Friday Roundup: Tied with And/Whi late, Avo-Pra bats come alive with game’s last 7 runs, pull away towards 12-6 road win; Lady Lions fall to Bloomfield in battle of New York State softball juggernauts
ANDOVER — When the clock struck just past the lunch hour in Andover, the gray clouds began to funnel in and the precipitation that it held began to relentlessly deposit rain all over the area. So much so to the point where it raised plenty of uncertainty revolving around Andover/Whitesville’s Friday night clash with the Titans of Avoca-Prattsburgh in Andover.
Right as the bell rang out, many members of the baseball team made the mad dash outback of the school and directly to the field to provide desperate aid to a diamond that saw many spots in the infield become submerged. After spending the last several hours addressing the areas in need, the field was saved right in the nick of time for them to take the field against the Titans. The difference in appearance from the early afternoon leading up to game time several hours later, was night and day.
Now, there was business to attend to.
In a big-time, early season Class D clash, it was a contest of providing responses with a preliminary breaking of the ice in the opening at-bat sequence. Later on, it was followed up with a tremendous retort before a back-and-forth battle across the middle frames saw Andover/Whitesville emerge with a one-run lead of the Titans. But then, the offensive production ceased. Instead, it was Avoca-Prattsburgh’s turn to take on the assembly line.
The result: A transformative finish, as they brought the bats all together to cause one final lead change in the catbird’s seat against Andover/Whitesville, as they proceeded to end the game with seven unanswered runs to take what was a 6-4 deficit at one point and turn it into a 12-6 victory when the final out was recorded on the field.
“Today’s game wasn’t too shabby after not playing in three weeks. The boys will get there, and they spent three hours working on the field so we could play. I am super proud of them for that,” Andover/Whitesville co-coach Jake Bannerman said. “We battled hard and competed with a solid team that did not make any mental mistakes. Avoca-Prattsburgh strung together a couple of bloopers along with loading the bases in the sixth to break it open. We just have to find a way to put the pieces together for a full seven innings.”
Avoca-Prattsburgh was the first to find the scoreboard first, leading off with two of their first four batters reaching base. As they continued to work their way down to the middle of the order, their game-opening breakthrough then followed with Colin Zurlick’s two-run smack into right field to fire the engines on all cylinders. The Titans kept the momentum harnessed in their favor with a rapid fire 1-2-3 clean sheet against Andover/Whitesville (2-2).
After both Taylor Pragle for the Titans and Gavin Frungillo for the hosts scored back-to-back strikeouts to end a scoreless second inning, Andover/Whitesville began to cook furiously in their bottom half of the third stanza. Working their way back up to the top of the lineup with runners on the corners, the game was met with a deadlock by Brody Vance, who blasted a shot directly to right field far enough to score both runners on his stand-up double.
Vance galloped over to third base before cruising home a short time later to give Andover/Whitesville their first lead of the game off of Colton Calladine’s single into left field. The shot, along with two straight bases-loaded sequences thereafter, came with two outs on the board. The hosts went on to garner one more run off a 3-2 wild pitch to the backstop, but Avoca-Prattsburgh went on to stop the bleeding after a massive strikeout from Pragle to James Miller-Young helped close up the go-ahead frame for Andover/Whitesville.
The momentum tilted back in the favor of the Titans in the fourth, getting half of those runs back to re-tie the game once again, with one run being plated off a sacrifice fly to deep right field, and later, the last scoring on a game-tying RBI single from JJ Crowder on the first pitch he faced at the plate.
Down the stretch, the Titans went on to take complete control of Andover/Whitesville, despite a go-ahead sequence in the fifth inning by the hosts, as they finished the night with eight of the last 10 runs on the board — seven of those in consecutive fashion in the sixth and seventh innings to officially pull away.
Andover/Whitesville finished with six runs off six hits at the plate, With Calladine leading the charge with two hits. On the mound, Frungillo navigated his start into the sixth inning where he concluded with five strikeouts and five walks. Vinny Joyce added three strikeouts and three walks of his own in relief to help close out the game.
For the Titans, Pragle went deep into the night on the hill, fanning eight and walking four before being relieved in the seventh inning.
Coming up Tuesday night, a chance to rebound will come for Andover/Whitesville, as they travel to Bolivar-Richburg to meet the Wolverines in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Avoca-Prattsburgh 200 214 3 — 12 6 0
Andover/Whitesville 004 020 0 — 6 6 2
A-P – Taylor Pragle (WP) (8K, 2BB), Devin Stamets (7) (2K, 2BB) and Stamets, Bryan Heale (7).
A/W – Gavin Frungillo (LP) (5K, 5BB), Vinny Joyce (6) (3K, 3BB) and Colton Calladine.
Fillmore 17, Canisteo-Greenwood 1 (F-5)
HOUGHTON — It’s been one rollercoaster of a week for the Eagles of Fillmore.
After garnering an incredible come-from-behind victory over Cuba-Rushford back on Tuesday, the ride then made its downward descent after being stymied by Genesee Valley/Belfast just 24 hours ago. To close up shop on Friday, the Eagles skyrocketed right back to the tippy top at Houghton University, bookending their battle with two massive frames of offense that set the tone in their 17-1 five-inning win over the Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood.
The 12-hit output from the Eagles (4-2) at the plate was put on full display right from the start, putting the Chargers on pins and needles early with a 5-0 lead they ultimately never looked back on. Although the potential shutout bid was spoiled by the visitors in the top half of the second, the hosts were able to stay the course and make a tremendous house call in the bottom of the fourth inning to break the game wide open, scratching across 10 runs to force an early end to the contest.
Almost every single Eagle in the lineup accounted for at least a hit, with Connor McCumiskey and his 2-for-2 outing leading the way, as he strolled around the bases with an inside-the-park home run, totaling three RBI for the game and scoring two runs. In addition, Jack Boon scored two hits, driving in three and scoring three runs of his own, while Isaac Wilcox and Damon Potter each had a triple.
On the mound, Brayden Hennard went all five innings for Fillmore, as he held Canisteo-Greenwood to just two hits by fanning three and walking three.
For the Chargers, Dan Stilson and Kaden Mitchell each had a hit to aid the offense. On the mound, Kevin Sirianni struck out four and walked three across his three-inning start.
The Eagles will look to keep the momentum rolling into Tuesday night’s road trip, as they prepare for a massive showdown with reigning Class D State Champion Arkport-Canaseraga at 5 p.m.
Canisteo-Greenwood 010 0 0 — 1 2 1
Fillmore 502 (10)X — 17 12 0
C-G – Kevin Sirianni (LP) (4K, 3BB), David Cone (4) (BB), Dan Stilson (4) (BB) and Thomas Sirianni.
FIL – Brayden Hennard (WP) (CG, 3K, 3BB) and Isaac Wilcox.
SOFTBALL
Bloomfield 10, Wellsville 7
BLOOMFIELD — April 25 was circled more times than one on the calendar. An unbelievable clash of the titans aggrandized the Section V spotlight, Friday night. It was a battle of two softball juggernauts. A battle of two teams that went the entire distance last Spring — defending Class B State Champion Wellsville and reigning Class C State Finalist Bloomfield.
The dinner table was set for an evening of epic proportions up north in Bloomfield.
To say that both offenses were more than apparent throughout the entire battle of the gladiators, would be a massive understatement. Between both the Lady Lions and Lady Bombers, a combined 17 runs off 20 hits were collected — 10 hits for each team.
The beginning of the contest saw one contender rise to the occasion early before the deficit the other team faced, was quickly erased down the stretch to put the pressure on. But in the end, it was an explosive opening sequence from Bloomfield that held its end of the bargain, as they sent Wellsville into a massive hole early to set the tone and navigate towards what was a 10-7 victory over the Lady Lions.
“I’m really proud of the girls. We were down 8-1 early on and we just never gave up,” said Lady Lions coach Gia George. “That’s something to be really, really proud of. They put up 10 hits, we put up 10 hits, and we ended up scoring seven runs against one of, if not, the best pitcher we will see all year in (Ashlyn) Wright. There’s absolutely no shame in that. We have nothing to hang our heads about.”
The damage by the Lady Bombers was done right away against Makenna Dunbar in the circle for the Lady Lions (8-2). Following an early 1-0 lead for the visitors, the defending Class C State Finalists went straight to work, using a pair of big doubles during their lead-off tenure at the plate as a big burst of momentum for the second of their two four-run stanzas, as Bloomfield added to their lead with a massive three-run home run to help claim an 8-1 advantage.
Despite the massive deficit, Wellsville showed no signs of quitting, as they rose to the occasion in the middle frames to do damage of their own by scoring six of the next eight runs, including four straight runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the deficit down to as little as three. But it would be as close as they got to the Lady Bombers, as they posted two huge runs in the fifth to maintain their cushion in the driver’s seat to score the monumental victory.
The Lady Lions totaled seven runs off 10 hits at the dish, with Lindsay Stuck’s 3-for-4 outing lighting the way forward, as she recorded a double and drove in a pair of runs. Natalie Adams had two hits, including a double, while Dunbar, Hailey Cowburn, Ayla Faulkner, Brynn Hallock and Averee Palmatier all had a hit to add into the mix.
In the circle, Dunbar went the first two innings with four strikeouts and four walks. From the third inning onwards, Hallock finished the game for the Lady Lions, recording four more strikeouts and walking two in her relief appearance.
Wellsville will regroup and now look to rebound when they take the field all the way out in Ballston Spa for tournament action on Sunday, with their first of two games slated to begin at 11 a.m.
Wellsville 100 312 0 — 7 10 2
Bloomfield 440 020 X — 10 10 0
WLSV – Makenna Dunbar (LP) (4K, 4BB), Brynn Hallock (3) (4K, 2BB) and Lindsay Stuck.
BLO – Ashlyn Wright (WP) (CG, 4K, BB) and Calla McCombs.
GOLF
Wellsville 190, Bolivar-Richburg 283
WELLSVILLE — It was the famed singer Meat Loaf that once said: Two out of three ain’t bad. To close out the week at the Wellsville Country Club on Friday, the Lions of Wellsville solidified a strong end to their week against visiting Bolivar-Richburg, as Fletcher Kaye and Jackson Shoughrue combined forces to come away as co-medalists in the team’s 190-283 victory over the Wolverines.
At the top of the Lions (2-2) scorecard sat Kaye and Shoughrue, as the two golfers each propelled the team over the top with the match’s lowest round of 46. Behind them was Blake Kalkhof, who chipped in with a 48. Rowen Ader rounded off with a 50.
Bolivar-Richburg (0-3) was paced by a round of 61 from Owen Unfus. Addison Hackett assembled a score of 63. Jordan Boldt had a 76, while Shawn Murphy rounded off with an 83.
Both teams are back on the links Monday night in a pair of 4 p.m. contests, as Wellsville travels to Allegany Hills in Rushford to meet Fillmore, while Bolivar-Richburg heads back home to the Bolivar Golf Club to take on Cuba-Rushford.
