Cattaraugus-Little Valley had lost 15 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 1-10 to make it 16. They fell 8-3 to the Ellicottville Eagles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 8-0 on Wednesday.
D.J. Szata was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off one hit. Szata was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
Szata wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Trenton Wulf, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI. That RBI marked the first that Wulf has brought in this season.
As for Ellicottville, the win was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 5-6. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.7 runs over those games.
Like Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Ellicottville also got a great game from a two-way player: Blake Smith. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Sawyer Miller was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Rylan Benjamin, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Coming up, Cattaraugus-Little Valley will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Franklinville at 11:00 a.m. As for Ellicottville, they will venture away from home to square off against Hinsdale Central at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The Eagles are facing the Bobcats at the right time seeing as the Bobcats are stuck on a five-game losing streak.
