By PAUL GOTHAM
OLEAN, N.Y. — It was a promise more than three months in the making, and Olean’s Austin Bizzle (Alabama St.) made good on his word.
Bizzle went the distance Saturday night in front of 2,000 at Bradner Stadium as the Olean Oilers opened the 2015 New York Collegiate Baseball League season with a 5-0 victory over the reigning champion Hornell Dodgers.
“He sent me a text message the day the schedule came out was like ‘I want the ball, game one, Hornell, the opener, and I’m not coming out,’” Olean manager Bobby Bell recalled.
Maybe when the right-hander has had enough of this baseball thing, he can turn to fortune telling.
Bizzle, who struck out a league-leading 59 a year ago, fanned six and scattered eight hits for the win.
“I was excited about coming back up this summer,” the Lynn Haven, Fla. Native said. “I want to get out there and throw every time. I always want the ball and give my team a chance to win.”
He worked out of jams in three straight innings including a bases loaded, one-out situation in the sixth where he ended the threat with a pop up in the infield and a comebacker.
“He’s a bulldog on the mound,” Bell stated. “When he’s out there, I gotta warn our guys. He’s intense. He can be a little bit different of a breed when he’s on the hill, but he’ll fight until the end, tooth and nail.”
Bizzle allowed back-to-back singles to Collin Fantaskey (Mercyhurst) and Max McDougald (Wofford) to start the seventh before inducing a 6-4-3 double play.
“My defense made good plays behind me all night long,” Bizzle said. “I went out there to just attack, attack, attack.”
“Definitely nice to have him on the mound,” Bell commented.
Bubba Hollins (St. Petersburg College) gave the Oilers all the runs they needed with a two-out, two-run shot over the left field fence in the third inning. The Olean third baseman brought home Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure) when he turned on a full count offering from Hornell starter Connor Grey (St. Bonaventure).
“I was just trying to hit something hard and put the ball in play,” Hollins said. “Last time he got me an inside fastball. I was late on it, so I was kinda looking for it with two strikes. He put it there and I just put a good swing on it I guess.”
Peterson beat out a ground ball to the right side of the infield and stole second before coming home on the Hollins round tripper.
Hollins, the son of former major league all star Dave Hollins, had a hand in a two-run sixth. The Orchard Park, N.Y. native reached on a base on balls to start the stanza and moved to second on a Matthew Kamenicky (Clarion) sacrifice bunt. Isaac Dillard (Gulf Coast CC) followed with one of three hits on the night, a double to left center bringing home Hollins.
“That first win is huge for the team in front of all these fans,” Hollins said. “It’s the best fan base I’ve been around ever. It’s a good first win.”
Jonathan Lapolla (Suffolk U) delivered with an RBI check swing single down the right field line for a 4-0 advantage.
Hollins added some insurance when he doubled home a run in the seventh. He finished 2-of-3 with two runs scored and three RBI.
“I’m sure that kid is going to string together a few along this year,” Bell said.
The Dodgers left 11 men on base.
“We didn’t cash in when we had guys in scoring position a few times,” Hornell manager Tom Kenney stated. “We just didn’t hit when we needed to.”
Grey allowed four runs on six hits and four walks over 5.2 innings. The right-hander struck out three.
“They played well,” Kenney said of Olean. “I thought Connor pitched a good game. We just kinda miscommunicated on a little ground ball that should have been an out before the home run. We should have been out of that inning.”
Bizzle threw 113 pitches – 81 for strikes.
“I told him today this is the only one I’m letting you go over 100 pitches after that we’re going to have a strict count,” Bell said. “I said ‘if you’re cruising, I’ll let you go.'”
Dillard went 3-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Peterson added two hits and two runs scored for the home nine.
Jacob Bass (Newberry) and Trevor Thompson (Ithaca) both had two hits in a losing effort.
The game was redemption of sorts for an Olean club which surrendered a seven-run lead before falling in extra innings in their first ever home game at Bradner Stadium. The Oilers went on to suffer 14 one-run losses en route to a 16-30 record in 2014.
“Yeah, couldn’t have written it any better that that,” Bell said. “Especially after what happened last year. We have great community support which you can see. It feels good getting one with all these fans here.
The same two teams meet on Sunday at Maple City Park in Hornell. A 5 p.m. first pitch is scheduled. The Dodgers will celebrate their 2014 championship in a pre-game ceremony.
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