Academy. We were also looking for someone that had his personality. When you’re coaching summer baseball, it’s not as much about the day-to-day instruction. It’s about managing a group of people. You’ve got to keep 35 players interested for two months. It’s a grind, it’s a grueling schedule, and House has that background, has that ability to lead a group in a very player-centric way.”

Threehouse will help the Oilers navigate their first season in the PGCBL after having been a member of the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) since 2012. As Fidurko noted, the Oilers wanted someone with strong ties to the community to lead them into the unknown and they are excited for what the future has in store with ‘House’ at the helm.

“We’re trying to make this the community’s team,” Fidurko said. “The team is a part of the community, and having (Threehouse) as the head coach is just super important. We want people to feel a connection to our head coach and to our team and everybody in town knows who House is. He’s respected, he’s well liked, he’s well loved and we could not be more excited for the future of the Olean Oilers with Mike Threehouse.”

The move will make the Oilers the 16th team in the PGCBL, and officially brings an end to the franchise’s stint in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL). 

The Oilers’ tenure in the NYCBL was a successful one, winning back-to-back championship titles in 2015 and 2016 and reaching the championship game in 2023. But according to team President Matthew Fidurko, after considering a league move prior to last season, the team is now ready for a change of scenery.

“We just thought the timing was right, it was something we had explored last year, we actually received an offer from (Perfect Game) last year and turned it down, respectfully, but now we feel like it is just the right time,” Fidurko said. “We appreciate our time in the NYCBL, but we are ready for a new challenge and feel like the Perfect Game league is really strong. The future is strong in that league, and we are proud to be joining the teams that are in that league.”

According to its website, the PGCBL “was founded in the fall of 2010 by eight summer baseball teams located across upstate New York in conjunction with Perfect Game USA, baseball’s largest scouting service.” The league is broken down into an Eastern and Western conference and currently has teams as far northwest as Niagara and southeast as Saugerties.

“We’re super excited, we could not be more excited for the challenge,” Fidurko said. “It’s a bigger league and we’re really excited to prove that we belong in the league, just like we proved that we belonged in the NYCBL for all those years. This is thanks to the work of a lot of people and we are excited to bring this to Olean. You look at the names of the cities involved in Perfect Game, they’re all the cities you want to be associated with in New York State. Niagara Falls, Batavia, Elmira, Olean now belongs in that class of cities that have a team like this.”

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DANSVILLE, NY – After weathering the storm and completing a two-run comeback, the Olean Oilers’ season came to an end in the first round of the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs after a walk-off mistake handed the Dansville Gliders a 7-6 victory at home. 

The Gliders and Oilers have become more than familiar as of late. In the past week alone, the two have seen each other three times, including a make-up game on Thursday that gave Dansville a 4-3 lead in the season series as well as the No. 2 seed in the postseason. 

“We’re going into today having confidence in our pitching and having confidence at the plate,” said Olean Oilers’ co-manager Jake Meeker before the game. “We play pretty well here. They beat us at home a couple of times so we’re not afraid to be on the road right now. We’re just looking forward to the playoffs.”  

After a brief, one-inning grace period, the bats became electric for both teams. For the Oilers, Chase Fischer led things off in the second, cracking a line-drive double on the first pitch of the frame. He was quickly joined on base by Matthew Boffalo via walk before the pair was moved into scoring position from a Cross Yarborough sacrifice bunt. Another sacrifice, this time a fly out from Dustin Hendrix, would tally the first run of the day. Immediately after, Brodie Collins put the Oilers up 2-0 with a double to center field, scoring Boffalo. 

The Gliders wouldn’t hesitate to respond. Mirroring Olean, their lead-off slugger also earned real estate on the baseline with a double, followed by a single and tandem steals that quickly put Dansville’s eyes on home plate. Both men would come around the bend sooner rather than later after the third consecutive hit scored the pair. The Oilers’ ace, Brendan Roche, was quick to tie on a tourniquet, tallying three quick strikeouts to escape the inning still afloat. 

Moving into the third, it at first seemed as if Olean wouldn’t have a rebuttal. However, with two outs and Brian Fleming on first after being hit, Fischer came up clutch again with his second home run of the season. 

“It was a great start. Chase hitting a tank, I think when a dugout sees a guy like that, who means a lot to our team, putting us up with a homer it gets the ball rolling,” said Olean Oilers’ co-manager Jackson DeJohn. “From the very jump, our hitters went up there with good plans and when you start a game off like that, it shows the rest of the lineup that we’re going to hit this guy. Guys go up with a lot of confidence.”

The momentum switch would only be on the surface, however, as Dansville would retaliate with a three-run scoring burst to take their first lead of the game. The scoring came by way of back-to-back RBIs doubles from Jeremy Aylward and Justin Colpack before an overthrow on a tag out attempt went high, allowing the Gliders to pull ahead 5-4.

From there, the Oilers’ offense began to stall out. Despite continuously finding contact at the plate, Olean would struggle to get past the fourth man on deck as Dansville suffocated the gaps and made quick, crisp passes to hold them at bay. The Oilers would ultimately make up for their lapses with the bats on defense. Through the next three frames, Olean forced the Gliders out in three on two occasions while also turning a double-play in the fifth to keep within reach of the lead. 

“Half the outs that (Dansville) got, the baseball gods just weren’t on our side. We were crushing baseballs here and there and, you know, if they go two feet in another direction we’re looking at a very different ball game,” said DeJohn. 

The embargo would only hold out for so long and in the bottom of the seven, Dansville struck again with a ground-roll double that put them up 6-4. Feeling the pressure grow, the Oilers snapped out of their slump. During their next at-bat, Fleming took first with a single before Fischer hit his second double of the game, putting two men in scoring position. The second-half of Fischer’s one-two combo, Boffalo, then took to the plate, cracking a hard-hit single to right field that gave his teammates ample time to streak down the third baseline. 

“(Fischer and Boffalo) struggled a little bit in the beginning of the season but it didn’t really affect them. They came in today and said ‘we’re not losing’,” said Meeker. “Unbleiveable leadership from those two as well. They’re going to be great ball players this year for their schools.” 

While Olean would hold Dansville off in the bottom of the eight, the Gliders new man on the mound, Brock Bullinger dashed any dreams of winning in regulation, dispatching the Oilers in three. They would eventually suffer the same fate, albeit going out in four, leaving the game to be decided in extra innings. 

“We looked at our guys and they were all confident. Not one kid went up there and said ‘oh, I’m going to strikeout’ or ‘I’m going to end this game’,” said Meeker. “They went up there, they had a plan, they executed the plan. They weren’t panicking.” 

Unfortunately for the Oilers, they failed to rise to the occasion. Starting with their No. 2 slugger, their first two batters would be caught at first before Bullinger tallied his third K two batters later. Once again, Olean was forced to rely on their defense, an effort that quickly fell flat.

Dansville’s first two men up both notched singles before a bunt loaded the bases. With only one out, Emmett McLean, the Gliders’ lead-off hitter, stepped to the plate. McLean rattled off a low grounder that was rounded up in the infield. A throw to home would have cut off a score, however, a bobbled reception by the Oilers’s catcher saw the ball hit the dirt just as Dansville’s man touched home. After completing a comeback, the Oilers’ effort went in vain, ending their season in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row.  

Closing out his third year as an Oiler, Fischer ended with three hits in four trips to the plate, recording three runs scored and two more batted in. As his counterpart, Boffalo finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored while Fleming scored twice on a 1-for-4 day in the batters’ box. 

After packing up the gear and a hearty round of good byes and thank yous, both coaches reflected on what the takeaway was from the season. The answer didn’t have to do with wins or a playoff berth, rather, they thought about the group of men they had been able to teach and know.

“I think from the very jump the goals I had for the summer was for each dude to leave feeling like he became a better baseball player then he was when he showed up. The whole goal for summer ball is development,” said DeJohn. “You play summer ball to get better so that when you get back you’re prepared and you’re in a better spot. I’d say, when I look back on it, I can confidently say that all these guys developed and got so much better. It was great to see it.” 

AT DANSVILLE

Olean 022 000 020 0 R:6 H:9 E:2

Dansville 023 000 100 1 R:7 H:18 E:1

OL: Roche (4 SO, 1 BB), Smith (4) (4 SO, 0 BB), Arreola (9) (1 SO, 0 BB) and Collins

DN: Whitney (1 SO, 1 BB), Simoneoux (8) (1 SO, 0 BB), Bullinger (9) (3 SO, 1 BB) and Ruyle

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OLEAN, NY – In their first taste of postseason action – technically – the Olean Oilers fell to the Dansville Gliders 9-4, shifting the balance of the Western Conference standings just as playoffs are set to begin. 

While Thursday’s game came after the close of the regular season, it did not belong to a bracket. Instead, Olean and Dansville met for a sixth time as part of a makeup game to help decide the postseason standings. Ahead of the game, the Oilers held a narrow one-point advantage, meaning they would own both the second seed in the West as well as home-field advantage through the first round. 

The Gliders would strike early, with speedster Emmett McLean gaining access to the baseline via walk before stealing all the way to third. One batter later, McLean was rounding home off a sac-fly that set the tone early. Although Olean’s bats kicked into gear – Josh Wilson and Cross Yarborough both singled – they were unable to even the score. Then, in the third, Dansville scored with two men on base from a Jeremy Aylward RBI-single. 

It would take another three scoreless at-bats for Olean to finally muster a response. In the sixth, Jake Ambroio led off with a double, then advanced to third on a passed ball. Aidan Cowburn would bring in the first run of the day with a fly out, bringing Olean back to within one run. It seemed from then that the Oilers were building momentum, scoring two more in the seventh to temporarily take the lead – Wilson would steal home on an error and Dustin Hendrix scored thanks to an Ambrosio RBI-single. However, their comeback would quickly be flipped.

Down by one in the top of the eight, Dansville suffered their first out early but a hit batter would put a man on base. Then, Aylward notched his second RBI with a deep triple before eventually reaching home plate on a Justin Colpack double immediately after. The Gliders’ bats would stay hot as the next five batters found gaps in the defense, scoring four more runs to take a 8-3 lead. 

Olean had an answer, however, it would amount to just a single run in the eighth – Hendrix brought in Wilson with a sac-fly. The Gliders would tack on one more in the ninth, ultimately sealing the win and stepping over the Oilers in the standings. 

Yarborough led Olean in hits with three during his five trips to the plate while Wilson scored a team-high two runs on a 1-for-2 day. Ambrosio finished the regular season 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI while Brodie Collins scored once on a 1-for-2 day in the batters’ box. 

The Oilers and the Gliders will see each other once more, this time with all the cards on the table. On Friday, the two will meet in Dansville at 4:30 p.m. for the single-elimination first round of the NYCBL playoffs. The winner will face the Western Conference-leading Genesee Gliders in a best-of-three matchup which will take place this weekend. 

AT OLEAN

Dansville 101 000 061 R:9 H:10 E:1

Olean 000 001 210 R:4 H:11 E:1

DN: Dotterweich (8 SO, 6 BB), Confarotta (6) (2 SO, 2 BB), Colpack (7) (2 SO, 2 BB) and Roy

OL: Ambrosio (3 SO, 6 BB), Wilson (8) (1 SO, 0 BB) and Yarborough

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SALAMANCA, NY – Playing through a roller coaster of ups and downs, the Olean Oilers managed to stave off a comeback with clutch performances on both sides of the plate, defeating the Salamanca Lizards 6-5 in their final matchup of the season. 

Through seven meetings, the Lizards have seemed to be a thorn in Olean’s side. Despite a wide mismatch on paper – the Oilers have largely clung around the second and third seed in the Western Conference while the Lizards have been stuck at the bottom – Salamanca has tested the Oilers at every turn, producing a 3-3-1 season series advantage ahead of their Tuesday meeting. 

“Everytime we play them, they’re not booting the ball around, they’re pitchers are throwing strikes, they’re not walking the park,” said Olean Oilers co-manager Jackson DeJohn. “Every single game we’ve played hasn’t been a super high scoring game. They’ve all been good baseball games.” 

The initial feeling out process lasted three innings, with each team trading short-lived at bats as they probed gaps and studied the opposing man on the mound. Both squads gained access to the baseline with scattered hits and a handful of walks, but neither could mount a significant push around the diamond. As the game continued and the respective sticks began to warm, it seemed to be only a matter of time until someone finally broke through.

Ultimately, it would be Olean. 

Going three-and-out in the third, the Oilers took to the mound void of momentum in the fourth. However, that didn’t stop them from building a lead from scratch. Chase Fischer and Cross Yarborough kicked things off with two singles in Olean’s first three batters, eventually both moving into scoring position off tandem steals. Unable to tally a hit in his lone appearance thus far, Owen Smith brought in the duo with a line drive shot to left field as he set up shop on second. 

Keeping the good times rolling, Aiden Cowburn then cracked a bouncing ball that split the Lizards’ second basemen and shortstop, allowing Smith to round home himself. Shutting out Salamanca in four, Olean added another score to their lead in the fifth when Yarborough drove in Brian Fleming with an RBI-single. 

“We’ve been losing numbers throughout the summer, so it’s been the same group of core guys every single game. They’re very close and everybody’s got each others’ back,” said DeJohn. “When nine guys are consistently hitting every day, they start to learn exactly how they’re playing together. It fires them up.”

Although temporarily stunted immediately after, it wouldn’t take long for the Lizards to retaliate. Retiring the Oilers in three once again in the top of the sixth, Salamanca then erupted. A walk, a single and a wild pitch quickly put them in scoring position before another passed ball let in the first Lizard run of the day. Then the floodgates opened. 

With two outs and two men on first and third, Frank Kula cracked an RBI-single to narrow the deficit to two before Chase Haglund rocketed a line drive to the right field corner, earning him a spot on third and bringing the game back to even with two runs scored. 

From there, the game stalled into a tooth-and-nail battle for inches on the baseline. Despite each team putting men on base, they were all left stranded as timely outs quickly killed any building momentum. However, in the bottom of the eighth, the Oilers found a spark by defending a stacked diamond.

Getting back to the top of the order in the ninth, Olean’s bats returned. Wilson and Fleming both notched singles, setting the stage for Dustin Hendrix who methodically battled in the box before coming away with a two-run RBI-double. One batter later, Boffalo solidified Olean’s lead with another single that brought Hendrix. 

Leaving the top of the ninth up 6-4, all the Oilers had to find was quick three outs. After getting the first via a play at first, Lucas Marsh would shake things up with a deep flying triple to the centerfield wall. Although he was brought in on a sac-fly from Timothy Johnson immediately after, Olean cut off the bleeding with a fly out one batter later, earning their 21st win. 

Wilson (2-for-5), Yarborough (2-for-4) and Smith (2-for-4) lead the Oilers with multiple hits, combining for three runs scored and another three batted in. Fleming scored twice during a 1-for-4 night at the plate. 

The Oilers have just two games left on the schedule as they look to solidify the second seed in the Western Conference. Currently, they are locked behind No. 1 Genesee Rapids, who they play on Wednesday, and are fighting off the Dansville Gliders, who sit just a single point behind Olean in the West. No matter what happens in the final few days of the regular season, DeJohn is more than confident that his team is ready for the task ahead.

“We have such a tight-knit team. Each dude is getting in that box in big moments and doing it for their guys. (The past two weeks) is the best baseball we’ve played all summer,” said DeJohn. “These guys, the way they talk to each other at batting practice, everybody is in a great mood. Everybody’s helping each other out, so they’re going to bring competitiveness and energy (to the playoffs) all on their own.” 

AT SALAMANCA

Olean 000 310 002 R:6 H:11 E:1

Salamanca 000 004 001 R:5 H:12 E:1

OL: Manendo (5 SO, 5 BB), Cowburn (6) (2 SO, 1 BB) and Ambrosio

SA: Stranko (1 SO, 1 BB), Gruber (4) (3 SO, 1 BB), Rumfola (5) (3 SO, 0 BB) and Lasko

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DANSVILLE, NY – Playing their second double-header in just as many days, the Olean Oilers boarded the bus back from Dansville at 0.500, having lost the first game against the Gliders 3-0 before bouncing back with a 2-1 win in Game Two. 

Through four meetings this season, the Oilers and Gliders have been a tightly contested matchup, posting a 2-2 season series coming into Monday afternoon. Olean won out in June, picking up a 5-2 win on the 15th and a 7-3 win on the 28th, but Dansville answered back in July, winning on the 4th, 11-4, and again four days later 4-3. As the second and third seeds in the Western Conference, their newest meeting would hold weight in the upcoming playoffs. 

“That’s a good lineup they’ve got and that’s a good lineup that we’ve got. I don’t think a single game we’ve played has been super one sided,” said Olean Oilers’ co-manager Jackson DeJohn. “It’s two evenly-matched teams and somebody’s going to come out on top. It comes down to that one big hit or that one big inning.”

Originally started on last Wednesday but postponed due to inclement weather in the bottom of the first, Olean took to the plate on Monday as the home team despite being in hostile territory. They faced an early 1-0 deficit as the Gliders managed to bring in a run on the initial start. Despite needing to hit the ground running, Olean’s offense struggled to get off the ground, finding six outs in their first seven batters.

Although Olean was able to equally shut out the Gliders in the top of the second, Dansville’s bats began to warm up not long after. Having a man on second after a base hit and steal, Maurice Martinez cranked a single right to Olean’s shortstop, however, an errant throw over first base gave way to the first run of the day. The Gliders added to their lead again in the fourth, when a single and line drive double was followed up by a sac-fly, putting Dansville up 3-0. 

Although the Oilers would stifle Dansville from then on, their offense still failed to yield base hits. Despite finding contact time and again at the plate, Olean’s placement struggled to find gaps. 

Their frustrations would culminate in the fifth. Picking up two early outs, Olean loaded the bases with a Dustin Hendrix single and two walks, but was sent back to the dugout empty handed after a final strikeout. 

In the final two frames, the Oilers managed to put men on base as far as second, but still struggled to come away with a final clutch hit, producing their 14th loss of the season and a momentary drop in the standings. 

Matthew Boffalo, Brodie Collins and Cross Yarborough all finished Game One 1-for-3 while Hendrix ended 1-for-2 and Bates went 1-for-4. 

In the second game of the afternoon, the action came in bursts, both starting and ending the game.

Playing as the away team, the Oilers got to work early. Despite finding two outs in just as many batters, Brian Fleming would reach second on a single and overthrow. Then, Chase Fischer connected on his first hit of the day, punching a single past the infield and driving home Fleming. 

Olean’s lead was put to the test as soon as the Gliders got a chance. On back-to-back first pitches, Dansville cracked a double and single as they quickly put themselves in scoring position. One batter later, Jeremy Aylward hit a sac-fly to bring the game back to even. 

From there, it was a battle of defenses on the mound as each team stayed with their ace. For Olean, that was Brock Wensel, who was playing his second game as an Oiler. Hurling with a mix of zone pounding and pitch-to-contact, Wensel and Co. continuously hung zeros on the Gliders.=

However, the Oilers offense would have to wait until the sixth frame to get rolling. After struggling to get past the fourth man in the batting order, Olean opened the sixth with a walk from Josh Wilson and a single from Fleming. After picking up their first out, Cross Yarborough sent a sac-fly deep into the outfield. Bringing in Wilson, they had finally broken the stalemate. 

Although Olean tallied their third out soon after, their defense doubled down. Taking to the mound in the bottom of the sixth, Luis Arreola instantly asserted his presence with three consecutive Ks. 

Heading into the final frame, however, the Oilers’ coals went cold. After being dispatched sooner rather than later, Olean watched as Dansville quickly set up shop. Back-to-back walks opened the bottom of the seventh, followed by a pair of steals that primed the Gliders for a shot at home plate. After Arreola struck out the next man up, Olean gambled on an intentional walk, loading the bases with both baserunners and tension. 

Arreola would pick up another K, his fifth of the day, before Dansville’s Caden Roy snapped a grounder towards second. A split second later, Hendrix was standing on first, ball and hand and well before the Glider. Weathering a late push, Olean had come out on top, splitting the day. 

“Luis pounding the zone there was huge. Coming into that inning, (Dansville) was starting off one-two-three (in their batting order) and that lead off kid is super fast,” said DeJohn. “To be honest, at the beginning of the inning we were nervous, we didn’t want to mess up. We didn’t want to walk him, we walked him. We didn’t want to let him take second, he took second. When Luis got that first out, I think it helped him settle down and think, ‘I got this.’”

Fleming led the Oilers with two hits in three appearances, scoring once while both Fischer (1-for-3) and Yarborough (0-for-2) drove in an RBI. Through five innings on the mound, Wensel collected two strikeouts and only five hits while Arreola closed the game out with five strikeouts and zero hits. 

Olean only has two games left on their schedule. The next head back towards home, playing a game at Salamanca on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before concluding the regular season with another meeting with the Genesee Rapids on Wednesday at 7 p.m at home. Beyond that, lies the postseason.

“We just want to save pitching. Save pitching, stay healthy, make sure these guys aren’t getting down on themselves,” said Olean Oilers’ co-manager Jake Meeker. “We’re in a long stretch. Playing back-to-back double-headers is tough on the body so we’re making sure they’re hydrating and getting good recovery in.” 

GAME ONE 

AT DANSVILLE

Dansville 101 100 0 R:3 H:10 E:0

Olean 000 000 0 R:0 H:5 E:3

DN: Donahue (7 SO, 3 BB), Bullinger (7) (0 SO, 1 BB) and Ruyle

OL: Roche (2 SO, 0 BB), Boffalo (2) (3 SO, 1 BB) and Collins

GAME TWO

AT DANSVILLE

Olean 100 001 0 R:2 H:6 E:2

Dansville 100 000 0 R:1 H:5 E:1

OL: Wensel (2 SO, 1 BB), Arreola (6) (5 SO, 2 BB) and Collins

DN: Currier (3 SO, 3 BB), Butt (6) (0 SO, 0 BB) and Roy

By HUNTER O. LYLE

lyleoleanstar@gmail.com

OLEAN, NY – In a tale of two contests, the Olean Oilers split their Sunday double-header with the Horseheads Hitmen, swapping blowout wins as the Hitmen won Game One 9-1 before the Oilers took Game Two 15-0.

Coming into their fifth and sixth meeting with the Hitmen, Olean was in the midst of a win streak. In the three previous days, the Oilers managed to sweep the Hornell Steamers 13-5 and 10-1 in back-to-back days before notching their first win over the Western Conference-leading Genesee Rapids, 7-2. 

“Our offense was just being aggressive. We were going out to get pitches that they can hit,” said Olean Oiler co-manager Jake Meeker. “We scored 30 runs in three games. That’s pretty awesome. Knowing that the sticks are there and that they’re going right before playoffs is good to see.” 

Any momentum the Oilers carried into their Sunday evening showdown was put to the test early. Giving up a lead-off walk, Olean found themselves in an early hole as the Hitmen’s second man in the order, Jack Mathis, crushed a deep homer over left field, scoring two. However, Jaxson Ross then sprung into action. Despite letting two more runners on base, Ross righted the ship with three consecutive Ks to end the inning. 

Jaxson Ross started on the mound for the Oilers, ending with four strikeouts while giving up just three hits to the Hitmen. | Photo by Hunter O. Lyle

With their bats failing to find the same kind of production as in their previous games, Olean was sent back on defense after just three batters. Returning to the field, the Oilers would see the beginning of a Hitmen surge as they loaded the bases with their first three sluggers. Then Mathis stepped back into the batters’ box, primed for another highlight. Ross would earn a bit of revenge, striking out the power hitter, however, that would be the highpoint for the Oilers.  

Still facing a full diamond, an error at second gave up the third run of the day followed by a full-count walk, a passed ball and a double up the middle that all combined for a 6-0 Hitmen lead heading into the bottom of the second.

In desperate need of a kick start, Olean’s offense continued to sputter at the plate. They would once again go three-and-out in the second before Brodie Collins, Dustin Hendrix and Thomas Bates tallied the Oilers’ first hits of the day in the third – all singles. However, despite finding scattered hits through the next handful of frames, they still couldn’t plot a way to home. Meanwhile, Horseheads stretched their lead in the fourth with an RBI-single from Domonic Vogel before doubling down in the sixth with two more scores.

“I thought we were good and aggressive at the plate, taking pitches that they didn’t want to hit which is good to see,” said Meeker. “They just didn’t fall.” 

In the sixth, Josh Wilson put it upon himself to put his team on the scoreboard. Leading off the frame, Wilson crushed a curveball into the atmosphere and past the left field wall. Yet, with a mountainous deficit in front of them and only an inning and a half to change the tide, Wilson’s hot shot went in vain. Olean would be shutout through the remainder of the sixth before once again suffering a three-and-out dispatching in the seventh. 

Alongside Wilson’s one run scored and one RBI, five other Oilers finished 1-for-3. On the mound, Smith finished with eight strikeouts while only giving up four hits. 

After the intermission, the Oilers came back to their home field ready to take control of the second game. 

“I told our team in the postgame (of Game One) ‘please just give me energy for this next game,’” said Meeker. “‘Just go out there, stick to our gameplan no matter what they throw at us.’”

Coming out of the gates hot and ready, Olean retired Horseheads in three in the first before Brendan Roche found three consecutive strikeouts in the second.

On the other side of the plate, the Oilers quickly became unstoppable. Scoring just one run in the initial frame from a Brian Fleming sac-fly that scored Bates, Olean exploded in the second. The mayhem began with singles from Matthew Boffalo and Owen Smith, both of whom rounded home on a Jake Ambrosio triple. Hendrix then grounded out, scoring Ambrosio and clearing the bases, but Bates was quick to put a body back on the baseline, notching the second triple of the inning. 

With two outs and a man in scoring position, the next four Oilers would all have a hand in adding to the scoreboard. Wilson (single), Fleming (triple), Chase Fischer (double) and Boffalo (single) all batted in RBIs in succession as Olean pulled ahead by eight. 

“We always say that hitting is contagious. One guy gets on and you never know what’s going to happen. Maybe someone gets a barrel on the next pitch and everyone starts to get more confident,” said Meeker. “They want to pick up their teammates, they want to score them so I think that’s what their mindset was going in.”

Still searching for answers, the Hitmen were baffled. Throughout the final four frames, Horseheads recorded just one hit and were retired in three on three separate occasions. In the meantime, the Oilers continued to put the ball in play and to their lead any chance they could. 

After their seven-run second inning, Olean would tag on six more runs: three in the third and fourth before capping off their night with their 15th run in the fifth. Although they were ultimately stunted for the first time in the sixth, their massive lead and effective defense held strong, picking up a tick-for-tack win over the Hitmen.

Coming away with 19 hits during the win, seven Oilers ended with multiple hits including Bates’ perfect 5-for-5 performance that included four runs scored. Fleming (3-for-3) also was flawless in the batters’ box, tallying seven RBIs and two runs scored. Ambrosio (2-for-4) drove in three runs, Fischer (2-for-5) batted in another two while Wilson (2-for-4) recorded one RBI and scored three times. Meanwhile, Roche tended the mound for six solid innings, fanning nine Hitmen while giving up just four hits. 

“Roche pitched an absolute gem of a ball game. He hasn’t thrown that long and I don’t think he does at school either so I was talking to him mid-game and just said ‘give me one more,’” said Meeker. “He just kept asking for another so we rode him as long as we could. Obviously having a 15-run lead helps but he looked phenomenal.” 

Sitting at 19-13-3 and in second place in the Western Conference, the Oilers have just five games remaining on their regular season schedule, including just one more appearance at Bradner Stadium. Three of those games are matchups against the Dansville Gliders (20-15, 3rd in West) including their Monday double-header on the road. Then, Olean will swing back into familiar territory for a game at Salamanca (13-19-4, 6th in West, eliminated) on Tuesday before their final home game on Wednesday against the Genesee Rapids (23-12-2, 1st in West). Finally, their season closer will take place on Thursday against the Gliders on the road at 1 p.m.

With a playoff berth still lurking, the Oilers are more than confident that they have the talent and mentality to make some noise in the postseason. When asked about his outlook on the final stretch of the season, however, Meeker chose to keep things simple. 

“We want to keep winning ball games and keep having fun,” said Meeker.

GAME ONE 

AT OLEAN

Horseheads 240 102 0 R:9 H:7 E:1

Olean 000 001 0 R:1 H:6 E:2

HH: Duque (5 SO, 0 BB) and Vogel

OL: Ross (4 SO, 6 BB), Smith (2) (8 SO, 0 BB) and Ambrosio

GAME TWO

AT OLEAN

Horseheads 000 000 0 R:0 H:4 E:0

Olean 173 310 X R:15 H:19 E:0

HH: Deloach (0 SO, 0 BB), Klemann (2) (1 SO, 1 BB), Larkin (3) (0 SO, 0 BB), Humphries (5) (1 SO, 0 BB) and Vogel, Meisner

OL: Roche (9 SO, 1 BB), Arreola (7) (0 SO, 1 BB) and Ambrosio

In their Thursday competition, Olean recorded a flurry of production in the batters’ box as Oilers walked away with two or more hits, Boffalo included. His talents carried over into Friday as the sophomore from Canisius College drove in the first run of the day with an RBI-single. He would kick start a three-run first frame before Olean doubled down with six in the fifth inning. 

After Chase Fischer doubled to bring in Josh Wilson, Boffalo would step up again. Drilling another single, he drove in Brian Fleming before stealing second and ultimately scoring on a Jake Ambrosio sac-fly. By then, the Oilers were sitting upon a 7-0 run that grew to 9-0 before the end of the fifth. Olean would score once more in the sixth – a Cross Yarborough triple brought in who other than Boffalo – their defensive efforts would stunt the Steamers, sealing their second consecutive win.

Boffalo finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two more driven in while Fleming (2-for-4) and Fischer (2-for-3) each scored twice. Fischer also ended with an RBI alongside Ambrosio who tallied two on his 1-for-2 day at the plate.

AT OLEAN

Hornell 000 100 000 R:1 H:5 E:1

Olean 300 061 00X R:10 H:15 E:0

HN: Hubbard (1 SO, 5 BB), Ainsworth (5) (3 SO, 0 BB), Groves (7) (2 SO, 1 BB) and Ellis

OL: Colunga (3 SO, 1 BB), Smith (7) (2 SO, 0 BB), Ross (8) (1 SO, 0 BB) and Ambrosio

batesoleanstar@gmail.com

SYRACUSE — For the Olean Oilers’ Owen Smith and Luis Arreola and the Salamanca Lizards’ Dylan Kinney and Connor Smith, their selection to the 2025 New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) All-Star Game represented more than just a strong summer campaign.

Good innings on the mound and good at-bats are one thing, but what is truly symbolized in their All-Star nods is their continued development as players.

In a game in which there was an average of one pitcher per inning, Oilers ace Owen Smith got the start for the NYCBL West Division All-Stars. Boasting a 1.13 ERA through 24 innings this season, the St. Bonaventure sophomore has been a foundational piece for Olean as, late in the season, it has been scrambling for reliable arms on the bump. 

“The atmosphere at home, especially, is really good,” Owen Smith noted of his experience with the Oilers. “The guys are good, the coaching is really good, it’s just a really good learning experience as it is my first year of college summer ball.”

But just as important to Owen Smith as helping his Oilers in their pursuit of postseason baseball, is regaining his confidence in the wake of his recent UCL surgery. The All-Star selection has only helped in that regard.

“(The All-Star selection) was really important to me, because I went through a UCL surgery a couple years ago, and it was my first time really being back on the mound,” Owen Smith said. “So it just felt good to know I still have it.”

Olean Oilers All-Star Owen Smith (31) shakes hands with his West Division All-Star teammates as he is introduced as the team’s starting pitcher. (Hunter O. Lyle)

Sitting down each of the first three batters he faced, Owen Smith put that confidence on display as he got the ball rolling for the West’s pitching corp. Showing their might, the West diced through the East Division lineup, blanking them through six innings of play. One of those arms that, like Olean’s Owen Smith, had a 1-2-3 inning, was Salamanca’s Dylan Kinney.

A junior at Texas A&M International, Kinney has led a pitching rotation for the Lizards that has been nothing short of effective. He currently ranks fourth in the NYCBL in ERA, posting a 3.71 mark. He is also tied for the seventh-most strikeouts (30), sits fifth in strikeouts per game (7.94) and has the seventh-lowest WHIP (1.26) of all pitchers in the league.

This season marks Kinney’s second with the Lizards and with the end of the season on the horizon, he acknowledged how much he has gained in his two years with the franchise.

“I feel like I developed a lot as a player and a person in my time in Salamanca,” Kinney said. “I definitely look at it with fond memories.”

Salamanca Lizards All-Star Dylan Kinney (6) delivers a pitch for the West Division All-Stars. Kinney sat the East Division All-Stars down in order in the sixth inning. (Hunter O. Lyle)

One of the biggest aspects of the league that he noted has helped him develop his game even further is the wealth of knowledge all gathering in one place. With numerous baseball experiences and backgrounds coming together for a summer, a transfer of knowledge is a given, and pivotal for players.

“You get to be around guys from all over the country, from schools all over D1 to NAIA to JUCO, and you get to see the differences and the similarities in the game,” Kinney said. “It all just chalks up to throwing strikes and hitting the ball and just having fun with your team.”

But Kinney was not alone in representing Salamanca in the All-Star game. Connor Smith, the Lizards’ most consistent and effective bat this season also earned himself a spot, recording a triple in one of his two at-bats of the game.

“It’s just nice to see a lot of the work that I put in come to fruition,” Connor Smith said of the All-Star nod. “It’s a good league, so the guys I’m in the dugout with, it’s just great to have that opportunity to play with those guys at this event.”

The junior from Gannon University currently has the 12th-best batting average in the NYCBL (.355). He also has the fourth-most extra-base hits in the league this season (13), the 12th-best slugging average (.527) and fifth-best on-base percentage (.496).

He chalks up those numbers to the opportunities players have in the league.

“With the college season, you play a couple games on the weekend, you might play one in the midweek, you got a lot of time in between games,” Connor Smith said. “Here, you’re playing every day. … So that, and just getting experience in the field, getting experience against various guys hitting with wood, it’s just nice to get that time out there.”

And those summer repetitions are exactly what the Oilers’ second all-star, Luis Arreola, said he was grateful for.

A sophomore at John Carroll University, Arreola has a 2.66 ERA on the season. He also averages 11.51 strikeouts per game, has sat down 26 batters on strikes in 11 appearances and boasts a 1.67 WHIP.

“I really picked up pitching this last year, I started taking it real seriously,” Arreola said. “I always had the stuff, my coaches would tell me … but I really lost command of the zone. Being down here, I’ve been able to find that confidence and be able to be back in tune with all my pitches, ensuring that when I get back to school that I’ll be able to produce a lot down there.”

Olean Oilers All-Star Luis Arreola (16) delivers a pitch for the NYCBL West Division All-Stars in their defeat to the East Division All-Stars. (Hunter O. Lyle)

Arreola also echoed Kinney’s sentiment in preaching the importance of obtaining as much information as possible with teammates from a variety of backgrounds.

“Being able to be a sponge and absorb as much as you can, obviously, is great,” Arreola said. “No one likes a know-it-all. Being open to new experiences really just helps you open up your horizons and makes you more of a moldable player and just easier to work with.”

Unfortunately for Owen Smith, Kinney, Connor Smith and Arreola, the West Division ended up falling to the East Division, officially 6-1, but after playing the bottom of the ninth in order to get all players involved, they lost 7-1. 

But while their team may have suffered defeat, the scoreline of the All-Star game is not a complete representation of the wealth of knowledge and experience the Oilers’ and Lizards’ All-Stars have taken away from this season. Which, as they pointed out, is the reason they are in the league in the first place.