In what was a classic pitchers duel Tuesday night, Oswayo Valley capitalized on a fifth inning walk, a hit batsman and a clutch double to beat Elk Catholic, 3-1, to advance to the District 9 Class A championship game.
This is the third straight year the Green Wave (18-2) will play for the D-9 title –– OV is 1-1 in those games –– and sets up a rematch of the 2015 title game Thursday against top-seeded Clarion at St. Mary’s Berwind Park at 4:30 p.m. In 2015, OV blanked the Bobcats, 10-0.
“This was a great win for us; it make it three years in a row to get to the district championship,” OV head coach Brad Buchholz said. “We have tremendous fan appreciation and they follow us everywhere we go and it is good for our little town that we can have good success. We are 1-1 and will hope to win the rubber match”.
Garren Black, pitching on three days’ rest, took the bump and pitched a four-hitter while allowing a run in the fourth, pitching 6 1/3 innings before giving way to Ryan Graves, who faced the last two batters.
Black faced his longest inning in the bottom of the fifth when Dan Stauffer led off with a solid single up the middle. Ryan Heary smacked the first pitch he saw for a deep fly to right that right fielder Noah Wichert almost misjudged with Stauffer having to retreat back to first.
“That was a huge spot in the game,” Buchholz said of Wichert’s catch. “That would have been minimum second and third with nobody out there and probably saved a run.”
Black’s throw to first appeared to have picked off Stauffer only to have a balk called, allowing Stauffer to go to second. Eric Gerber singled sharply to right field, scoring Stauffer for the Crusaders’ run.
Black then bared down, striking out Jared Braun on five pitches before catching DaCanal looking to end the Crusaders’ inning with a 1-0 lead.
“He pitched a complete game and came in today with just three days rest,” Buchholz said of Black, a junior. “He has been a key player for us and showed it tonight on the mound. He kept his cool after the balk and giving up a run and just beared down to end the threat.”
Oswayo Valley answered back in the top of the fifth with Ryan Graves drawing a four-pitch walk. Theo Henry was then hit to put runners at first and second with no outs.
Elk Catholic catcher Stauffer appeared to have Graves picked off with a throw to second catching Graves too far off the bag, only to have the Crusader’s third baseman miss the throw to third allowing the ball to go out of play, scoring Graves and putting Henry at third after alertly moving up to second on the play to tie the game at 1-1. Designated hitter Justice Rees doubled in Henry to put Oswayo valley up 2-1.
Camden Graves had a sacrifice, while Gage Babcock was hit by a pitch before Garret Babcock scored Rees on a fielder’s choice to go up, 3-1.
“Justice Rees, who was 2-for-3 driving in the go-ahead run, was big for us,” Buchholz said. “We knew [ECC’s Brad] Dippold was a good pitcher and we needed to capitalize when we could. We didn’t get a couple of bunts down but it worked out.”
Oswayo Valley chased Dippold in the top of the sixth, before reliever Ryan Heary finished the inning.
Black came out to start the top of the seventh getting Braun to ground out before giving up a single to Nate DaCanal. Ryan Graves came on in relief to face Gabe Kraus.
He got Kraus to hit a grounder to shortstop Garret Babcock, who threw to second baseman Gage Babcock, who was taken out at second base and unable to throw to first.
The second base umpire ruled the runner out at first due to runner’s interference ending the game, with an unhappy Elk Catholic coaching staff pleading their case that the slide was legal.
Elk Catholic head coach Father Eric Vogt wasn’t pleased with the game-ending ruling, but also pointed to the Crusaders giving up four hits and four walks.
“We can’t give up more walks than hits and expect to win,” Vogt said.
At BRADFORD
Oswayo Valley 000 030 0 3 4 2
Elk Catholic 000 100 0 1 3 2
Garren Black (6 SOs, 1BB), (7) Ryan Graves and Jacob Karr
Brad Dippold (5 SOs, 3 BB), (5) Ryan Heary (1 BB) and Dan Stauffer
