Oil City Sweeps Double Header From Black Diamonds In Two Close Games

Final: Oil City 4, Black Diamonds 3
WP: Kellen Franquiz@EcybTournaments pic.twitter.com/SejMpRZP8Y

— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 15, 2020

Tonight was two outstanding games of baseball between the 11U Oil City Bandits and Black Diamonds at Mitchel Field. Each game came down to the final turn at bat. The teams came in separated by just 1.5 games in the standings so it would have playoff ramifications regardless of the outcome.

Here’s how it went down.

Game 1

It was an outstanding pitcher’s duel between Matt Tomasello and Rocco Liguori. The teams traded zeros in the first inning but Oil City broke through in the home half of the second on an RBI ground out by Kellen Franquiz who scored Liguori – who singled and stole second to get into scoring position. One theme we saw today was stolen bases. Virtually every time a batter was on first base, he stole second – with the one exception coming into the 6th inning of game two. More on that later.

The game remained 1-0 heading into the top of the fourth when Tomasello helped himself with a leadoff infield single to SS and then stole second and third to get himself in scoring position. An RBI double to right by Brian Brower tied the game up at 1-1.

Liguori exited the game after six strong inning and gave way to Jalen Josey for Oil City. He allowed a HBP of Ben Delanoy, who then stolen second and third base. A walk to Brower and a stolen base put two runners on base. A big strikeout looked like it might get him out of the inning unscathed, but Peter Malone hit a grounder to short stop that was dropped by the first baseman to allow the go-ahead run to score. Black Diamonds had the lead and the momentum, but it’s very difficult to put a time like Oil City away for good. In the bottom of the seventh, Tomasello went back out looking for the complete game victory. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be as the first batter reached on an error by the first baseman and then stole second. A perfectly executed bunt advanced him to third and Jalen Josey smoked an RBI single to center to tie the game up at 2-2. After he stole second, Andrew Marino ripped a single and the throw got away from the first baseman and allowed Josey to come around to score the game-winner and give Oil City the 3-2 lead.

Game 2

After a quick break the teams headed back out for the start of Game 2.

There wasn’t much offense early on as both team’s starting pitchers were terrific. The Bandits nearly got on the board in the top of the third when a wild pitch got away from the catcher for the Black Diamonds but Franquiz was tagged out at home trying to score.

In the top of the fourth, though, they were able to break through. They used two hits and an error to load the bases for Jalen Josey who was hit by a pitch to score Cam Close. After an infield pop out, Marco Perper hit a ground ball to second that was converted into a force out but the attempted throw to complete the double play alluded the first baseman and allowed two runs to score and extend the lead to 3-0.

Undeterred, the Black Diamonds fought back in the ensuing inning.

They got a leadoff double to right field by Nick Abi-Zeid and he wound up scoring on a bases loaded HBP of Ben Brower. While they were threatening to add another, Marco Palleschi ended the jam with a stirkeout.

In the bottom of the fifth, he would not be as lucky, though. He allowed consecutive hits to Luke Howard and JoJo Gorman to start the inning got the Black Diamonds to within a run. Two ground outs put him on the brink of escaping the jam but an error by the shortstop allowed the tying run to score and make it 3-3. He retired the next batter to escape further damage.

In the top of the sixth, a one-out walk drawn by Cam Coco and a stolen base resulted in an RBI single by Marco Palleschi – a clutch hit to break the tie and send his fans into a frenzy. In the bottom of the inning, Kellen Franquiz came on in relief to slam the door and that’s precisely what he did, walking one batter but his catcher made a perfect throw to second to nail the attempted base stealer. He induced a weak fly out to center to end the game and secure the double header sweep for the Bandits.