Saturday Roundup: Bilotta posts game-winning run in walk-off victory for Rebels over C-G; GV/Belfast’s Cater twirls 12K no-no in 16-0 road blank of J-T; Scio Tournament baseball, softball action
CUBA — After the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford came up empty during their time at last week’s tournament in Bolivar, the hope in their return to action on Saturday was to get back on the right side of the tracks and pick up where they left off from the beginning of the season.
The next task at hand was going to be no slouch — the Redskins of Canisteo-Greenwood. After a back-and-forth affair early on, the balance of power began to tilt solely towards one direction. Down the stretch, it would then shift to the other. With the game all tied at seven going into the last at-bats of the day for the Rebels, they would make sure the pendulum swung onto their side for good.
All it took was one wild pitch to allow the game to change hands, and for the Rebels, they capitalized on it with an advance on home from Preston Bilotta, who wound up scoring the team’s game-winning run on the play to record the season-series sweep of Canisteo-Greenwood on their home field, earning the 8-7 edge.
“Jacob Smith pitched a heck of a game today. He didn’t walk a single batter, and struck out 12. Our defense may have struggled today making some routine plays, which allowed them to come back and tie it in the seventh with some good hitting and baserunning. I was really glad our kids could bounce back and find the run in the seventh to pull this one out.” said Rebels coach Pat Wight.
The Redskins would become the first to take the lead ahead of Cuba-Rushford (7-5) through the first two innings and change, capitalizing on special teams with two runs on error in the first and baserunning to scratch across the third. The Rebels responded immediately following with the next seven runs in a row, beginning with a game-tying three-run second which was propelled by a two-run single from Jacob Smith.
The Rebels eventually overtook the lead with two more runs in the third before adding onto it with one more run in the next two innings, including Smith’s third RBI on a single in the fifth.
In the final two innings of play, Canisteo-Greenwood went on to turn up the heat, using baserunning once more to collect four unanswered runs to tie the game at seven. The deadlock would not stay secure for very long however, as Cuba-Rushford ended the game with Preston Bilotta, who led off the seventh with a single before working all the way around the bases and to home to plate the winning run on a wild pitch.
The hosts scored eight runs off nine hits, with Smith and Bilotta each scoring two hits. Jack Frank and Finn Ricketts each scored a hit, and RBI each to further the cause. As for Canisteo-Greenwood, Noah Warriner and Carson Lamphier both recorded two hits, with Warriner posting a double from within his tenure.
On the mound, Taige Stewart and Jacob Smith provided a pitcher’s duel across the first five innings of play. Smith would record 12 strikeouts while Stewart handed out 10 chairs and walked four for the Redskins, in their respective no-decisions.
Cuba-Rushford is back in action on Monday, as they prepare to host Bolivar-Richburg in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Canisteo-Greenwood 210 002 2 – 7 10 4
Cuba-Rushford 032 110 1 – 8 9 5
C-G – Taige Stewart (10K, 4BB), Evan Sarvis (LP, 6) (2K, 3BB) and Noah Warriner.
C-R – Jacob Smith (12K), Braeden Wight (WP, 7) and Dean Frank, Sam Grover (2).
Genesee Valley/Belfast 16, Jasper-Troupsburg 0
TROUPSBURG — Matt Cater was quite simply unhittable for Genesee Valley/Belfast on Saturday. As they went over the road to visit Jasper-Troupsburg, he ensured the team’s victory in the most dominant of ways by holding the Wildcats without a single hit, striking out 12 and walking four while the offense fed off the momentum to score a 16-0 shutout win over the road.
“Matt was on today, he did a great job mixing pitches. The bats came alive with it too, and with everything working, the confidence is growing each game,” GV/Belfast coach Kevin Scott said. “This was a nice road win. Now we just have to keep the momentum going. I’m really proud of them for continuing to plug away and fight through the ups and downs so far this season. We’re at the point now where we have to get hot.”
Cater dueled alongside Jasper-Troupsburg’s James Ainsworth through a great deal of action, but was the supreme pitcher in keeping the Wildcats off the board across all seven innings behind the team’s no-hit performance. The momentum would carry over on offense with an electric 14-hit supply.
Of the hits, Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-6) saw five different hitters all record at least two hits, with Owen Heaney leading the charge with a perfect 3-for-3 outing with a two-run double and four runs scored. Cater and Thai Norasethaporn — the team’s winning battery, added in two hits themselves, driving in a pair and scoring twice. Kyle McCumiskey and Ryan Daciw each chipped in two more hits.
The offense kicked the tires on an early 3-0 lead after two scoreless innings started the day against the Wildcats. After another scoreless frame in the fourth, Genesee Valley/Belfast kept the foot down on the gas pedal and closed up shop for good with 13 straight runs across the last three innings of play, including a seven-run outburst in the top of the seventh to provide the exclamation point on a brilliant day.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will return to play on Tuesday, hosting Andover/Whitesville in the Jungle in Belmont at 5 p.m.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 003 033 7 – 16 14 2
Jasper-Troupsburg 000 000 0 – 0 0 7
GVB – Matt Cater (WP) (CG, 12K, 4BB) and Thai Norasethaporn.
J-T – James Ainsworth (LP) (10K, 5BB), Brynden Danielsen (6) (3K, BB) and Jared Ainsworth.
Scio Tournament: Hinsdale claims tourney crown over Fri/Scio, And/Whi splits
SCIO — All afternoon long, there was baseball and softball to be had in Scio on Saturday. Two tournament crowns were waiting to be decided, with one being determined by Andover/Whitesville, Hammondsport, Hinsdale and host Friendship/Scio on the diamond.
The opening round pitted Hammondsport against Hinsdale, where the Bobcats were able to take care of business to earn their ticket into the title game with a 12-2 win. Stats and a complete box score from this game were not made available to report upon publication.
As for the second first round battle, a dominant performance from Ethan Davenport on the mound along with a big seven-run inning helped propel Friendship/Scio to the title game, as they strolled past Andover/Whitesville with a 10-3 victory.
Both teams found their way onto the board in the first inning, with Friendship/Scio navigating towards a 3-1 lead. The defenses would then buckle down for the next three scoreless innings until the hosts in black and gold created an opening in the bottom of the fifth that allowed them to pull away for good, scoring seven runs to eclipse the 10-run mark, with the majority of the runs stemming off special teams on the bases.
Friendship/Scio accounted for just five hits at the plate, with Hunter Hill recording one and driving in a pair of runs. On defense, Ethan Davenport ruled the day with a complete game three-hit gem, striking out 13 and walking two.
Andover/Whitesville saw Brody Carlin fan six and walk two in his three inning start, while Jacob Wagner scored one of the team’s three hits.
Andover/Whitesville would then drop down into the Consolation round, where they would take aim at a potential split of the tournament by facing the Lakers of Hammondsport. They were challenged out of the gate, but through a mid-frame back-and-forth exchange, the team in purple and blue would see their way through to the end, as they squeezed their way towards a 14-8 triumph.
After a 1-0 Hammondsport lead through their first at-bats, Andover/Whitesville (4-5) responded with an RBI single from Jacob Wagner to help take a 2-1 lead. Andover/Whitesville added two more runs to branch their lead before the Lakers responded with a four-run fourth inning to take the advantage away temporarily.
But Andover/Whitesville would go on to finish up the game with 10 of the last 13 runs, including a six-run bottom of the fifth that helped them pull away and out of reach of Hammondsport to secure the win. Out of the eight total hits, Wagner led the bats with a 3-for-5 outing and two RBI. On the mound, the win belonged to Joe Fonte in relief, as he fanned two and walked four.
In the championship game, Hinsdale and Friendship/Scio were neck and neck early on in the opening sequences with a 3-3 tie. But the tone was ultimately set by the Bobcats, as they scored the last 12 runs of the game to come away as tournament champions with a 15-3 win.
While the offense and special teams kicked into gear for Hinsdale (5-6), Xander Pascucci held down the fort on the mound with a complete game performance, going all five innings while handing out nine chairs and walking two to keep Friendship/Scio at bay.
At the plate, Jake Elliott recorded a double — one of four hits the Bobcats would record.
For Friendship/Scio (4-9), Ethan Davenport provided two of the team’s three hits, while Landon Arnold fanned four and walked three during his tenure of relief on the hill.
Listed below are the next games for all three local participants:
Hinsdale - at Archbishop Walsh, Monday 5 p.m.
Friendship/Scio - vs Avoca/Prattsburgh (in FRI), Thursday 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville - at Alfred-Almond, Monday 5 p.m.
First Round
Andover/Whitesville 100 002 0 – 3 3 4
Friendship/Scio 300 070 X – 10 5 4
A/W – Brody Carlin (LP) (6K, 2BB), Jacob Wagner (4) (2K, 6BB), CJ Estep (6) and Colton Calladine.
F/S – Ethan Davenport (WP) (CG, 13K, 2BB) and Landon Arnold.
Consolation
Hammondsport 100 412 0 – 8 1 1
Andover/Whitesville 211 064 X – 14 8 4
HAM – Ethen Beers (K, BB), Silas Scofield (3) (4K, 3BB), Chris Hill (5) (K, 2BB) and Scofield, Beers (3).
A/W – CJ Estep (5K, BB), Joe Fonte (WP, 5) (2K, 4BB), Colton Calladine (7) (K, 2BB) and Calladine, Estep (7).
Championship
Hinsdale 210 75 – 15 4 3
Friendship/Scio 201 00 – 3 3 5
HIN – Xander Pascucci (WP) (CG, 9K) and Peyton Keller.
F/S – Cooper Greenman (LP) (2K, 5BB), Landon Arnold (3) (4K, 3BB) and Arnold, Greenman.
SOFTBALL
Scio Tournament: Fri/Scio lays claim to title, survive pitcher’s duel vs. GV/Belfast
SCIO — While the baseball tournament’s championship was being determined across the street on Saturday, over at the softball field, Hammondsport, Genesee Valley/Belfast, Andover/Whitesville and host Friendship/Scio all vied for mid-season glory.
Hammondsport and Genesee Valley/Belfast proceeded to do battle in the first of two opening round matchups, where both Danica Dresser and Ashley Burrows provided outstanding performances on the mound. In the midst of it, the offense for Genesee Valley/Belfast erupted after an early 1-0 Lady Lakers lead, as they scored 11 straight runs to pull away towards a championship game berth by an 11-6 decision.
Genesee Valley/Belfast took full advantage after falling behind right away to Hammondsport, as the offense came together to score 11 straight runs, three of them as a response to take the lead away from the Lady Lakers after the opening frame. After a scoreless trading of barbs in the second, the team in gray and black ran away for good with a seven-run capitalization in the bottom of the third.
In all, Genesee Valley/Belfast totaled six hits at the plate, with Abby Sullivan and Jenna Hill each laying down a pair of hits. On the mound, Ashley Burrows recorded nine strikeouts and two walks to pick up the complete game two-hit victory.
In the other first round battle, it saw Friendship/Scio take complete control of Andover/Whitesville from start to finish, led by the dominance of Nevaeh Ross from both on the mound and at the plate, as she recorded a one-hit gem while blasting a pair of home runs to propel them towards the final championship game vacancy with a 17-0 shutout.
Ross was outstanding on the mound for Friendship/Scio, holding Andover/Whitesville at a complete standstill while transitioning the dominant performance to the plate, where she would add onto the team’s 3-0 lead after the first inning with a solo homer in the bottom of the second to help kickstart an eight-run frame, along with a two-run homer from Kiara Grover.
Ross would then add another bomb in the bottom of the fourth to help ensure the team’s victory permanently, launching a three-run detonation in another massive six-run frame strung together by the offense. In all, Friendship/Scio recorded 17 runs off 17 total hits, with Ross’ 4-for-4 outing at the plate leading the way. Claire Calhoun, Morghyn Ross, Kadence Donohue and Emily Lamberson all had two hits to help further the team’s cause.
As for Andover/Whitesville, Gabby Terhune recorded a double. In the circle, Olivia Waters fanned six and walked three in her complete game.
Despite the first round defeat, Andover/Whitesville was able to get their hands on their very first win of the season, as their offense came alive right from the start to keep Hammondsport off balance, allowing them to stroll away towards a 21-6 triumph after five complete innings of play.
“We were able to finally get our hands on a win. It feels good to see the girls smile after a game. We’ve played some good games this season, and we finally had an outcome to celebrate.” said Andover/Whitesville coach Al Barber.
Andover/Whitesville (1-9) recorded 21 runs off 16 hits at the plate to get the offensive pistons churning, as they posted a 6-1 lead after the first two innings. Hammondsport ultimately cut their deficit down to a pair of runs later on in the third, but it was the closest they were able to reach Andover/Whitesville, as they went on to score 15 of the last 17 runs, including a 10-run bottom of the fifth to close out the afternoon.
Of the hits, Gabbi Hall, Aislinn Hamilton and Makaila Brewster all recorded a pair of hits. On the mound, the win belonged to Brewster, going the distance while holding the Lady Lakers to just two hits, fanning seven batters.
In the tournament’s championship game to decide it all, it was another true pitcher’s duel that formulated once again between Genesee Valley/Belfast and Friendship/Scio, as Hannah Southwick-Powers and Nevaeh Ross fought tooth and nail until the very end.
Through the defensive battle, scoring was going to be difficult. Both teams would go on and combine for five total hits at the plate. But in the end, two runs were garnered by Friendship/Scio, as they captured the tournament crown behind clutch baserunning and a massive blast in the bottom of the sixth to ensure their lead in a 2-0 shutout over Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Friendship/Scio (11-3) scored a run in each the first and sixth innings to gain the offensive upper hand on Genesee Valley/Belfast, starting quickly with some key baserunning from Nevaeh Ross, as she worked her way around the bases to scratch across the icebreaking score.
Through the next four scoreless innings, all of which would feature no more than four at-bats, as Southwick-Powers and Ross continued to deliver left and right haymakers from within their respective circles. When it came down to crunchtime, Friendship/Scio was able to add some massive insurance to keep their lead intact.
Providing it was Kadence Donohue, who blasted a massive RBI triple off Southwick-Powers to the outfield, scoring Katie Lamberson. The final inning was left on the shoulders of Ross in the circle, as she struck out the Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-6) side to complete a perfect afternoon.
Ross handed out 16 chairs and walked just one to propel the Friendship/Scio defense towards a second shutout of the afternoon. At the plate, Emily Lamberson added a single.
For Genesee Valley/Belfast, Southwick-Powers also provided an incredible outing in the circle, fanning 10 and walking four in her twirled two-hitter. On the attack, Southwick-Powers, along with Jenna Hill and Sondra Guilford, would each tally a hit.
The next games for all three local participants are listed below:
Friendship/Scio - vs Avoca/Prattsburgh (in FRI), Monday 5 p.m.
Genesee Valley/Belfast - at Arkport/Canaseraga, Monday 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville - at Alfred-Almond, Monday 5 p.m.
First Round
Hammondsport 100 004 0 – 5 2
Genesee Valley/Belfast 307 100 X – 11 6
HAM – Danica Dresser (LP) (CG, 9K, 10BB) and Sam Pratt.
GVB – Ashley Burrows (WP) (CG, 9K, 2BB) and Jenna Hill.
First Round
Andover/Whitesville 000 00 – 0 1 0
Friendship/Scio 380 6X – 17 17 0
A/W – Olivia Waters (LP) (CG, 6K, 3BB) and Gabbi Hall.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 12K) and Morghyn Ross.
Consolation
Hammondsport 103 0 2 – 6 5 2
Andover/Whitesville 510 5(10) – 21 12 2
HAM – Nicole Pease (LP) (CG, 10BB) and Sam Pratt.
A/W – Makaila Brewster (WP) (CG, 7K) and Gabbi Hall.
Championship
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Friendship/Scio 100 001 X – 2 2 0
GVB – Hannah Southwick-Powers (LP) (CG, 10K, 4BB) and Jenna Hill.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 16K, BB) and Morghyn Ross.
Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg 10, Cuba-Rushford 9
CUBA — A fast start for the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford against Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg morphed into a back-and-forth gauntlet down the stretch Saturday morning.
Both teams would use special teams to drive in a massive bulk of the runs, but when it mattered most, the visitors had the final response.
Immediately after the Lady Rebels took the lead back in the sixth, the biggest answer came a short time later in the top of the seventh when Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg pushed all their chips to the center of the table in their final stand at the plate, scoring five go-ahead runs for a second time in the battle while the defense held the fort down in the bottom half of the frame to lock up a 10-9 comeback victory.
The start could not have gone any better for the Lady Rebels (7-5), as they posted over half of their runs in the first three innings of play. Amongst the scoring was a three-run bottom half of the first to break the ice, as they added two more pieces along the way to continue the cracking.
But it was Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg’s turn to provide cracking of their own, as they rebounded with the first of two five-inning frames in the top of the fourth to tie the game at five for the foreseeable future. That was until the bottom of the sixth when time became a premium to hold possession of, as the Lady Rebels dug deep and delivered with a go-ahead four run stand of offense to claim a 9-5 lead.
But the rally back was short lived, as the visitors responded with their biggest five-run outing of the day in the top of the seventh, capitalizing on a multitude of miscues by the Cuba-Rushford defense to take the one-run lead going forward, securing it for good in the bottom half to close out the afternoon.
Just five hits were collected at the plate for the Lady Rebels, with Taylor Searle recording two of them. On the mound, Sydney Howard struck out four and walked one in her five inning start.
On the other side, the win belonged to Sidney Drouin, who fanned five and walked seven across her complete game. On offense, she along with Amylia Stewart each had two hits.
Cuba-Rushford will hit the road Tuesday night for a 5 p.m. visit to Friendship, as they take on host Friendship/Scio.
CGJT 000 500 5 – 10 6 2
Cuba-Rushford 311 004 0 – 9 5 11
CGJT – Sidney Drouin (WP) (CG, 5K, 7BB) and Ashley Allen.
C-R – Sydney Howard (4K, BB), Jordyn Radomski (LP, 5) (2K) and Aubrey Williams.
