Thursday Roundup: Ward’s big night, Zubikowski’s dominant outing sparks Fillmore in powerful 5-inning avenging win at B-R, C-R baseball and softball both walk-off vs. GV/Belfast
BOLIVAR — There is no better time for a team to pick up a full head of steam than right at this very moment. One week before the regular season concludes. As of late, the Fillmore Eagles have been on an absolute roll.
With wins in six straight games, there have been many highlights across their gauntlet of battles. Among them, an extra inning fight down to the wire against Cuba-Rushford, as well as massive victories over Arkport/Canaseraga and Avoca/Prattsburgh in thrilling fashion. Their next hurdle? — A grudge match with Bolivar-Richburg with major Allegany County League title implications on the line.
Heading into Thursday night’s clash of local titans, the Eagles were cruising in at full speed, looking to avenge a 6-3 loss from earlier this season. With a game of immense magnitude hanging in the balance, Fillmore would not let up on the gas one bit.
The bats caught fire right from the start, as they took an early advantage over Bolivar-Richburg that they would never lose, while Brent Zubikowski tossed one of his most dominant outings of the season on the mound, as the Eagles soared past the Wolverines with an 11-1 win after five innings to record their seventh straight victory.
“They came ready to play. Their hitting was outstanding, and they hit everything that our pitchers threw at them. Brent threw a great game for them. He gave up a couple of hits early on in the first inning, but then he settled right in afterwards and hit all of his spots. Credit to Fillmore, they played an excellent game today.” said Wolverines coach Dustin Allen.
Fillmore (11-1) wasted no time striking while the iron was at its hottest, as they began their flurry of hits right in their opening at-bats against Trey Buchholz, connecting with a three-run lead with a Mitch Ward two-run double down the left field line to plate the team’s first two lead-off batters — Nolan Krzeminski and Zach Sisson. Luke Colombo added to the damage with an RBI double on a rocket into left field to score Ward on the inning’s final RBI.
Bolivar-Richburg (12-4) would respond by cutting the deficit down to a pair on a two-out strike from Caden Allen into right field, plating Reiss Gaines, who reached on a double. But that would be all the offense that the Wolverines could muster, as they were held to just one more hit against the Eagles defense for the remainder of the game.
Control was now assumed by the visitors in green and white, as they went on to score the next eight runs in a row, adding to their advantage in the top of the third with Brent Zubikowski and Aiden Wagner going back-to-back with RBIs, with Zubikowski scoring a run on his deep ground-rule double to the deepest part of the field.
To ensure their lead would stay intact permanently, Mitch Ward would add to his outstanding afternoon at the plate with a hit of all hits — a three-run inside-the-park home run to deep right center field in the top of the fourth, allowing Fillmore to speed away and out of reach of Bolivar-Richburg to cement another one of the team’s biggest victories of the season.
Zubikowski would collect the win for the Eagles on the mound, fanning five and walking three in his complete game three-hit performance. At the plate, Ward finished with two hits and five total RBI. Nolan Krzeminski, Zach Sisson and Luke Colombo all had two hits each to chip in.
For Bolivar-Richburg, Landon Barkley added in a hit of his own to pair alongside first inning hits by Gaines and Allen. On the mound, Buchholz struck out four and walked one during his start that stretched into the third inning. The Wolverines will look to rebound in a quick turnaround this evening on the road, visiting Canisteo-Greenwood in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
The Eagles will now go for their eighth straight win on the road themselves this weekend, as they prepare to visit the Arkport/Canaseraga Wolves for their second and final clash of the regular season beginning at 2 p.m.
Fillmore 302 33 – 11 12 0
Bolivar-Richburg 100 00 – 1 3 1
FIL – Brent Zubikowski (WP) (CG, 5K, 3BB) and Nolan Krzeminski.
B-R – Trey Buchholz (LP) (4K, BB), Caden Allen (3) (K, 2BB), Reiss Gaines (5) (BB) and Aydin Sisson.
Cuba-Rushford 7, Genesee Valley/Belfast 6
CUBA — Genesee Valley/Belfast gave host Cuba-Rushford a fight for their lives in a back and forth race to the finish on Thursday. After tying the game in the final stages, the only way that the Rebels were able to come away victorious was on a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh.
With the bats flaring up to start the frame, the hosts in gray and blue would go on to do just that.
Four straight singles led off what would be the final frame of play, and within the strand of hits came the game-winning knock off the bat of Sam Grover, who bolted his walk-off shot into the outfield to score the winning run from third to hold off Genesee Valley/Belfast’s late push, as the Rebels were able to survive a tough challenge with a 7-6 victory.
“We bumped out early and struggled defensively,” said Rebels coach Pat Wight. “Eli had good command and should have been out of some innings with no damage. Credit to GV/Belfast because they battled and made things happen. We came up in the seventh and went four straight singles to walk it off with Sam’s hit. I was really happy to come away with a win.”
Through a good portion of the battle, the Rebels (9-6) were able to come away with a 6-1 lead of Genesee Valley/Belfast through the first four innings of play, with a three-run bottom of the third ignited by an RBI triple from Jacob Smith leading the way to propel the hosts into the driver’s seat.
The lead would hold together until Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-7) came together to provide one epic response of their own — scratching across five of the game’s last six runs, including a three-spot of their own in the top of the sixth, led by a series of defensive miscues by the Rebels to cut the deficit down to a single run before officially tying the contest in the top of the seventh.
But the 6-6 tie would not last much longer, as Cuba-Rushford connected on the first four at-bats of the inning to load the bases, setting the stage for Grover and his walk-off hit into the outfield to bring in Finn Ricketts for the game-sealing victory. In all, the Rebels scored seven runs on 14 total hits at the plate, with Grover leading the way with his three total RBI on two hits. Smith and Ricketts each had two hits to add into the fray.
On the mound, the win belonged to Eli Sleggs, who went all seven innings with six strikeouts and two walks.
As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, Carter Stout provided a similar outing himself through a complete game of his own, fanning eight Rebels batters. Owen Heaney would lead the bats with two of the team’s seven total, while Ryan Daciw drove in a pair and scored two himself. The team will head back home Saturday morning to host Alfred-Almond in a 10 a.m. first pitch.
The Rebels are back in action tonight with a 5 p.m. visit to Friendship/Scio, in Friendship.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 010 013 1 – 6 7 0
Cuba-Rushford 103 200 1 – 7 14 5
GVB – Carter Stout (LP) (CG, 8K) and Evan Turybury.
C-R – Eli Sleggs (WP) (CG, 6K, 2BB) and Dean Frank.
Hinsdale 10, Andover/Whitesville 8 (F-8)
ANDOVER — Hinsdale and Andover/Whitesville went the extra mile on Thursday to help ring in Senior Night for the hosts in blue and purple, as a wild seventh inning helped elongate the battle for at least another inning to decide it all.
In it, the Bobcats were able to grab the two lone runs they needed to break an 8-8 tie with Andover/Whitesville, led by a huge RBI single from the bat of Damion Brown, as they squeezed their way towards victory to reach .500 on the season in a 10-8 decision after eight innings of play.
Before the Bobcats (7-7) had to fight alongside Andover/Whitesville to record the final lead change, their first came after a pair of scoreless innings between the two foes entering the top of the third, where a 5-0 lead was garnered by the visitors in blue with the assistance of Xander Pascucci and his enormous three-run blast. Robert Childs and Cody Hand also recorded back-to-back RBI singles in the frame to branch out the lead even farther.
Andover/Whitesville (4-8) would chip away at the deficit with the next four runs, three coming as the team’s immediate response for the third inning, using back-to-back RBI singles themselves off the bats of Jacob Wagner and Landon Cook.
The deficit would come down to one later on in the bottom of the sixth behind Austin VanCuren and his RBI double. But Hinsdale was able to create some more breathing room, as they posted a three-run top of the seventh inning to regain traction on an 8-4 lead. Andover/Whitesville had one more card to play however — a four-run bottom half to force their way into extra frames.
Just two runs would find their way across the plate across the inning’s entirety, led by Brown’s RBI single which helped propel the Bobcats into the lead for good, securing their sixth win in the last eight games.
Hinsdale was led by Pascucci on both sides of the spectrum, fanning 10 and walking three in his start that went the entire seven innings of regulation, while scoring two hits to help the offense’s cause. Damion Brown had three hits to lead the attack, while Robert Childs and Jake Elliott each concluded with two of their own.
On the other side, Andover/Whitesville was led by CJ Estep, who went the first three innings after fanning four Hinsdale batters. At the plate, Colton Calladine paved the lane with three of the team’s eight total hits.
Both teams are back in action Monday night, as Hinsdale heads back home for a 5 p.m. welcome from Bolivar-Richburg, while Andover/Whitesville gets set to retake their home field in Andover with a 6 p.m. first pitch against Fillmore.
Hinsdale 005 000 32 – 10 11 3
Andover/Whitesville 003 001 40 – 8 8 6
HIN – Xander Pascucci (10K, 3BB), Landon Wyant (WP, 8) (BB) and Peyton Keller.
A/W – CJ Estep (4K), Brody Vance (4) (2K, 2BB), Jacob Wagner (LP, 8) (2BB) and Colton Calladine.
SOFTBALL
Cuba-Rushford 4, Genesee Valley/Belfast 3
CUBA — While the baseball team across the way was working their way back to provide a walk-off victory over Genesee Valley/Belfast, over on the softball field, a similar situation unfolded on Thursday between the ladies squads.
In a tight defensive battle that began to heat up over time, it would all come down to the final at-bats of the game. With a 3-3 deadlock on the board waiting to be broken with force, it took one clutch swing of the bat to shift the momentum permanently. For the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, Riley Keller played hero.
Out of her three total RBI in the game, Keller’s last was the one that ultimately handed Cuba-Rushford an enormous victory over visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast, as she took a big seventh inning blast into the outfield where the play could not be made to halt the game-winning score from coming across. As a result, the Lady Rebels were able to walk it off by having the last say in an eventual 4-3 win over Genesee Valley/Belfast.
“It was a great win. We battled the full seventh inning and we were able to come out on top. I’m really proud of the way we hung in there the whole game, and battled for this win on Senior Night for our seniors Taylor (Searle), Laney (Murphy) and Destiny (Darrin).” said Lady Rebels coach Mary Keesler.
Both teams would provide even exchanges across the board, beginning in the first three innings when Genesee Valley/Belfast became the first to get on the board first right away in the opening frame, breaking the ice on a 1-0 lead on the Lady Rebels. Four straight goose eggs were hung onto the board up until the first response of the game from the Lady Rebels (8-6) in the bottom of the third, as they matched the early run with one of their own to tie the game.
It would remain as a deadlock after each team posted two runs in the fifth to bring the tie to a 3-3 count going into the homestretch. Down it, Cuba-Rushford was able to garner a big burst of momentum going into the seventh inning, as they saw Keller unleash a shot into the outfield that the Genesee Valley/Belfast (8-7) defense couldn’t secure in the process, as the Lady Rebels were able to squeeze their way through triumphantly.
The win was awarded to Sydney Howard in relief for Cuba-Rushford, as she fanned two and walked one. At the plate, Keller, along with Taylor Searle, each posted a pair of hits out of the team’s seven in total, with Keller totaling three RBI and a run scored, while Searle posted a double.
For the visitors in black and gray, Southwick-Powers put together another outstanding outing from within the circle, striking out 10 and walking two in her complete game. She, along with Anna Drozdowski, both led the offense with two hits each out of their six total. Genesee Valley/Belfast will play host to Alfred-Almond in a big clash Monday night in Belfast under the lights, beginning at 7 p.m.
Cuba-Rushford will return to their home field Saturday afternoon, hosting a 2 p.m. contest against Campbell-Savona.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 100 020 0 – 3 6 3
Cuba-Rushford 001 020 1 – 4 7 4
GVB – Hannah Southwick-Powers (LP) (CG, 10K, 2BB) and Jenna Hill.
C-R – Jordyn Radomski (7K), Sydney Howard (WP, 7) (2K, BB) and Riley Keller.
Bolivar-Richburg 17, Fillmore 1 (F-5)
RICHBURG — Emotions ran high for one of the final regular season nights at Stan Harris Field for six seniors that have been centerpieces behind the Lady Wolverines and their amazing run of success in recent seasons. After being downed for the first time this season by Friendship/Scio just 24 hours ago, Bolivar-Richburg looked to make that a distant memory.
The next task at hand was quite simple — send their senior leaders out in style. On Thursday against the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, the Lady Wolverines did not hesitate.
After shelling out the first scoreless inning to their opposition, the Lady Wolverines struck all chords the first four innings of action, setting a tone that could not be matched by Fillmore right away with a seven-run opening frame, never looking back along the way to deliver a rebounding 17-1 win in five innings to give their senior core the send-off they deserved.
“I want to thank the seniors Allison (Zilker), Haley (Mascho), Maddy (Carney), Malayna (Ayers), and McKinlee and Madigan (Harris) for the time and effort they put into the softball program,” said Lady Wolverines coach Brooke Lovell. “All six of them have worked hard to improve their game, and that has shown through all of their successes. This group of athletes will always hold a special place in my heart. Next year will not be the same without them.”
The Lady Wolverines (13-1) took advantage of some key baserunning early on in the bottom of the first, utilizing a plethora of walks to score an early 7-0 lead against the Lady Eagles that would ultimately continue to grow over time. The bats would soon come alive in the second with three RBI doubles igniting the flame, two of them on a double posted by McKinlee Harris to help grow the team’s lead to a dozen.
After Fillmore (5-10) was able to cut down the deficit with their first and only run, the Lady Wolverines assumed total control once more to finish out the night, scoring the last five runs in a row, headlined by a solo homer by Rylee Whiting inside the team’s three-run bottom of the third.
In all, Bolivar-Richburg scored 17 runs off 13 total hits, with Sommer Beckwith leading all bats with a 3-for-4 outing, driving in a pair of runs while scoring three herself. Following behind were Whiting, Harris, Malayna Ayers and Jayna Thomas, who all scored two hits. In the circle, Mascho picked up the win in her two-inning start, handing out one chair to Fillmore.
As for the Lady Eagles, Mylee Miller, Mattie McCumiskey, Kylee Ellsworth and Grace Russell all had hits to record at the plate. Fillmore will look to rebound back on the road Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. visit to Arkport/Canaseraga.
Bolivar-Richburg will continue a busy end of the week tonight back over the road, as they prepare to visit Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg for a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Fillmore 001 00 – 1 4 4
Bolivar-Richburg 753 2X – 17 13 0
FIL – Mercedes Wolcott (LP) (7BB), Mylee Miller (2) (BB) and Oakley Frazier.
B-R – Haley Mascho (WP) (K), McKinlee Harris (3) (2K, BB), Madigan Harris (5) (BB) and Malayna Ayers.
GOLF
Wellsville 225, Cuba-Rushford 240
RUSHFORD — Behind the guidance of Ethan Bailey, the Lions of Wellsville were able to squeeze through the grasp of host Cuba-Rushford on Thursday, using his medalist round to set up shop for a 225-240 victory over the road at Allegheny Hills in Rushford.
Bailey paved the way towards victory for the Lions (6-9) again with another strong medalist round, as he fired the match’s top round of 41. Fletcher Kaye recorded a 56. Maddy Parks chipped in with a 59, while Blake Kalkhof rounded off with his round of 69.
Cuba-Rushford (3-4-1) was paced by a team-low round of 54 shot by Sebastian Saulter. Kaden Bell followed behind with his round of 57. Haven Kellogg recorded a 60, while Cliff Karn had a 69.
Both teams are back on the links today in a pair of 4 p.m. tee times, as Wellsville continues their road swing to the Bolivar Golf Club to visit the host Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg, while the Rebels stay at Allegheny Hills to host Hinsdale.
Fillmore 214, Genesee Valley/Belfast 216, Arkport/Canaseraga 219
WELLSVILLE — It was as close of a tri-match as advertised between Fillmore, Arkport/Canaseraga and host Genesee Valley/Belfast at the Wellsville Country Club on Thursday to help close out the week. With all three teams being separated from one another by a combined five points at the end of the day, the victory would belong to the Fillmore Eagles and their team score of 214 to record the match win.
The Eagles (9-0) were paced by Anderson Wiltsey at the top of their scorecard, as he fired the team’s lowest round of 50. Following was Layton Sanasith, who chipped in with his round of 53. Jack Cool had a 55 to add, while Reid Cockle rounded off with a 56.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-4-1) placed second overall behind a well-balanced card with Justin Hill leading the pack with his team-low round of 52. Chris Weaver added in a 54, while Will Guilford and Dakota Hemphill both scored rounds of 55.
The medalist round of the day belonged to Arkport/Canaseraga’s Sebastian Carroll, who recorded the match-low round of 39 to pace the team’s third place finish with a score of 219. Sawyer Montague helped the cause with his round of 58, while Emory Watkins and Landon Swain rounded off the card with rounds of 59, and 63 respectively.
Fillmore will look to finish the regular season perfect at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, as they host Hinsdale back home at Allegheny Hills in Rushford. As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, they welcome in the Bobcats first after the weekend in a 4 p.m. match on Monday at the Wellsville Country Club.
Bolivar-Richburg 228, Hinsdale 296
BOLIVAR — Although Caden Miller was the leading golfer at the Bolivar Golf Club on Thursday, the host Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg saw an even balance across the scorecard with Parker Worth helping propel the team towards triumph with his leading round, as they coasted to a 228-296 win.
Worth led all Bolivar-Richburg (2-4) golfers with his team-low round of 50. Ben Waltenburgh chipped in with a round of 54. Andrew Cox provided a 58, while Ryder Easton rounded off the Wolverines card with his round of 66.
Miller was the match’s leader for the Bobcats (0-8), as he posted the lowest round of 47. Brett Bergstrom had a 79, while Brian Bergstrom scored an 80.
Both teams will hit the links once again today in a pair of 4 p.m. matches, with Bolivar-Richburg playing host to Wellsville, while Hinsdale hits the road to Allegheny Hills to visit Cuba-Rushford.
BOYS TENNIS
Fillmore 4, Alfred-Almond 1
ALMOND — The undefeated Eagles of Fillmore accepted a strong challenge presented by host Alfred-Almond on Thursday, as they went toe-to-toe in a back-and-forth battle from start to finish. Through it all and led by a hard-fought win from Eben Schilke at first singles, Fillmore was able to stay undefeated with their 14th straight victory, as they squeezed their way towards a 4-1 road triumph.
“Alfred-Almond is a tough challenge every year,” said Fillmore coach Randy Crouch. “I thought Isaiah really set the tone with his win at second, and both doubles teams played really well. I’m really proud of how Eben battled tonight. He wasn’t on the top of his game, and was down 5-3 in the third set. But he got focused, and did what he needed to do to get it to the breaker, and got a good win.”
Schilke would build a big burst of momentum going into this weekend’s Class B4 Individual Sectional tournament, as the defending singles champion overcame a second set defeat and rallied his way back in epic fashion after trailing Alfred-Almond’s Cameron Heinig to force a decisive tiebreaker, ultimately garnering the big points needed to complete the close three-set victory at first singles by a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (5) count.
Isaiah Sisson rounded off the singles wins with a tough bout of his own at second singles, surviving a close battle with Maddox Dixon in what was a 6-2, 6-4 win.
To cement their match victory, Fillmore (14-0) saw the first doubles team of Joe Derck and Jack Boon, as well as the second doubles duo of Henry Decker and Ezra Knapp lay claim to their own close victories, with the former rolling towards a strong start and working their way through a close finish by a 6-1, 6-3 count, while Decker and Knapp fought tooth and nail to record the 6-4, 6-3 win.
The Eagles of Fillmore will now get set for a trip to Pittsford Mendon on Saturday to partake in the Class B4 Individual Tournament. They will resume regular season play after the weekend in a 5 p.m. first serve on Tuesday back home to Houghton University against Bolivar-Richburg.
Singles
1. Eben Schilke (FIL) def. Cameron Heinig (A-A), 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (5).
2. Isaiah Sisson (FIL) def. Maddox Dixon (A-A), 6-2, 6-4.
3. Patrick Power (A-A) def. Marcus Wolfer (FIL), 6-2, 7-5.
Doubles
1. Joe Derck/Jack Boon (FIL) def. Lucas Koegel/Liam Karstens (A-A), 6-1, 6-3.
2. Henry Decker/Ezra Knapp (FIL) def. Julian Petrillo/Lucien Fioretto (A-A), 6-4, 6-3.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 3, Cuba-Rushford 0
CUBA — Genesee Valley/Belfast used a pair of singles wins along with an additional forfeit win to power up their victory, as they picked up a 3-0 shutout over host Cuba-Rushford on Thursday.
The two wins in competition for Genesee Valley/Belfast were captured by both Dominic Marra and James Frawley at first and second singles, as the pair recorded 8-0 shutouts.
“Cuba-Rushford were great hosts. Dominic and James played a great doubleheader and had some intense points with their opponents. It was a beautiful day to play tennis.” said GV/Belfast coach Lauren Boshart.
Genesee Valley/Belfast also held their annual Senior Night celebration back on Wednesday, as the team recognized seniors Marra, Frawley, Luke Snyder, Trevor Clark and Gavin Kenyon. Boshart added on the team’s contributions during her first season as coach, noting that their efforts through the course of this season never went unnoticed.
“They all played with great attitudes. I am very proud of this senior class, especially after all they had to go through in their high school careers,” she said. “The pandemic stifled the amount of time they got to play the sport, but they picked up very quickly and that is something that should be honored and recognized.”
A complete box score was not made available to report upon publication.
After the team participates in the Class B4 Individual Sectional Tournament at Pittsford Mendon this weekend, Genesee Valley/Belfast will resume play on Monday, hosting Andover/Whitesville at 5 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg at Wellsville - No report.
TRACK (Results will be posted separately tonight)
