Courtesy of HornellDodgers.com
St. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — The Hornell Dodgers were one out away from clinching the Western Division title before the Olean Oilers rallied for six runs to earn a 9-7 victory. Thomas Richards capped the six-run inning with a walk-off three-run homer.
Olean jumped out to a 3-0 lead after four innings scoring single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings.
Matt Calhoun (Harding) made it 3-1 with an RBI groundout in the sixth. In the seventh, the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs when Will Benenson (Franklin & Marshall) connected on a grand slam to give the Dodgers a 5-3 lead. It was Benenson’s second grand slam of the season and fifth homer.
The Dodgers added two insurance runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Chris Roeder (St. John Fisher) and a sac fly by Benenson.
in the bottom of the 9th, the first two Oiler batters were retired before back to back singles started the rally. A double by former Dodger Brian Dixon made it 7-4. After intentionally walking triple crown canidate Jon Kemmer the Oilers kept the inning alive on a throwing error that scored two more runs.
On a 3-1 count Richards lifted the walk-off homer over the right field to postpone the Dodgers celebration.
Dixon led the Oilers with a three-for-five, one RBI day. Kemmer was two-for-four, and Jose Alicea drove in two runs.
Cody Stevenson (Webster) was three-for-four, Roeder was two-for-four with an RBI, and Benenson was two-for-four with five RBI.
The Dodgers wrap up the regular season with two home games the next two nights. They host Geneva on Tuesday at 7 p.m. A Dodger win or an Olean loss on Tuesday would clinch the West for the Dodgers. Olean plays at Webster vs. the Lake Ontario Ridgemen on Tuesday.
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