Saturday Roundup: No. 11 Lady Wolves survive back-and-forth duel with No. 6 Andover/Whitesville, advance to D Quarters with 12-10 upset; Stout, Cater homer in GV/Belfast’s rout of Alfred-Almond

WHITESVILLE — Although the weather outdoors on a sultry Saturday afternoon saw it give off an early reminder of summer, the conditions would bestow and implant a catalyst into the bats between No. 11 Arkport/Canaseraga and No. 6 Andover/Whitesville to begin their terms in the Class D Sectional Playoffs.

What was established early on as a close-knit battle, it rapidly transformed the action into an extravagant escalation as time advanced on. Down the homestretch, it went from a defensive battle, into a simple case of who wanted it more at the plate.

A mixture of two's and four's would be the only two numbers to appear across each inning of action between the two clubs, especially in the middle innings where back-and-forth blows were dealt one after another.

After the Lady Wolves rallied back to take the lead in the fourth, they would somehow find a way to hold off Andover/Whitesville by breaking one final tie in the seventh, scoring two huge runs off of errors and some key baserunning against the host defense, as they ended their season in what was a 12-10 nail-biter in First Round action.

Right away, it was Andover/Whitesville (8-8) that started with a quick hop to their step in the first inning. After holding Arkport/Canaseraga still with an early bases-loaded threat out of the gate, Zoey Lee would kickstart the offense for the hosts in white and blue with a lead-off triple to deep left field, scoring on the very next at-bat provisioned by Kennedy Bledsoe and her fielder's choice to the left side.

Two more runners would reach for Andover/Whitesville, moving into scoring position for Makaila Brewster to bring both home on a groundball that saw an overthrow over to first in hopes of recording the inning-ending out. Instead, the lead was branched out to three, and then four after Gabby Terhune's RBI single that scored Brewster at the very end of the inning.

The action would remain frozen in the second until Arkport/Canaseraga found their way onto the board in the visiting half of the third, cutting their deficit in half with both runners that reached, finding their way home to score. The Lady Wolves offense would then boil to a head in the fourth, as they took their first lead of the game off a ginormous three-run inside-the-park home run down the left field line.

The control then shifted to the visitors in teal.

One full inning of scoreless action would pass until Andover/Whitesville was able to provide a response, taking the 8-6 lead away from the Lady Wolves with a two-run single off the bat of Ava Grice paying dividends, as well as some key baserunning along the way.

One more four was hung onto the scoreboard by the Lady Wolves to take a 10-8 lead back into their own hands, finding the plate off a flood of Andover/Whitesville miscues in the field. But despite the minor setback, the hosts remained on their toes to deliver yet another game-tying response – a two-run single by Emma Nelson with the bases jammed to knot the game at 10.

With the final inning on the horizon, the question of who wanted it more could not have come at a better time to find an answer for it.

In the seventh, the Lady Wolves would make sure they supplied the last word, as they scored the game's final two runs off more baserunning to finish off a back-and-forth battle that saw them complete an early comeback through it all.

Despite the loss, the Andover/Whitesville offense was red hot all throughout the day, collecting 10 runs off 17 total hits in what was their final game of the 2022 season in Whitesville. Composing those hits, six different hitters all recorded at least a pair to set the pace for the offense.

Leading was Aislinn Hamilton and Gabby Terhune, as they both grabbed three hits. Zoey Lee, Olivia Waters, Gabbi Hall and Ava Grice all finished with two hits each to help the cause.

On the mound, Brewster shelled out another great performance for the hosts, handing out eight strikeouts and walking four in her no-decision.

Andover/Whitesville's season is now officially over, as they wrap up with a record of 8-8 overall in their first official campaign as a combined unit.

In just a few week's time, the team will say goodbye to their two Senior leaders who will now prepare to walk across the stage at the end of June – Zoey Lee and Rachel Jackson.

Arkport/Canaseraga 002 404 2 – 12 7 2

Andover/Whitesville 400 042 0 – 10 17 6

A/C – Allyson Graves (WP) (CG, 5K, 2BB), and Valerie Miller.

A/W – Makaila Brewster (8K, 4BB), Zoey Lee (LP, 7) (K, BB), and Gabbi Hall.

No. 8 Genesee Valley/Belfast 11, No. 9 Lima Christian 1

BELFAST — At this stage of the game, it's a clean slate for every single team. Anything can happen during Sectionals.

In order to get to the end, you need to play some of your most complete game on both sides of the spectrum. For the eight-seeded Lady JagDogs of Genesee Valley, despite the overwhelmingly balmy conditions on Saturday, were able to put together one of their best games.

A 2-0 lead from the start is what started it all, as the defense hunkered down to hold No. 9 Lima Christian in check while the offense picked up where they left off, scoring their last nine runs in a row down the stretch to cement their place in Tuesday's Quarterfinal round with an 11-1 victory in Belfast over the Lady Saints.

“From Sondra (Guilford) hitting in the two spot, to Abby (Sullivan) in the five, those bats were on fire. They all hit the ball really well, and that wound up being the big difference today,” said Lady JagDogs coach Mark Sullivan. “The girls were on a mission today, and if we can play the way that we've been playing, we can go up against anyone. The heat was a killer, but they battled through it to give us this game. This was a great confidence builder going into Tuesday.”

Five different Lady JagDogs (8-11) all had a hand in engineering an epic offensive showing at the plate, as the team came together for a 13-hit collection that began with a 2-0 lead right in the first inning of play to help establish their presence.

After a pair of scoreless defensive stands between the two clubs, Genesee Valley/Belfast picked right up where they left off from their first at-bats, in the fourth and fifth innings where they would score the next nine runs straight in a row. That included a five-run frame led by one of two big doubles off the bat of Jenna Hill, driving in a pair of runs in the process to essentially branch out their lead for good.

Sondra Guilford was the leading hitter for the hosts, scoring a perfect 3-for-3 outing at the plate. Harley Proctor, Abby Sullivan and Ashley Burrows all had two hits of their own to pitch in. On defense, Burrows would provide a four-hit victory in the circle, striking out eight and walking one in her complete game effort.

The Lady JagDogs have now moved into the Class D Quarterfinal round, which will begin on Tuesday, as they prepare to visit the top-seeded Honeoye Lady Bulldogs in a 5 p.m. first pitch.

Lima Christian 000 001 0 – 1 4

Genesee Valley/Belfast 200 450 X – 11 13

LC – Abby Mincer (LP) (CG, 4K, 4BB), and Genesis Leathersich.

GVB – Ashley Burrows (WP) (CG, 8K, BB), and Harley Proctor.

No. 4 Fillmore 19, No. 13 Naples 4 (F-6)

FILLMORE — The Lady Eagles of Fillmore began their Sectional trek on Saturday by using consistency to their upmost advantage on offense. After falling behind quickly to No. 13 Naples in the opening inning, the four-seeds responded by tying the game up to complete the inning.

It would eventually lead to much bigger things.

For the next three innings, the Lady Eagles broke it wide open with an outburst that would see them take the lead away from the Lady Big Green permanently, as they coasted their way towards a spot in the Class D Quarterfinal round after the weekend with a 19-4 rout on their home turf.

“It was a needed, but successful opening round game for the girls. We started the game shaky at the plate, but we found a way to become effective with getting on base, stealing and scoring the lead runners on a consistent basis.” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley.

Naples took advantage of an error in the first inning to help set up their quick start against Fillmore (10-7), but it would be the last time they would find the scoreboard until the endgame, when the Lady Eagles provided as quick of a response with two runs of their own, one off an RBI double from Saige Friedl, to tie the game up.

Later on, the tie was broken indefinitely by Torann Wolfer and Lizzy Nugent at the top of the order, as they delivered two big RBIs in the second inning to give the Lady Eagles the lead to control all the way to the finish line.

In the third, the hits began to come together – taking shape of a six-run, five-hit frame to officially put the game on lock.

Three different hitters helped set the pace for the Lady Eagles offense right away, including Wolfer who went 3-for-5 with a trio of RBI. Friedl and Oakley Frazier each tallied two hits, with Frazier driving in a pair in the process.

On defense, Friedl garnered the win behind six strikeouts and two walks, tossing three straight shutout innings after Naples collected an early 2-0 lead back in the opening sequence.

Fillmore now moves into Quarterfinal round action beginning on Tuesday, as they get set to host No. 12 Elba, who upset No. 5 Northstar later on in the afternoon. The time for first pitch has yet to be determined.

Naples 200 011 – 4 7 6

Fillmore 226 504 – 19 12 1

NAP – Emily Lester (LP) (CG, 2K, 4BB), and Grace Hebding.

FIL – Saige Friedl (WP) (CG, 6K, 2BB), and Kada Frazier.

BASEBALL

Genesee Valley/Belfast 14, Alfred-Almond 4 (F-5)

BELMONT — It has been 24 hours of hot hitting for the JagDogs of Genesee Valley/Belfast. On Saturday, they ended their regular season by keeping their bats engulfed, as they broke open the game with a massive third inning led by three two-run hits, helping complete a 16-hit afternoon with a 14-4 victory over visiting Alfred-Almond in five innings, in Belmont.

“The bats were hot today. We were smacking it all over the place, and they're starting to come alive at the right time,” GV/Belfast co-coach Kevin Scott said. “We told the boys at the beginning of the season that it wasn't about how we started, but more about how we finish it. It's a new season now. Now we have to keep it going. They have really battled, and there were times that they could have put their heads down, but it's starting to pay off. A big part of it is these two schools coming together. You can see now that they're playing like they've been playing together for years.”

The JagDogs (10-10) wasted no time jumping the gun right from the get-go on Alfred-Almond, as they established a lead that they continued to build on over time, never looking back until the end when they claimed a strong victory to build momentum going into the Class D Tournament.

Of those stands of offense was perhaps a game-shaker – a six-run home half of the third paced by a trio of two-run hits, led by a pair of two-run homers scorched by both Carter Stout and Matt Cater. Those jacks would mix in with Matt Weaver's two-run double to finish off an incredible stand at the plate.

Stout, Cater and Weaver were three of the team's four batters that recorded at least a pair of hits at the plate to provide a surge for the offense. The other being Jesse Babbitt, who ultimately led the hitting spree with three of his own, driving in a pair.

Stout followed with his second hit stemming off a triple, while Cater and Weaver rounded off with hits of their own.

On the mound, the win belonged to Trent Scott in his final regular season start on the hill, going the first three innings by giving up just two hits across three strikeouts and three walks. Cater finished off the win in relief with three fans and two walks of his own to help combine and complete a three-hit victory for Genesee Valley/Belfast.

The regular season is now over for the JagDogs, as they finish their slate on the strongest note possible with a record of 10-10 overall, winning nine of their last 13 games after starting the season at 1-6. They now await Sectional seeding in the Class D Playoffs, which will be determined this morning.

Alfred-Almond 002 02 – 4 3 0

Genesee Valley/Belfast 226 4X – 14 16 1

A-A – Nolan Tormey (LP) (2K, 3BB), Ty Kenney (3) (K, 2BB), Ethan Sick (5), and Nathan Munson.

GVB – Trent Scott (WP) (3K, 3BB), Matt Cater (4) (3K, 2BB), and Justin Hill.

Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg 3, Cuba-Rushford 1

CANISTEO — When the end of the regular season was reached, both Cuba-Rushford and Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg gave each other a pair of fantastic, close-quarters battles with their first in Cuba seeing a narrow come-from-behind rally take shape in the seventh by Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg, en route towards the 4-3 win.

On Saturday in Canisteo, the runs came at an even more rare premium in their second and final go-around of the year.

A combined four runs off seven hits between the two squads were garnered, beginning with an early start for Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg, holding until the Rebels were able to find their way onto the board themselves to tie the game.

It now came down to who would have the timely offense down the stretch. In the end, that belonged to the hosts, as they collected two big pieces of hitting in the last two innings to jump ahead and towards the season sweep of the Rebels behind a 3-1 home win.

Some early baserunning got the hosts started off on the right foot with the early lead, as Derek Jackson found his way around the bags to score the opening run. It was a lead that Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg was able to hold up until the fourth, when Cuba-Rushford (8-12) found their way onto the board with their lone RBI – a sacrifice fly by Austin Pinney into the outfield, scoring Jarrett Campbell from third.

It would remain a 1-1 game between the two Class C clubs into the last two innings of play where the hosts in red would break the deadlock with double the amount of clutch RBIs, starting in the fifth with an RBI single off the bat of Jared Ainsworth to plate the go-ahead run.

Insurance was added during the team's final at-bats when Maddox Schwartz added an RBI himself on a fielder's choice into the infield, ultimately sealing the season-sweeping victory for good.

Cuba-Rushford tallied just five hits at the plate, with Pinney recording two of them to lead the offense. Campbell would add a hit himself along the way. On the mound, Eli Sleggs provided seven solid innings of pitching, handing out six chairs and walking two in the midst of his tossed two-hitter.

The Rebels will now wait Sectional seeding the Class C2 playoff picture, which begins this morning after they wrap up the regular season with an 8-12 record overall.

Cuba-Rushford 000 100 0 – 1 5 2

C-G/J-T 100 011 X – 3 2 1

C-R – Eli Sleggs (LP) (CG, 6K, 2BB), and Sam Grover, Caleb Root (4).

CGJT – Noah Warriner (7K, 3BB), Taige Stewart (WP, 4) (BB), and Jared Ainsworth.

Friendship/Scio 20, Hinsdale 5 (F-5)

HINSDALE — Both Friendship/Scio and Hinsdale exchanged back and forth punches through the beginning stages of their regular season-ending battle Saturday morning, with each team scoring in the first two innings right away.

After a 6-5 lead was built by Friendship/Scio, the momentum would continue to hang in their favor after a four-run second, as they went on to score at least four more runs in each of the next three innings of play to force an early end to their contest with the Bobcats, as they rolled their way towards a 20-5 road win in five innings.

The offensive efforts from Friendship/Scio (8-11) were paced by a 12-hit bonanza after both teams fought tooth-and-nail early on, a battle that saw the visitors remain in front the entire way, despite Hinsdale response towards their first four-run inning with one of their own immediately after in the home half of the second inning.

But the momentum would stop for the hosts in blue, as Friendship/Scio connected with everything they were able to garner from the third inning until the game's end, going on to score 14 unanswered runs that included a six-run top half of the fourth to remain in front permanently to finish their regular season on a solid note.

Helping lead the offense was Joey Nickerson, who had two hits and drove in three runs along the way. Landen Arnold furthered the cause with a hit of his own, and scored three runs. On the mound, Jacob Golden picked up the complete game one-hitter, collecting two strikeouts.

On the other side for the Bobcats (1-13), Sam Cashimere struck out three and walked four in his two innings pitched. His catcher, Parker Cummins garnered the team's lone hit on a base knock.

The regular season is now over for both teams, as Friendship/Scio wraps up with a record of 8-11 overall, while Hinsdale finishes at 1-13. Sectional seeding for the Class D Tournament will take place, this morning.

Friendship/Scio 244 64 – 20 12 3

Hinsdale 140 00 – 5 1 3

F/S – Jacob Golden (WP) (CG, 2K, 10BB), and Landen Arnold.

HIN – Sam Cashimere (LP) (3K, 4BB), Landen Wyant (3) (3K, 9BB), Henry Schwartz (5) (4BB), and Parker Cummins.