By Paul Gotham
GENEVA, NY — On a day when a pair of maiden voyages set sail, the landlocked regatta from the Southern Tier found its course.
Brandon Nemeti (Erie CC) scattered four hits over seven-plus innings as the Olean Oilers (1-0) defeated the Geneva Twins (0-1) 3-2 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at McDonough Park, Sunday.
After working out of bases loaded jam in the second inning, the right-hander settled into his groove.
“I couldn’t ask for more on day one,” Olean head coach Bobby Bell said of Nemeti’s outing. “He’s got good stuff. When it’s on, it’s on, and he was on today.”
The second inning’s struggles were self-inflicted as Nemeti issued a pair of free passes to start the stanza. After a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, the Lancaster, N.Y. native maximized the pain hitting a batter to the load the bases.
Nemeti struck out the following batter and induced a weak ground ball to end the threat.
“That was a mess,” Nemeti said. “I started out getting behind batters. Just started getting ahead of guys after that. I just kept throwing the fastball mixing in the curve ball and cutter from time to time.”
Olean put a crooked number on the weather-beaten score board in the fourth.
Jon Kemmer (Clarion University) punched a one-out single to left. He advanced to second on a wild pitch before Brad Rush (St. John Fisher) worked a base on balls.
Thomas Richards (University of Buffalo) plated Kemmer with a single through the right side of the infield. The runners advanced on a missed cut off, and Jose Alicea (Genesee CC) delivered with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field for the two-run advantage.
Geneva halved the lead in the bottom of the frame.
Stephen Joe (Copiah-Lincoln CC) led with a single to left and moved ninety feet when the ball was mishandled in the outfield. Carter Bumgardner (Bucknell) walked, and the runners advanced on a wild pitch. Luke Toms (Wallace State) delivered an RBI ground out, and the Twins trailed 2-1.
Geneva starter, Justin Ratte (Flagler) appeared to get the better of the match early. The right-hander retired the first eight batters he faced. The first hit he surrendered was a weak ground ball that died in the infield grass.
Ratte struck out two and walked one through four stanzas of work.
Olean added a run in the seventh. Steve Pollakov (University of Rochester) reached on an infield single behind the bag at second. Joe Pantano (Erie CC) followed with a single off the outstretched glove of Bumgardner at short. Mike Scarello (University of Buffalo) loaded the bases with a free pass. Kemmer obliged with sacrifice fly to center.
Geneva pulled within one in the eighth.
Matt Anthonis (Western New England) and Nate Langhalls (University of Toledo) led with back-to-back singles. Dillon Hamlin (Seton Hall) moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Stephen Joe brought home the run on a ground ball off reliever Cody Petre (Cortland State).
Petre retired all five batters he faced for the save. The left-hander from Letchworth, N.Y. struck out two in a three-up, three-down ninth.
Geneva reliever, Anthony Dovale (Florida Southern) struck out five in two shutout innings. The right-hander achieved a rarity fanning four in one inning. A swinging third strike fooled not only the batter, Richards, but Dovale’s battery mate. By the time the ball was retrieved from the back stop, Richards stood on first.
Pantano led all with two hits.
The game was Olean’s first in the NYCBL.
“Our whole community is excited,” Bell said. “It’s a big deal in Olean. We have a strong history in baseball when the Olean Oilers were a minor league team back in the 30s. Now we’re trying to get something like that going again.”
The Twins also played their first in the NYCBL after taking over the former Webster Yankees franchise. Geneva will host a pair of teams this summer as the longstanding Geneva Red Wings continue their affair with the painted lady of Lyceum Street.
The game was part of the National Neighbor Works Week. Reduced tickets were available in exchange for the donation of a non-perishable food item. Proceeds went to the Center of Concern Food Pantry.
Olean hosts the Hornell Dodgers Monday night at St. Bonaventure University. A 5 p.m. first pitch is scheduled at McGraw-Jennings Field. Ruben Medina (Genesee CC) will toe the rubber for the home nine. Nicholas Boyd (Central Conn. St.) gets the ball for Hornell.
The Twins don’t play again until Wednesday when the same two teams meet at the “Big Mac.” First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Geneva.
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