COMPOSURE: In tough defensive battle, No. 2 Friendship/Scio outlasts No. 1 Honeoye in extra innings, as 3-run 8th helps score 2nd consecutive Championship with 4-2 victory

[PHOTO PROVIDED]

[PHOTO BY JACK HALEY]

[PHOTO BY JACK HALEY]

[PHOTO BY JACK HALEY]

FILLMORE — The Lady Lions of Wellsville saw belief kick into gear to fuel their amazing victory over Bath-Haverling to lay claim on their second straight Class B2 title, and the Lady Wolverines mounted the comeback of the season to grab back-to-back titles themselves at Class C3 with the win.

Wellsville was poised behind belief, and for Bolivar-Richburg? — Absolute resiliency.

The County’s third and final team to try and complete the Saturday Trifecta was No. 2 Friendship/Scio, who has started their first two Sectional contests with incredible and dominating performances over Avoca/Prattsburgh, and C.G. Finney to officially work their way back into the mix for a Class D Championship.

They would go toe-to-toe with the top-seeds — the Lady Bulldogs of Honeoye, for all the marbles.

Unlike their two overwhelming performances already, Friendship/Scio would have to navigate their way towards the finish line by using an alternate route. It was a road that was rarely taken, but when the decision to go down that path was chosen, it would become a thrill ride.

Both Friendship/Scio and Honeoye would come together as a collective to tie their Class D Finals game at one on each side, a score that would also see them take the game itself the extra distance.

That’s where composure comes into play.

Friendship/Scio was the last team to score in regulation, scoring the game-tying run on special teams to force extra innings against Honeoye. Fortunately for the No. 2 seeds, just the one run is all they would need.

They have Claire Calhoun and Kendra Gleason to give their many thanks for, as they came together to record two phenomenal hits, with Gleason’s planting the existential dagger into Honeoye, driving in a pair on her double to the outfield to give Friendship/Scio the room they needed to come out on top as back-to-back Champions once again with a 4-2 win over the Lady Bulldogs.

“I’m so proud of the girls. This was another tough game. Just like in previous games, we never gave up. The girls always picked each other back up when there was an error. They all stayed tough, and they came together to win this game,” Friendship/Scio coach Deb Kane said. “They never gave up. We didn’t hit the ball like we should’ve, but we had some key hits. And then Nevaeh (Ross) kept the girls up, and showed tremendous leadership to help get this win.”

This was the first year for Friendship merged with Scio in sports to win the title. Nevaeh Ross said the history of the Scio softball program coupled with hard work from all players was the difference in the end.

“It’s the result of hard work. Everybody put in the extra hours this season,” said Ross after enjoying victory fire truck rides in Friendship and Scio. “It was very fun with the Scio players and their community, there were more supporters and it was very enjoyable. It just adds to the team.”

As for the game, the two-time MVP said, “I was telling everyone we have to bring it back, we can’t wait until the last second. It was amazing. If I could do my job for them, they could do their job for me. It was challenging at moments, I just knew I had to hold my head up, keep my composure and I would be alright.”

To complete the Allegany County Trifecta, Friendship/Scio (16-4) would have dig and claw their way through a defensively-favored battle with Honeoye across all eight innings of play. A battle where offense was going to be rare to find.

But when they were able to be found, it can prove that it can be quite devastating. For Honeoye, they grabbed the early 1-0 lead back in the bottom of the third with an RBI double from the bat of Sydney Pulver to get their engines off and running.

The lead was held all the way until the top of the sixth. After five straight shutout innings tossed by Alexis Johnson for Honeoye, Friendship/Scio was able to find an opening in the Lady Bulldogs defense on special teams, as Nevaeh Ross came around on a steal home, scoring on a passed ball to the backstop to tie the game at one each.

And it would remain as such until extra innings.

The Friendship/Scio ladies would have the final word when it was all said and done, as they went on towards a three-run top half of the eighth, with Claire Calhoun batting in Ross on an RBI single into the outfield which would see them tie the game.

Not long after the scoring gets started for Friendship/Scio, another crack of the bat would soon see an extension to their lead come with it. With two baserunners on already, both would round the bases and score off an Kendra Gleason double to the outfield, garnering enough distance to ice the game one final time, despite letting up just one run to Honeoye in the home half, to capture their second straight Championship.

The No. 2 seeds could not have done it without yet another brilliant and remarkable performance from their now two-time Champion on the hill in Nevaeh Ross, as she struck out 17 Honeoye batters and walked just one.

In the midst of those strikeouts — a season marker, as she officially reached the 300 strikeouts plateau for the year and next up she will go for 800 for her career, as she is at 724.

When asked about winning two titles and just being a sophomore, Ross said, ”It is crazy, it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Ross and Calhoun would both finish with two hits to pace the offense, while Gleason’s two-run single wrapped up a five-hit evening for Friendship/Scio at the plate.

Friendship/Scio is now off until next weekend after receiving an automatic berth into the Class D Far West Regional, which they now begin to make preparations for before hopping on the bus for another trip back to the same place where they won it all against the Lady Bulldogs — Fillmore, beginning next Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Their opponent will be either Westfield or Ellicottville of Section VI. That game will be played after the Memorial Day weekend at Allegany-Limestone, on Tuesday.

Friendship/Scio 000 001 03 – 4 5 6

Honeoye 001 000 01 – 2 4 0

F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 17K, BB), and Morghyn Ross.

HON – Alexis Johnson (LP) (CG, 6K, 3BB), and Sydney Pulver.

*Additional reporting by Jeff Fuller and John Anderson*