By RYAN McDONOUGH
OLEAN, N.Y. – Niagara used yet another strong pitching performance to earn a hard-fought victory, their third straight.
The Niagara Power (16-6) defeated the Olean Oilers (11-11), 3-2, in a New York Collegiate Baseball League game on June 29 at Bradner Stadium.
Nathan Robinson (Cederville) tossed six strong innings for Niagara, striking out four and scattering just four hits.
“Robinson has been really good for us,” said Niagara’s manager Josh Rebandt. “Of our first 22 games, we’ve had 19 quality starts, and that’s the difference.”
Niagara scored two of their three runs in the second inning. Mason Irby (Jones County JC) got things started with a leadoff single, and moved up to second as the Olean outfielder failed to field it cleanly. Bryan Klendworth (Olivet Nazarene) reached base as he was hit in the leg by a pitch. With the two men aboard, Jessep Polk (North Greenville) delivered a single, bringing home Irby and Klendworth came around on an error by the Oiler outfielder.
“Seeing guys come through when we need them to with runners in scoring position makes a huge difference for us,” Rebandt added.
The Oilers had their chances, but Robinson seemed to work his way out time after time.
In the bottom of the third, Olean worked the bases loaded, but Robinson got out of trouble striking out Jon Lapolla (Suffolk) to end the inning.
Once again in the fourth, Olean had two mean aboard but Paul Bretton Jr. (Florida Southern) made a nice stab in the hole to once again send Niagara back into the dugout with a shutout lead.
Niagara received an eventual game-saving insurance run as Nathan Stanley (Toccoa Falls) – who came in to replace Klendworth – delivered a two-strike, two-out RBI single that landed just out of the reach of Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure), the leaping Oiler shortstop.
Another Oiler was left aboard in the sixth. Eight Oilers were left on base with Robinson on the hill.
“Robinson is a guy who is always going to make the big pitch when it’s necessary. That’s one thing I’ve learned about him,” said Rebandt of his starter. “It changes from day-to-day, but today it was his fastball.”
“If we had any sort of timely hitting tonight, we would have been in a good position to win,” said Oilers’ manager Bobby Bell. “So, we have to be more productive with our timely hitting.”
The Oilers put two runs on the board, not with their bats but with patience. Dan Pellinen (Friends) and Sam Kysor (South Carolina Upstate) led off the inning with back-to-back walks, ending Robinson’s night. Peterson moved them over with a sacrifice bunt, and David “Bubba” Hollins loaded the bases with a walk of his own. Lapolla put the Oilers on the board as he walked, and Aaron Phillips (St. Bonaventure) made it 3-2 as Niagara walked in their fifth batter of the inning and surrendered their second run of the inning.
That’s all Olean would get, though, as the submarine-throwing Nathaniel Lagos (North Greenville) and Nick Campe (Olivet Nazarene) shut the Oilers down out of the bullpen.
Up next, the two teams will face off again on June 30 for a double-header at Sal Magile Field in Niagara.
The 16-6 Power have won seven of their last eight games.
Jon Lapolla went 2-3 with an RBI for the Oilers.
Olean drew seven walks over the course of the game, five of which came in the seventh.
Three Oilers and one member of the Power were hit by pitches, Bubba Hollins hit twice.
Austin Bizzle (Alabama St.) went seven innings and struck out seven for the Oilers. The Olean pitching staff struck out ten total.
Olean failed to record a hit with a man in scoring position.
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