By Ethan Marshall
Bandits’ head coach Ryan Gorecki on the way his team played today. pic.twitter.com/5dK48nXukH
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 13, 2019
The Oil City Bandits, behind five run second and fourth innings, defeated the Long Island Elite 14-10. One of the biggest plays of the game came when the Bandits’ Pat Sullivan belted a go-ahead three-run triple to deep center field in the bottom of the second inning.
According to Sullivan, he was just focused on getting the bat on the ball to drive in the runner from third, but got a pitch to drive. “I was just looking for a pitch to hit up in the zone and just hit my pitch,” Sullivan said.
The Elite took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second thanks to a Kenneth Zito RBI fielder’s choice in the first and Ryan Kunkel RBI single in the second. However, a leadoff triple by Preston Kirchner and a walk to Mike Abatatantuno set the stage for the Bandits in the bottom of the second. Kirchner scored on a passed ball and Abatatantuno came home on Jack Regan’s RBI single before the next two Bandits reached to load the bases for Sullivan, who delivered the big hit. Sullivan then scored on a ground out by Chris Marrano.
The Bandits added to their lead in the third inning on a RBI single by Mike Abatantuno and a two-run single from Gavin McMahon, putting them up 9-2. However, the Elite started to claw their way back into the game in the fourth inning, loading the bases with one out. A hit by pitch from Ryan Kunkel, a RBI single by Joseph Pusinelli and a two-run scoring error off the bat of Kenneth Zito cut the Bandits’ lead to 9-6.
The Bandits were quick to respond to the Elite’s four-run fourth with a five spot of their own in the bottom of the inning. A two-run single by Mike Scotto, RBI double down the leftfield line by Ryan Piccola, RBI triple belted by Dan Pignataro and a RBI single by Preston Kirchner erased all the ground the Elite made up and then some.
Bandits’ Pat Sullivan, whose three-run triple put his team up for good, on his game and the way his team played. pic.twitter.com/fQzIQ7GFZg
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) October 13, 2019
Still, the Elite didn’t go down without a fight. A leadoff triple from Gavin Diegnan and RBI single by Lucas Moseman got the Elite off to a good start in the fifth inning. After Michael Iovino followed with a double, Ryan Martone reached first base safely on an error, with Moseman scoring on the play. Nicholas Bodkin and Ryan Kinkel followed with a RBI ground out and RBI single, cutting the Elite’s deficit to 14-10. However, Kinkel was thrown out trying to steal second and, after a single by Joseph Pusinelli, the Bandits were finally able to record the final out via a strikeout to end the game.
Bandits head coach Ryan Gorecki was most happy with how well the team made the routine plays that they’d been practicing. “We’ve been working hard at practice to make the routine plays, and when you make the routine plays you win games,” Coach Gorecki said. He also praised his team’s offensive approach in playing small ball. “Our hitting approach is going up the middle, hitting the ball the other way, putting the bat on the ball with two strikes and trying to force the other team to make mistakes, and that’s what the kids did.”
