DUBOIS — Seemingly the only thing that’s been able to slow down the Oswayo Valley baseball team over the past four seasons is DuBois Central Catholic.
For the second time in three years, the Green Wave fell to the Cardinals in the District 9 Class A Championship game. This time around, OV, playing in its fourth straight title game, got out to an early lead against the Cardinals but couldn’t hold it as DCC revved up its attack on both sides of the ball to mount a comeback and defeat OV 7-4 at Showers Field on Tuesday evening.
The game got off to a dream start for Oswayo Valley, as the defending champs put up three runs in the first inning against DCC starter Thomas Grecco. Those tallies — which all came with two outs in the inning — were the first earned runs that Grecco had allowed all season.
The Green Wave held onto that lead until they were done in by a few defensive miscues in the fourth. Grecco helped his own cause with an RBI double as DCC pushed across three runs to tie the game at three in that frame.
OV was able to retake the lead again in the bottom half of that inning, but DCC came back for good in the sixth.
The Cardinals got three runs in that inning, first off OV starter Garren Black and then reliever Jacob Karr. Anthony Kness had a two-run double to break the tie and put DCC up 6-4. The Cardinals then added another insurance run in the seventh to secure the victory.
“Once we got down, I just told them ‘It’s a long game, just keep battling and stay with our approach.’ DuBois Central Catholic head coach Adam Fox said. “We have good hitters from one through nine in our order. The guys never folded and that’s what you want out of a good team.”
No player adhered to Fox’s message after the first more than Grecco. After allowing those three runs and three hits to begin the game, the senior allowed just five baserunners over his remaining five innings in the game.
Grecco finished with eight strikeouts and gave his offense plenty of time to work its way back into the game.
“He’s been in situations like that ever since he’s been a freshman and he handles pressure very well,” Fox said. “He competes every time he has the ball. To step on the mound and psychologically come back after that first inning not to affect him and for him not to fold, it was something. He wanted the ball every inning, and I can’t say enough what he’s meant to this team and this pitching staff.”
Justin Miknis struck out the side in the seventh inning to pick up the save for the Cardinals.
DuBois CC has been one of the better offensive teams in the district this season, and put it on full display against the Green Wave’s best arm on Tuesday.
Eight different Cardinals registered at least one hit in the game, and although OV’s Garren Black was able to go through DCC’s strong order with ease the first two times, the Cardinal bats figured him out on their third trip to the plate.
The seven runs were the most OV has given up since its season opener to Coudersport, their only other loss of the season.
Oswayo Valley head coach Brad Buchholz admitted that this DCC team was much different than the one his team defeated 2-1 in the D-9 quarterfinals last May.
“That’s the same team that we’ve played the last three years on paper, but (Fox) has transformed them,” Buchholz said. “We had no answer for their speed. They utilized that team speed and they just kept pressure on you anytime anybody got on base or anytime a ball was put in play. They’ve got tremendous team speed and those guys pitched really well.”
Buchholz attributed that speed to his team’s issues in the field. The Green Wave had three errors in the game, and had several other uncharacteristic miscues for a normally clean fielding team.
Buchholz was encouraged by his bats in the game, as the Green Wave had four different players register RBI in the game.
Despite the disappointing finish to its district season, Oswayo Valley’s season is far from over. The Green Wave will play its PIAA first round game on Monday, looking to capture a state victory for the second straight year.
With so many seniors and a team that’s been through so many big games over the years, Buchholz is confident his group can bounce back quickly.
“Clarion (last year’s runner-up) showed us you can be the runner-up at districts and then go onto make a run,” Buchholz said. “Hopefully we can do that because we have enough ability. We’ll keep at it and see what happens come Monday.”
AT DUBOIS
R H E
DuBois CC 000 303 1 7 11 1
Oswayo Valley 300 100 0 4 6 2
Thomas Grecco (8 SO, 2 BB), Justin Miknis (7) (3 SO), and Miknis/Brandon Walker
Garren Black (4 SO, 2 BB), Jacob Karr (6), and Camden Graves
