By ABIGAIL SCHMIDT
HOUGHTON, N.Y. — A win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Genesee Rapids as they took a 6-3 victory over the Olean Oilers in New York Collegiate Baseball League action Monday night at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.
The win snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Trailing 2-0, the Rapids offense came alive in the second inning where they tallied five runs, four of which came from Bailey Smith (Howard Payne) and Corey Andrade (Anna Maria) two-run RBI doubles. The other run came from a Ryan Dickt (Virginia-Wise) RBI single to bring home Tommy Haas (Arkansas of Pine Bluff)
Dickt also recorded a triple on the night.
“We had great approaches at the plate tonight,” said Rapids manager Tyler Rost. “We got some timely hitting. Corey and Bailey both had big doubles for us that scored runs so that’s huge.”
The Oilers scored again in the seventh to cut the Rapids lead to two. However, the Rapids added an insurance run in the eighth to seal the win. Dan Crozier (Cazenovia) was credited with the RBI on the run.
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Nick Ippolito (Cal St. Stanislaus) improved his NYCBL record-setting hitting streak to 27 straight games.
Nick Watkins (Defiance) erned the win for Genesee. He allowed two runs on six hits with two strikeouts in five innings.
“I could locate my changeup really well tonight,” said Watkins. “I got ahead of guys a few times and that really helped. And of course it’s always good to have your offense working behind you.
“It always feels good to be able to pitch out there with a lead. The last few starts I’ve been starting a little shaky but today I felt really good. We knew we were due for a big game and today was the day.”
“Nick minimized in the first inning,” said Rost. “He kept it to two runs and didn’t let the inning explode on him. He pitched to contact and was really good for the rest of his five innings that he threw.”
Jason Collingwood (Greenville) and Haas also threw for the Rapids, with Breton LaRose (Sacred Heart) credited with the save in the ninth.
Aaron Phillips (St. Bonaventure) took the loss for Olean. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits with one strikeout in 2.1 innings.
“We really just had one bad inning,” said Oiler manager Bobby Bell. “Aaron I think was trying to do a little too much in the second, he just needed to settle in and do what he knows.”
Jonathan Lapolla (Suffolk) and Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure) tallied doubles on the night, while Isaac Dillard (Gulf Coast CC) had a triple. Michael Fahrman (Florida) recorded Olean’s sole RBI on the night.
Charles DiGiulian (Marymount) came out of the bullpen for Olean for the remaining 5.2 innings.
Olean falls to 13-14 on the season and will get another chance at the Rapids tomorrow in Olean at 7 p.m.
“This is a four game series with them, so it’s big,” said Bell. “We’re really aiming to win the set. We just have to come out and be focused and executed in order to get the W.”
The Rapids improve back to .500 with the win, sitting at 15 wins and 15 losses.
“This is a good win for us,” said Rost. “We have to keep having a good approach at the plate cause they’re a good team; they’ll swing it and they’ll throw it well. We definitely have to play a good game to beat them, but carrying the momentum from tonight will be big.”
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