By ABIGAIL SCHMIDT
HOUGHTON, N.Y. — The Genesee Rapids rode a solid team effort their first an 8-1 victory over the Olean Oilers in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Wednesday night at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.
The Rapids’ offense found much-needed life as they scored a season-high.
Jordan Wilkerson (East Texas Baptist) went the distance on the mound for the Rapids, getting the win while only allowing one run, seven hits and two walks. He struck out ten Oilers on the night.
“Jordan was phenomenal on the mound. He got ahead of guys all night. He located his pitches well, and the offense just fed off of him,” said Genesee manager Tyler Rost.
The Rapids started slowly, as the Oilers went up 1-0 in the first inning off an Isaac Dillard (Gulf Coast CC) RBI.
The second inning was more of the same, with tight defense by the Rapids, going one-two-three with two strike outs by Wilkerson.
Olean’s Lawson Wishard (Maryville) had one of his three strike outs in the bottom of the inning.
The Rapids’ offense came alive in the bottom of the third.
Nick Ippolito (California State Stanislaus) connected on a two-out single and scored on a Dan Crozier (Cazenovia) RBI triple.Ryan Dickt (Virginia-Wise) plated Crozier with a base hit, and Joey Chapman (Cedarville) doubled home another for a 3-1 Genesee lead going into the fourth.
“They’re a good hitting team,” comments Oiler manager Bobby Bell. “I think five of their eight runs came with two outs, so we need to clean that up a little bit and really work hard to get that last out in some of those innings.”
Wilkerson retired Olean in order in the fourth including a strike out.
“My defense really stepped up tonight,” Wilkerson noted. “Working the ball in and out and staying low, that really helped out a lot when I’m getting ahead of a batter. It changed the whole aspect of the game.”
The fifth inning stayed at 3-1, with two more strike outs coming from Wilkerson.
“They had a shutdown pitcher on the mound,” stated Bell. “And they put the ball on the bat pretty well. Any time you face a team like that doing those things, they’re going to be pretty good.”
From the sixth to the eighth inning, offense was the name of the game for the Rapids. Austin Hauck (Siena Heights) started the sixth-inning rally with a leadoff walk. Hauck moved to second on a Minogue sacrifice bunt and scored when Ippolito reached on an error. With the runner on second, Crozier delivered another RBI single.
Crozier (Cazenovia) finished the night a home run short of the cycle, crossed the plate once and tallied three RBI.
“Seeing the offense do well is big for me,” says Wilkerson. “I don’t feel like I’m squeezed and have to pitch perfectly. It allows me to relax a little bit and get a little groove going.”
The Oilers brought in their third pitcher of the night in the bottom of the seventh, Charles DiGuilian (Marymount University).
The Rapids ran away with the win in the eighth inning. Hauck led with a triple, and Bailey Smith (Howard Paine) doubled as the Rapids took advantage of three passed balls to score three more.
The teams face off once again tomorrow in Olean at 10:30 AM.
Manager Bell is looking for “better plate appearances” in the contest. “But the best part of this game is that we get to have a chance again at them tomorrow.”
Rost is optimistic moving forward. “The offense was better tonight. We definitely hit the ball well. We rallied a few times when there were two outs so that was good. I’m hoping the offense can carry that momentum.”
Nick Ippolito went for one hit, one RBI and two runs from five at-bats, with a strong game at shortstop as well.
Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure) of the Oilers had two hits and a walk at three at-bats.
Both teams have a 2-2 record on the season.
Written by Abigail Schmidt, junior year business and communications major at Houghton College
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