By MIKAEL DeSANTO
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Sam Kysor (Lock Haven University) went 1-for-4 with two runs batted in and a walk to help the Olean Oilers come back and beat the Rochester Ridgemen 4-3 in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Basket Road Field, Wednesday.
“Even though we’ve had 22 wins in a row, this was definitely our most trying one,” Kysor said. “Just coming out to the ballpark everyday, staying consistent, not taking winning for granted, especially after tonight, I think that’s one of the biggest lessons we can take away.”
Bobby Bell, the Oilers head coach, said though the going got tough, his team stayed focused and determined when they were struggling.
“It was a good win, you take them any way, they’re not always pretty,” Bell said. “We haven’t been in too many of those situations, I think the last time we were in a situation like that was here (Basket Road Field) where we went into extra innings, so it’s good to see our guys respond and not necessarily put too much pressure on themselves.”
The Oilers sent Billy Griffin (Washington College) to the mound for the start, his fourth start of the season, while the Ridgemen countered with Matt Fontneau (Colorado Christian University) on the hill for his third start. Fontneau limited the Oilers bats in his five innings of work, giving up two runs on five hits, but walked seven and struck out one.
“I was just trying to establish the fastball and keep them off balance with off-speed pitches,” Fontneau said. “Against hitters like that you have to feel confident throwing any pitch in any count and I felt like my stuff was pretty good tonight; they had traffic all game, had guys on base, but I was always confident that I was going to be able to keep them off balance and work out of it.”
Griffin settled in early and maintained his control throughout the game, going six and two-thirds innings while surrendering three runs, all unearned, and three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.
“I struggled a little bit earlier on getting in the zone and everything,” Griffin said. “I’ve struggled early in the year with walks and it’s just a big thing just taking it one pitch at a time and working through the process, you can’t worry about the outcome, I just have to make my pitch.”
The first runs of the game came in the fourth inning, when the Oilers picked up two runs on a single by Kysor. The bases became loaded after Fontneau walked Alex Griffith (University of Pittsburgh), Matt Schneider (Meryhurst University) and Brock Blovsky (University of Pittsburgh-Bradford). With two outs, Kysor worked a 2-2 count and singled, scoring Griffith and Schneider.
“It was an 0-0 ball game at that time and I knew someone was going to have to put us up or put them up,” Kysor said. “So I’m gonna be the guy, I need to do this for my team, I’ve been struggling at the plate, I need to really separate myself and lead the way, I guess you’d say.”
The Ridgemen struck back in the seventh inning, scoring three runs without any hits to take a 3-2 lead. Ethan Luna (Southwestern University) reached on an error by the shortstop to open the inning, but Griffin followed with two strikeouts. Another throwing error, this one by the third baseman, allowed Devin Cerrato (Covenant College) to reach base, and a third throwing error by the second baseman put Casey Claflin (University of Northeastern Ohio) on second and Cerrato to third, scoring Luna. Cerrato and Claflin both scored on wild pitches before the inning ended on ground out.
“As a second baseman or shortstop, when he sees someone busting his butt down the line, especially on a tough play, it’s gonna make him rush and their going to make mistakes,” Claflin said. “Good teams are going to capitalize on that, whatever it is.
In the top of the ninth, the Oilers broke through to score on a walk and a sacrifice fly. Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure University) walked to start the inning. David “Bubba” Hollins (St. Petersburg College) reached when he was hit by a pitch, and David Yanni (University of Pittsburgh) walked to load the bases.
“The first batter, we had him in a 3-2 count, we just had a call that didn’t go our way and I let that affect me,” said Rochester reliever Matt Diekemper (Drury) said. “I showed too much emotion on the mound, came back to the next guy and I made a mistake, I knew with two strikes he likes to get up on the plate a little more, so I went a little too far in and the wheels just kind of fell off after that.”
Diekemper then walked Griffith, allowing the game-tying run to score. After one out, Schneider plated the eventual winning run with a sacrifice ground out.
“I spread my stance out, which really helps me pick up the ball a lot better,” Griffith said. “I’ve just been able to not swing at all the bad pitches I’ve been getting.”
The Ridgemen threatened in the bottom of the inning, getting he tying run to third base, but went down in order afterwards, giving the Oilers the win.
Ridgemen head coach Justin Dillard said the team built confidence in the game and proved how good they are against the Oilers.
“They know that’s the 11th ranked team in the country,” Dillard said. “If they can take a heavyweight fighter into the late rounds, we have a fighter’s chance against anybody, but we have to do the little things right like we did tonight.”
Nolan Hunt (Canisius College) pitched two and one-third innings in relief for the Oilers, giving up no runs and one hit with three strikeouts.
Diekemper pitched three innings for the Ridgemen, giving up two runs on no hits and six walks.
Joe Done (Skagit Valley College), who started at first base, gave up no runs and no hits in his one inning of work in the ninth.
The win marked the Oilers 22nd consecutive victory who continue to add to their NYCBL record. Olean is 23-1 on the season while the Ridgemen fall to 5-15, tied with the Genesee Rapids for last place in the Western Division.
The Oilers next play on June 24 at home against the Hornell Dodgers at 7 p.m.
The Ridgemen will play at home June 23 against the Genesee Rapids at 7 p.m.
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