Oswayo Valley is 1-9 against Port Allegany since May of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Green Wave will head out on the road to face off against the Gators at 4:00 p.m.
Oswayo Valley is headed into Thursday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Wednesday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 6-5 heartbreaker at the hands of Cameron County. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Isaiah Goode made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Dawson Welch also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Port Allegany put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 5-1 win over Otto-Eldred. The five-run effort marked the Gators' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Levi Howard and Kellen Veilleux were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Howard tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. Meanwhile, Veilleux tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Howard went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Veilleux went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Derek Smith, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Tyler Carinci was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Port Allegany was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Port Allegany's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Oswayo Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 2-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Oswayo Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Port Allegany struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Oswayo Valley might still be hurting after the 11-3 defeat they got from Port Allegany when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Green Wave avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
