By MIKAEL DeSANTO
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Alex Griffith (University of Pittsburgh) went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in for the Western Division champion Olean Oilers in their 7-5 victory over the Rochester Ridgemen in New York Collegiate Baseball League action at Basket Road Field, Friday.
“We were just really consistent with our bats today,” Griffith said. “Our defense really wasn’t there, but we backed it up with our bats.”
Bobby Bell, the Oilers’ head coach, said that though the team had changed their normal lineup, the players all put the work in to win.
“We mixed in a lot of guys tonight to try and spread out some playing time,” Bell said. “Everyone going in there is taking quality at bats, working their butts off in the field, so it’s good to see everyone, from top to bottom, doing all the work they can.”
On the mound for the Oilers was David Lyskawa (Niagara County Community College), making his fifth start of the season, and the Ridgemen sent Matt Fontneau (Colorado Christian University), who made his sixth start of the year. Fontneau threw five innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, four walks and one strikeout.
“I don’t feel like I had my best stuff tonight, necessarily,” Fontneau said. “They had guys in scoring position, but just bearing down and battling every pitch is what it really comes down to, some nights you come out and you don’t have it, and you’ve got to figure out how to get guys out with less than your best stuff.”
Lyskawa pitched seven innings, surrendering three runs (one unearned) on four hits, no walks and 11 strikeouts to earn the win.
“I knew I would have to bring my good stuff because this is my third start against them this season,” Lyskawa said. “I had everything working, all four pitches, I knew I was on early, and yeah a little hiccup in the fifth, but other than that I felt good.”
The Oilers started the games scoring in the third, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Sam Kysor (Lock Haven University) tripled to put a runner on and Cole Peterson (St. Bonaventure University) singled him in. They then loaded the bases after walks to David “Bubba” Hollins (St. Petersburg College) and David Yanni (University of Pittsburgh), which Griffith followed with a two-run single.
“I was really trying to hit the fastball,” Griffith said. “I fouled all the pitches I really didn’t want, and I just wanted to hit the fastball.”
The Ridgemen tied the game in the fifth, plating three runs. The inning opened on a Joe Done (Skagit Valley College) single, allowing for two runs to score when Jared Piper (Hillsdale College) hit an inside-the-park home run. Hayden Houts (Northern State University) followed up with a double to put another runner in scoring position, and scored on an error.
“My approach is always see a good pitch 0-0 and then later on get something good to drive,” Piper said. “The first two pitches he threw me curveballs, and then just grooved me one right down the middle, I put a good barrel on it, hit it into left-center, the kid dove, it went off his glove, it went to the fence and I just kept running.”
The Oilers got runs back in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four between the two. In the sixth, Peterson tripled and later scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh, Brock Blovsky (University of Pittsburgh-Bradford) and Aaron Phillips (St. Bonaventure University) drew walks, then were moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Jimmy Webb (Lock Haven University). In the next at bat, Blovsky scored on a wild pitch and then Phillips scored on a single for Kysor.
“The game’s all based on timing, so just staying on time with the fastball but also being ready for those off-speed pitches,” Kysor said of his approach. “People always say I see so many pitches and at bats, because you have to build that timing up, you have to stay prime in that aspect, so just doing that I was able to go 3-for-6 with a couple RBI in there.”
The Ridgemen were able to rally for two runs in the bottom of the ninth, cutting the Oilers lead to two runs. After Brooks Pitaniello (Harding University) was hit by a pitch and Casey Claflin (University of Northeastern Ohio) walked, Matt Jackson (Reinhardt College) doubled to unload the bases and plate the two runs.
“All day they were just pounding me away with stuff, so really in that ninth inning I was completely focused on the outer half of the plate,” Jackson said. “I was just fortunate that’s where they put the ball.”
However, the attempted comeback fell short as no more runs scored, and the Oilers secured a victory.
The win brought the Oilers record to 31-4, while the Ridgemen fell to 8-26, putting them nine games back of a playoff spot.
Hunter Bingham, the Ridgemen’s acting head coach, said though they lost, he was happy with the performance and saw a recurring issue as their downfall.
“I was proud of the way the guys did compete tonight,” Bingham said. “Just too many mistakes again, had some errors, gave them too many outs, walked some guys, they came around, that’s what hurt us.”
Andrew White (University of Buffalo) pitched two innings of relief for the Oilers, giving up two runs, on one hit and one walk, with four strikeouts.
Carson Ferry (Northland College), Luke Chevalier (Northern State University), Done and Claflin combined to pitch the final four innings for the Ridgemen, surrendering four runs (three earned) on four hits and six walks, with six strikeouts.
The Oilers will next play on July 9 at Bradner Stadium against the Syracuse Salt Cats at 7 p.m.
The Ridgemen’s next game is also July 9 at 7 p.m. against the Wellsville Nitros at Basket Road Field.
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