By Paul Gotham
WELLSVILLE, N.Y. — What started as a pitcher’s duel ended with a pitching miscue. In the process one team got off the schneid.
Cameron Balego (Mercyhurst NE) scampered home with the winning run as the Wellsville Nitros defeated Olean’s Oilers 4-3 in extra innings of New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Wellsville Central, Wednesday night.
Balego scored on a wild pitch as Wellsville came from behind to win for the first time this season.
“We got it done,” Wellsville coach Pat Leipold said. “We scratched and clawed.”
Ben Haefner (University of Buffalo) keyed a three-run rally in the eighth with a bases loaded pinch-hit single.
“The whole game I was just over here with a bat in my hand waiting for a chance to pinch hit,” Haefner commented. “I knew it was coming eventually.”
The Lancaster, New York native turned on a two-strike offering from Avery Sullivan (Texas Wesleyan) and singled over the first-base bag.
“That guy had pretty good stuff,” Haefner said of Sullivan. “I wasn’t picking him up well at all. He was deceptive. It was coming out of nowhere it seemed.”
Josh Beams (Indiana U Southeast) and Balego scored on the play.
“He jammed me a little bit. I got just enough of it, and it hopped over the bag.”
Jordan Wheaton (Alfred State) followed with a ground ball to the right side of the infield, and Christ Conley (Canisius) came home when the throw to first was mishandled.
“I have great hitters in that lineup one through nine,” Leipold noted. “I trusted our hitters.”
Olean’s Harley Moore (Dickinson) and Wellsville’s Avery Ford (Fulton-Montgomery CC) dealt zeroes through the first seven innings.
Moore struck out two, walked two and allowed four hits in his first outing of the season.
“We expect a lot out of Harley,” Olean coach Bobby Bell said. “He’s obviously one of those goofy lefty guys who are fun to be around. When he gets on the mound, he gets serious and locks in. It was nice to see him succeed. Hopefully, we can have that all summer.”
Moore gave way to Sullivan after six.
Ford allowed two runs on six hits and two walks through seven and a third. The right-hander fanned three.
“He’s not going to overpower anyone,” Leipold said of his starter. “He’s not going to beat you with his fastball. He was efficient.”
Dan Harms (Mansfield) turned a bullpen session into a win. The Sunday starter took over in the eighth and earned the win.
“We’re a little short-staffed right now,” Leipold explained. “He came in and got us what we needed out of him. Outstanding efforts out of our pitching staff to win a game.”
Harms hurled six solid innings in Wellsville’s opener. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks.
Local talent helped Olean jump to a three-run lead.
Evan Ryan (Erie CC/Olean) singled up the middle, and Sam Kysor (USC Upstate/Port Allegany) beat out a sacrifice bunt.
“The guys who are local definitely want to prove themselves,” Bell said. “That’s always exciting.”
Austin Johnson (South Florida CC) moved the runners. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Jack Elliott (Hampden-Sydney) earned a two-out base on balls to force home Olean’s first run. Ryan Kohlhofer (Defiance) worked a full count before beating out an infield single to third. Kysor and Elliott, moving on the pitch, both scored on the play.
“Ford pitched a good game. I wish we would have adjusted a little better early in the game,” Bell said of his offense. “What are you going to do? If you don’t adjust, you’re going to keep rolling it over.”
Balego led the 10th with a single to right – his second hit of the day. He stole second and moved to third on a ground ball to the right side of the infield by Joe Simmons (St. John Fisher). After intentional passes to Conley and Haefner put the force in place, Balego came home when a Tyler Roth (Hilbert) pitch went to the backstop. The win halted a three-game losing streak to start the season.
“I told these guys once we got the first one, the rest will come,” Leipold stated. “We just got to get over that hump.”
Conley finished the day 2-3 with a double, a run scored and two walks including the intentional pass during the game-winning rally.
“With a base open and three, four, five coming up, you gotta expect someone is going to get on with an intentional walk,” Conley remarked.
Kohlhofer finished the day with three hits. Kysor added a pair as did Mike Fahrman (University of Florida).
The same two teams meet again Thursday at Wellsville.
Leave a Reply