OLEAN, N.Y. — The Olean Oilers’ disappointing season got a lot more discouraging on Monday night.
A strong effort in the opener of a doubleheader at Bradner Stadium against Niagara was wasted in a 2-1 defeat and the Power completed the sweep in emphatic fashion, prevailing, 14-0, before a crowd of 205.
The double loss dropped Olean to 4-10-1 and last in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. The Oilers have only nine points in the new standings format — 35 percent into the 42-game season — six behind third-place Hornell for the third and final Western Division playoff spot.
Worse for owner/manager Brian O’Connell Jr., Olean is in the midst of a major struggle in its last nine games. Over that span, the Oilers have a win, a tie and six losses and, in a suspended game at Mansfield, they blew a 10-1 lead and the game was tied 12-12 in the bottom of the ninth when darkness set in with the Destroyers having runners on second and third and only one out.
But last night was the low point as in 14 innings, Olean scored only one run and totaled a mere six hits in the double loss.
O’Connell had hoped that his team had started a turnaround when it held off Hornell, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at St. Bonaventure with Bradner being unplayable.
And it appeared he was right yesterday afternoon back at their home field as Jack Collins and Alex Teska combined to pitch a four-hitter, striking out three and walking the same number.
But they were outmatched by Niagara’s Joshua Bookbinder who tossed a three-hitter, fanning six and walking one.
Olean led 1-0 in the second but the Power’s Kyle LaPlant drove in Kolby Blanchard to tie the game in the third. Then, in the fifth, Blanchard plated Vinny Chiarenza with the winning run in the first of the two seven inning games.
Blanchard and catcher Jack Rubenstein both doubled for Niagara while Olean got an RBI double from Brandon Dudley. The other two Oilers hits were singles by Adam Moore and Mike Beimel.
In the second game, the division-leading Power (10-6-1) dominated, winning for the eighth time in the last 10 games.
An eight-run first inning began a 17-hit night as Adam Purdy had four hits and Blanchard (2 RBI), Nick Carlini (2 RBI), Isaiah Corry, Joe Paolini and Noah Almond added two each.
The trio of Billy Blair, Noah McDaniel and Peyton Birch combined for a second three-hitter for Niagara, striking out 10 and walking two.
Olean’s six hits dropped its league-worst team batting average to .221. Ninth in the 10-team league is Genesee at .250.
Only 11 of Niagara’s 16 runs were earned, but that still dropped the Oilers’ team earned-run average to 6.08, tied for second-worst in the NYCBL.
Olean is at Hornell (7-5-1) tonight at 7 o’clock.
