ELDRED — The Oswayo Valley High School baseball team took out its frustrations on Otto-Eldred with a 12-0 five-inning victory over the Terrors on Friday.
After Smethport’s Ryan Corbett tossed a no-hitter against the Green Wave on Thursday, the boys from Shinglehouse retaliated by sending 14 batters to the plate in an 11-run first inning.
“That was much better than last night,” said Brad Buchholz, Oswayo Valley head coach. “We had some key hits in that first inning.”
The Green Wave sandwiched a pair of walks around a single by Garret Babcock to load the bases with no outs and then Dylan Buchholz drove home two runs off starter Seth Bigley with a base hit to left center.
Brandon Brabham followed with an RBI single off reliever Sam Colebert, Alex Bernard plated two more with a base hit, Grant West had a two-run double, Keagan Goodliff knocked in two with a single and then Buchholz finalized the outburst with his third and fourth RBIs of the frame on a base hit to left.
“He (Buchholz) is probably our leading RBI guy this year,” coach Buchholz noted. “For a sophomore he’s becoming a really good hitter.”
Meanwhile Otto head coach Jame Thomas could only watch in anguish and perhaps awe from the home dugout
“Seth (Bigley) was having trouble gripping the ball in the cold,” Thomas admitted. “But give Oswayo credit. They hit the ball.”
Goodliff started on the hill for the Green Wave and relinquished a leadoff infield hit to Hobie Milliron, but then the right-hander induced three ground balls to strand a runner at third.
OV added another run in the second when Brabham singled and advanced to second on the incoming throw, moved to third on a base hit by Phillip Freelove and crossed the dish on a throwing error.
Brabham replaced Goodliff and ran into peril in the third when the Terrors filled the sacks on singles by Braxx Price, Colebert and Heath Stewart. With one out Garret Brugh launched a fly ball to right field and the relay from Bernard to Goodliff to Buchholz nailed the sliding runner at the plate for an inning-ending double play.
“We couldn’t have done that any better,” coach Buchholz stated. “That’s how we practice it.”
While relievers Dakota Vaughn and Milliron were keeping the Green Wave in check over the final three innings, Kent Costello retired the Terror side in order in the fourth on three grounders and then allowed a two-out single to Milliron in the fifth before ending the 10-run-rule game with a force play at second base.
“We pitched well and played good defense,” coach Buchholz recalled. “We’ve been doing that all season except for the first Otto game and that cost us.”
Oswayo Valley (11-2) visits Coudersport today while O-E has a doubleheader with Northern Potter on Monday.
