By RYAN McDONOUGH
OLEAN, N.Y. – “If we keep winning this way, I’m going to start losing my hair, ripping my hair out of my head,” Oilers’ manager Bobby Bell said of his team’s walk-off win with a laugh and a sigh.
The Olean Oilers defeated the Genesee Rapids, 5-4 in a New York Collegiate Baseball League game at Bradner Stadium, Friday night.
Genesee’s Nick Ippolito (Cal State – Stanislaus) took the very first pitch of the game to right field and landed it just in front of the diving Oiler outfielder to increase his hit streak to 19 games, which is the longest hit streak in the NYCBL since 2011.
“I thought about it a little it, but it’s just fun being out here playing baseball,” said Ippolito. “I’ve just been aggressive at the plate. Jumping at the first pitch and taking it the other way.”
Genesee also scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth. Dan Crozier (Cazenovia) led off the inning with a single and worked his way around the bases, eventually scoring on a passed ball to put the Rapids up, 1-0.
Olean gained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Brandon Savage (Marymount) led off the frame with a single, and Isaac Dillard (Gulf Coast CC) followed suit with a single of his own. Sam Kysor (South Carolina Upstate) delivered an RBI double, scoring Savage. Dillard advanced to third on the hit, and came around to score when the throw attempt to third went wide.
With a 2-1 lead, Olean received an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. With Kysor aboard, Mike Fahrman (Florida) hit a long drive over the centerfielder’s head to score Kysor and bring the score to 3-1.
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Olean’s starting pitcher, Aaron Phillips (St. Bonaventure) settled in striking out the side in the sixth, sending the Rapids down in order in the seventh and striking out two more in the eighth.
“He’s a bulldog,” said Bell of his starter. “I didn’t want to let him go out in the ninth, but he came in and put his hand on my shoulder and said ‘give me one runner’ and I sent him back out there.”
With the ninth inning still left, Genesee and Ippolito weren’t finished, though.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Ryan Dickt (U of Virginia Wise) worked a walk and Brandon Dupuis (Rochester College) reached base with a single.
With two outs and two men aboard, after already securing his 19-game hitting screak, Ippolito got a high popup to left field drop, scoring both runners to tie the game and reaching second base.
Ippolio then attempted to steal third, and a wild throw brought him in as the winning run. The Rapids went to the bottom of the ninth with a 4-3 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Savage drew a leadoff walk, and Dillard moved him to second with a bunt. Austin Mike —who came in to pinch run for Savage – then scored on an RBI single by Dan Pellinen (Friends).
Pellinen was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play, but Matthew Kamenicky (Clarion) kept the inning alive with a single of his own. Kysor, down 0-2 in the count, battled back and worked a walk to put Kamenicky to second. Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure) reached base on an infield single, and a bobbled ball at first base allowed Kamenicky to score from second and give Olean the 4-3, walk-off win.
“This team keeps fighting no matter what,” said Peterson. “We got a good leadoff walk from Savage and we did our job.”
“It just shows the kind of team we have this year. It would’ve been so easy to just hang our heads when we gave it up in the ninth, but our guys fought and battled through to make sure that didn’t happen,” Bell added in praise of his squad.
Up next, the Oilers will stay home play a double-header against the Niagara Power on Sunday, June 28. Game times are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Genesee will take on the Hornell Dodgers in game one of a three-game series. Game one will take place on Sunday, June 28 at Maple City Park, Hornell. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Aaron Phillips went 8.2 innings for the Oilers, striking out nine along the way.
Genesee’s John Kopicky (Ohio Northern) went seven innings with four strikeouts.
Mike Fahrman (Florida) went 2-4 with two doubles and an RBI for the Oilers.
Phillips picked off two runners in the game.
Kysor, Fahrman, David Hollins (St. Petersburg) and Dillard had two hits each for Olean.
Tommy Haas (Arkansas Pine Bluff) went 2-4 for Genesee.
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