By Paul Gotham
WEBSTER — Bobby Bell’s Olean Oilers are plenty familiar with late-inning dramatics.
Maybe a little too familiar for the coach’s liking.
Trailing by one, the Oilers pushed four across in the eighth and then held on to defeat the Rochester Athletes in Action 5-4 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Basket Road Field, Monday.
The comeback marked the third in a row for the Oilers.
“It’s getting tiring,” Bell said of the comebacks. “We’re hitting the ball, we just got to start hitting it early.”
Olean sent eight batters to plate in the eighth. Thomas Richards (University of Buffalo) sent a one-out shot through the box to set the oil boom in motion. Pat Welsh (Marist) chased Rochester starter, Patrick Woerner (Illinois Springfield), with a line drive to center field.
Mike Scarello (University of Buffalo) greeted Davis Patrick (North Georgia College & State University) with a single to right center, and the score was tied at two. Pinch-hitter Joe Chittester (Clarion) walked to load the bases and gave way to pinch runner, Seth Heck (Tacoma CC). Adam Urschel (Erie CC) then ran the count to 3-1 when Rochester skipper Taylor Hargrove opted for another pitching change.
It didn’t matter.
Urschel drilled the first offering from Zac Goodno (Indian River State) as Welsh crossed the dish to give Olean a 3-2 lead.
“I just wanted to put us in a position to win,” Urschel said. “I did whatever I could to get it out in the outfield. One out, bases loaded, that’s all I had to do was get it out there.”
Goodno’s fastball on the outside part of the plate was to Urschel’s liking.
“I just tried to barrel it up,” Urschel added.
Olean added to the lead when Brian Dixon (New Orleans) forced in a run with a bases loaded walk. Joe Pantano capped the scoring with a ground ball on the right side of the infield bringing home Scarello.
Jon Kemmer (Clarion) came on in relief and appeared to have everything under control. The southpaw retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth. He struck out the leadoff batter in the ninth.
Then things began to unravel.
Frank Dreslinksi (Rend Lake College) worked a base on balls. Kemmer struck out the next batter, but Dreslinski stole second. Then the speedy John Burkhardt beat a ground ball into the turf and the rushed throw sailed wide. Burkhardt was safe. Dreslinksi scored. Zachary Gilcrease (University of South Florida) singled to left, and Garrett Gooding (Point Loma Nazarene) beat out an infield hit,and the tying run was in scoring position.
Kemmer walked the next batter. After he expressed his disagreement, he was ejected from the game.
With the bases loaded and leading 5-4, Bell turned to his stopper, Cody Petre (Cortland State).
“Cody was not supposed to come in and pitch today,” Bell explained. “I knew if I asked him for one out, he would say yes.”
And Petre delivered striking out the only batter he faced. The save was Petre’s league-leading fourth.
David Spaeder (Gannon) made a spot start and struck out two, walked three and allowed two runs in seven innings of work for the Oilers.
“David stepped in and did a great job,” Bell noted. “He’s usually our first guy out of the pen. He did what we needed him to do.”
Olean took a 1-0 lead in the fifth. Dixon sent Woerner’s first pitch into left field. Kemmer walked, and Dixon came home when a ground ball by Brad Rush (St. John Fisher) went through the legs of the third baseman.
Rochester answered with two in the sixth.
Josh Davis (Whitworth) led with a walk. Cayden Cuniff (East Texas Baptist) doubled over the bag at third. Davis scored when Goodno turned a sacrifice bunt into a hit. AJ Crosby (Edward Waters) plated Cuniff with a ground ball.
Scarello and Welsh collected a pair of hits each.
Burkhardt, Gilcrease and Goodno also had two hits apiece.
Woerner pitched seven innings. He scattered five hits and allowed two runs.
Saturday night, Olean rallied from one down after seven to defeat the Hornell Dodgers 8-5. On Sunday, the denizens of Fred Handler Park put a three-spot on the board in the seven overcoming a one-run deficit to defeat Wellsville 5-3.
Rochester hosts Niagara Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Basket Road Field.
After a day off, Olean plays at Wellsville. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
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