By PAUL GOTHAM
OLEAN, N.Y. — Not even the chilly post-game ice water shower he received from his players could erase the smile from Bobby Bell’s face. This was a night to celebrate.
Nathan Grant (St. Bonaventure) gave a shutdown effort out of the bullpen, and the Olean Oilers defeated the Niagara Power 3-2 in the decisive game of the New York Collegiate Baseball League Championship Series, Friday night at Bradner Stadium.
With the win Bell’s Oilers recovered from stinging defeat less than 24 hours earlier and advanced to the organization’s first ever NYCBL Championship Series appearance.
“As much as we wanted to win last night, at the same time it was almost like okay we’re going back home to the Brad,” Bell said after Olean’s fourth win in five post-season games. “Let’s do it in front of this community of people and fans that are coming out and supporting us.”
Grant came on in the seventh inning to face one of the league’s most feared hitters in Caleb Lang (Cairn) and induced a ground ball to end the inning with the tying run on base.
“I know he can change the game with one swing, so I’m sitting there saying ‘please keep the ball down at least let us make a play on it,'” Bell commented. “He did it himself.”
Lang led the NYCBL during the regular season in doubles (16) and triples (7). He added two home runs and shared the league lead with 34 RBI.
“Just trying to keep the ball away from him,” Grant’s battery mate Mike Fahrman (University of Florida) explained. “We got a big ball park to right center. If he’s going to beat us, he’s got to beat us that way. I trusted Nate’s change-up and fastball away. Luckily we got him to reach on the fastball.”
Grant walked two and allowed one hit over two and a third innings. He fanned four including a pair with runners on the corners in the eighth.
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Lang gave Niagara a 2-1 lead in his previous at bat when he connected on a two-out solo shot off Olean starter Adam Rigney (Nichols).
“Definitely did not want to give him anything to try and do that again,” Fahrman said with a smile. “That was not fun.”
Rigney allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over six and two-thirds. The right-hander struck out two and walked one.
“I really needed to keep the ball low and make sure my curve is working which it was,” the Niantic, Connecticut native said.
He was put in charge of shackling a Niagara offense which pasted a 12-spot on the scoreboard in game two.
“Yesterday we just played a bad game,” Rigney added. “We all knew that, and we were just ready to come into today. I was so excited to get on the mound because I knew we were all ready to win this game.”
His lone mistake of the game came in the fifth to Lang.
“I just left it up,” he noted. “I lost the release point.”
Olean managed just six hits off Niagara starter Brandon Mumaw (State University of New York at Buffalo).
Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure) finished 2-for-4 on the night. He tripled home Jonny Lapolla (Suffolk) with the tying run in the fifth.
For the Oilers shortstop it was a matter of making an adjustment at the plate. After striking out in his previous at bat with a pair of runners aboard, Peterson attacked Mumaw’s first-pitch fastball and sent a line drive over the head of Niagara right fielder John Conti (Canisius).
“That previous at bat I just wasn’t ready for it,” Peterson conceded. “He took me down the middle. Next at bat I had to jump on the fastball. I got to hit the fastball if nothing else. First pitch was right there. I just turned on it. Luckily I got it over his head.”
“Cole is usually aggressive,” Bell stated. “I asked him what’s up with that (previous at bat). He said ‘it was right there I should have swung.’ I just looked at him and said ‘don’t worry about it, you’re going to get another chance.’ He did and he definitely came through.”
Seven Niagara errors contributed to two of Olean’s runs including a pair of fielding miscues which led to the eventual winning run coming around in the sixth.
Brandon Phillips (St. Bonaventure) reached on an infield error to start the stanza. Andrew White (State University of New York at Buffalo) followed with a sacrifice bunt. Mumaw, one of the finest defensive players in the league, moved quickly of the mound and gathered the ball. The southpaw spun quickly and looked to see if he could get the lead runner at second. When he turned to first, Mumaw lost grip of the ball. He recovered, but the rushed throw sailed into foul territory down the right field line. Phillips scored. White ended up at third.
“He has made some incredible plays,” Niagara manager Josh Rebandt said. “I really should have written him in for defensive player of the year. He has been phenomenal on bunts, line drives right back at him, pop ups even. He has done it all defensively. It’s just unfortunate the one time he rushes a throw, bobbles it a little bit, and it scoots away.”
Mumaw struck out 10 on the night and walked one. He worked out of a jam in the fourth when two reached on errors. With runners on the corners and one out, he fanned the next two to end the inning.
“There are a lot of other things not just that one play,” Rebandt said. “It was a battle from one to nine. There were a lot of other plays we could have made, it wasn’t just that play.”
Olean took the lead in the second. Peterson slapped a one-out broken bat single to center. Phillips reached on an error, and White delivered with two-out base hit to center.
Niagara knotted the game in the fourth with a two-out rally. Jessep Polk (North Greenville) started it with one of his three hits on the night. Paul Bretton (Florida Southern) singled to left, and Caleb Thomas (Colorado School of Mines) delivered with a base hit through the left side.
“It was a fun game,” Rebandt said. “Our guys battled. That’s one of the things we recruit for is guys who have a proven track record of competing. We have had some really good leadership this year from the player standpoint. I couldn’t say enough good things about out the season.”
Grant struck out Lang to end the game.
Olean moves on to play the Oneonta Outlaws in the NYCBL Championship Series. Oneonta won the title in 2011 and 2013 and will look to keep their “odd” run going.
Oneonta and Olean met in the 2013 league semi-finals. Oneonta won a decisive game three to advance. The NYCBL played with a one-division format that year.
Oneonta will go in search of its third league title. Olean is making its first championship series appearance.
“Our guys are really locked in,” Bell stated. “We’re just going with that attitude. We’re here; we might as well go for it.”
“We’re going to play for a championship,” Fahrman said. “It doesn’t matter what level. We’re playing. Let’s go.”
Game one of the 2015 NYCBL Championship Series is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday night at Damaschke Field in Oneonta.
Paul Gotham is the founder, owner, editor and lead writer at Pickin’ Splinters. Paul is the Communications and Media Director of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He is a contributor at USA Today and member of the USBWA. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PickinSplinters.
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