Wednesday Roundup: Ross sisters pace Fri/Scio, as Nevaeh fans 15, Morghyn belts 3-run homer to surge past B-R with 6-1 win; And/Whi’s Brewster twirls 3-hit shutout in 4-0 home blank of Lady Rebels
SCIO — In a marquee matchup of this caliber, there was no denying that the hits were going to come at a premium. Between Bolivar-Richburg and Friendship/Scio for the first time this campaign, that statement rang true once again on an overcast Wednesday night in Scio.
Between both three-peating Section V champions, just six hits were collected. But at times when it really mattered the most, it would, especially in the midst of a defensive battle. Friendship/Scio would claim the game’s upper hand early on, but the visiting Lady Wolverines remained ever so hot on their trail each step of the way.
Well within reach with a two-run deficit to erase, the pressure was on down the stretch. Crossing into the bottom of the fifth inning, Friendship/Scio looked to keep Bolivar-Richburg in the rearview mirror once and for all.
How about a three-run home run from Morghyn Ross?
While her older sister Nevaeh continued to assemble another gem of a performance, Morghyn rose to the occasion at the plate with her bat to deliver an absolute game-changer that allowed Friendship/Scio to stay out in front permanently, unloading a weapons-grade detonation outside the park with two runners on to give them all the room they needed to secure their fourth straight win by a 6-1 count over the Lady Wolverines.
Following a three-up and three-down sequence to open the game, all by strikeouts from Nevaeh Ross, the Friendship/Scio (5-2) offense broke the ice in their opening at-bats by using some heads-up baserunning, as the two Ross sisters both scored on wild pitches to the backstop to catapult into the driver’s seat with the edge.
After another quick inning of defense was shelled out in the second, the hosts in white added to their lead off a single swing in the batter’s box from Leanne Pierce, who unloaded a shot to deep right field that squirmed all the way to the fence. The shot saw her gallop around all three bags in the infield before being waved around home, where she scratched across an inside-the-park home run to branch their lead to a trio of runs.
The advantage would remain intact through the majority of the battle, while Nevaeh Ross and the defense went back to work holding Bolivar-Richburg (2-2) at a standstill at the plate, as the Division I-commit handed out eight chairs in her first nine batters faced to help set a massive tone. But despite it, the Lady Wolverines kept applications of pressure at a constant.
Their best opportunity to strike came in the top of the fourth inning after a perfectly-placed bunt by Jayna Thomas ended the no-hit bid put on by Ross. Thomas would end up working her way to second before making a break for third. What momentum was built, quickly diminished after a heads-up play by the Friendship/Scio defense allowed them to tag Thomas out on the second attempted steal to aid in manufacturing a 1-2-3 of their opposition.
The Lady Wolverines would ultimately navigate their way onto the scoreboard for the first and only time in the contest in the top of the fourth, as Sydney Faulkner used key baserunning to work her way around the bags after originally reaching with a big double, scoring later on with two outs before Ross ended the inning with her 12th strikeout.
The deficit was now trimmed to a pair of runs, with Friendship/Scio looking to stave off the late burst of pressure any way they could. In the fifth inning’s transition to the bottom half, Morghyn Ross broke through for the hosts, as she blasted a shot over the fence and out of reach for a mammoth three-run home run to essentially give them all the room needed to pull away towards victory in the last two frames of play.
Alongside hits by the Ross sisters and the inside-the-park home run by Pierce, Nora Thompson had the team’s final hit on a single. In the circle, Nevaeh Ross collected the victory in two-hit fashion, striking out 15 Bolivar-Richburg batters.
For the Lady Wolverines, Rylee Whiting was superb across all seven innings of play, fanning nine and walking two in her four-hit twirl. At the plate, Thomas and Faulkner scored the team’s lone hits. Bolivar-Richburg is back home tonight for a 5 p.m. visit from the Hornell Lady Red Raiders.
Friendship/Scio will hit the road on Friday to begin a back-to-back set, as they pay a visit to the Fillmore Lady Eagles in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Bolivar-Richburg 000 010 0 – 1 2 1
Friendship/Scio 210 030 X – 6 4 2
B-R – Rylee Whiting (LP) (CG, 9K, 2BB) and Sydney Faulkner.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 15K) and Morghyn Ross.
Andover/Whitesville 4, Cuba-Rushford 0
ANDOVER — Across several issues of zilch to reach the scoreboard between Cuba-Rushford and Andover/Whitesville on Wednesday, the pitching staffs were dealing left and right from the very beginning, until the game’s very end.
With Sydney Howard and Makaila Brewster firing haymakers across the first four innings for their respective teams in the circle, a breakthrough on offense would surface for one team in the thick of it all. That shattering of the ice would come directly in the bottom of the second frame, when the temperature continued to steadily rise.
Andover/Whitesville’s sticks caught fire.
To break an early scoreless deadlock, four colossal runs off three hits were gathered at the plate to allow the hosts in black to generate an advantage that they ultimately hung onto. From that point forward, the remainder of the game rested solely on the shoulders of Makaila Brewster and the defense, as the Andover/Whitesville ace rose to the occasion in outstanding fashion, holding the Lady Rebels to just three hits to complete the shutout for their first win of the season in Andover — a 4-0 count.
“Makaila and Sydney were both dealing tonight,” Andover/Whitesville coach Al Barber said. “It is so much fun to watch when both pitchers are on. Jordyn (Radomski) came on in the fifth inning and worked two solid innings for them with no let up. Hats off to Makaila, she really threw a gem tonight and her defense was behind her the whole game making some great plays.”
Following each team’s exchanging of a scoreless first inning of play, followed by a quick inning of defense shelled out by the hosts, the Andover/Whitesville (1-2) bats emerged, unloading some game-changing firepower that consisted of four big runs off the collection of three hits at the plate. That would begin with back-to-back RBIs at the top of the order from Ava Grice and Lilly Ordway, with Grice breaking the ice with the game’s first marker on a single into left.
On the next at-bat, Ordway followed with a big shot of her own, poking a double out to right center field to extend Andover/Whitesville’s advantage to a pair. Soon after, even more damage was provided off the bat of Reece Winters, who came through with the team’s biggest hit of the stand — a two-run single straight up the middle into center field to finish off the inning with a 4-0 lead.
From the third inning onwards, it settled back into an all-out pitcher’s duel between each staff in the circle, all while the hosts kept playing with the lead in their favor. The Lady Rebels (1-2) did everything they could to bump runners into scoring position and apply pressure against Andover/Whitesville, but the senior ace held her ground and limited the opposing offense to just three hits in her twirled shutout.
Brewster finished the night with the win, fanning six Cuba-Rushford batters and walking just one. At the plate, Ava Grice, Lilly Ordway, Reece Winters and Leigha Phelps all had two hits to contribute in the midst of an 11-hit outburst.
For Cuba-Rushford, Sydney Howard went the first four innings in the circle, handing out five chairs and walking just two. In relief, Jordyn Radomski shelled out five more chairs herself to keep Andover/Whitesville off the board. Providing a helping hand on offense was Mireya Rutkowski, who had two of the team’s three hits. Aubrey Williams chipped in with the final knock. The Lady Rebels will look to bounce back on the road in Portville tonight at 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville is back on the road Friday night to begin a back-to-back set, beginning with a visit to the Jungle in Belmont to take on Genesee Valley/Belfast at 5 p.m.
Cuba-Rushford 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
Andover/Whitesville 040 000 X – 4 11 2
C-R – Sydney Howard (LP) (5K, 2BB), Jordyn Radomski (5) (5K) and Arlah Shaffer.
A/W – Makaila Brewster (WP) (CG, 6K, BB) and Reece Winters.
BASEBALL
Cuba-Rushford 11, Andover/Whitesville 1 (F-6)
ANDOVER — Eli Sleggs was simply outstanding on the hill for the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford on Wednesday. With the rain holding off in time for action in Andover, the junior hurler assembled a powerful one-hit performance on the hill, going the entire six-inning distance with 12 strikeouts to set the pace for what was an 11-1 win over host Andover/Whitesville.
The Rebels (3-1) posted at least a run across all six innings of play, beginning with a three-run stand propelled by three consecutive hits by the top of the order — Braxton Clark, Braeden Wight and Finn Ricketts, to get the party started. From that point on, they would maintain all momentum, as they collected 11 runs off 13 total hits at the plate.
“We did a nice job tonight of attacking pitches in the strike-zone,” said Rebels coach Pat Wight. “Eli was great on the mound and had good command, not allowing a walk or earned run over six innings. Braeden led us at the plate a home run shy of the cycle to really get us going. Andover/Whitesville has a very young team and they’re well coached. They battled and never quit, and they have a very bright future ahead.”
Four different Rebels all generated at least a pair of hits to electrify the bats at the plate, with Braeden Wight and his 3-for-5 outing captaining the efforts off his recording of a triple, double, two RBI and two runs scored. Braxton Clark, Finn Ricketts and Landen Schappacher each had two hits, while Lucas Haskins recorded his first career Varsity hit, driving in two runs in the same swing.
For Andover/Whitesville (0-3), James Miller-Young collected the team’s lone hit. On the mound, Colton Calladine fanned one and walked two across his five-inning start.
Both teams hop back onto the field Friday night in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches over the road, with Cuba-Rushford heading out to visit Hinsdale, while Andover/Whitesville traveling to the Jungle in Belmont to face off with Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Cuba-Rushford 321 122 – 11 13 2
Andover/Whitesville 000 100 – 1 1 2
C-R – Eli Sleggs (WP) (CG, 12K) and Dean Frank, Adam Shaffer.
A/W – Colton Calladine (LP) (K, BB), James Miller-Young (6) (2BB) and Jake Mattison.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 14, Hinsdale 4 (F-6)
HINSDALE — After enduring two close losses to the hands of Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore in consecutive fashion, the rebound was on for Genesee Valley/Belfast on Wednesday.
In their trip to Hinsdale, they would have to fight right alongside the host Bobcats through the first two innings. After making a call to Ben Cater on the mound, the visitors punched down on the gas and took it to a completely different level by scoring the next 10 runs in unanswered fashion. Led by three home runs combined between Matt Cater and Ryan Daciw, Genesee Valley/Belfast would supply the 14-4 bounce back win after six innings.
“Hinsdale stuck around and they hit the ball well. It was tied after the first two innings, but we had to mix it up with some breaking balls. That’s where Ben came in with his performance in relief. He pounded the zone well,” said GV/Belfast coach Dennis Miles. “Behind him, we broke it open in the third with those four runs. It was a much-needed win after two tough games we lost in the seventh inning. It was even more of a win to help get us back into a positive mindset.”
In the midst of a 3-3 deadlock between both squads, the game would begin with an epic back-to-back sequence for Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-2), as Matt Cater and Ryan Daciw both went yard to ignite a 3-0 lead against the Bobcats, with Cater blasting a two-run shot before Daciw followed up with a solo shot of his own — the first of two, and third in a 24-hour span, he would record.
With the Bobcats hot on their trail, Genesee Valley/Belfast had to act rapidly. With Ben Cater continuing to attack all fronts on the hill, the bats fed off the momentum beginning in the top of the third, scoring four go-ahead runs to claim the lead all to themselves. When the final pitch was thrown, the visitors finished the game with 10 straight runs to force the 10-run rule into effect.
Genesee Valley/Belfast collected 14 runs off 12 total hits at the plate, with Cater and Daciw combining to drive home five runs. As for Ben Cater and his tenure, he went all six innings after receiving the call for a relief appearance in the middle of the first, striking out 10 Hinsdale batters and walking just one to pick up the win.
As for the Bobcats (0-3), Julian Hand scored two of the team’s four hits, driving in a run in the process. Across three innings of work, Robert Childs struck out two and walked two in his start on the mound.
Each team will mark their return to action Friday night in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches, with Genesee Valley/Belfast reentering the Jungle in Belmont to welcome in Andover/Whitesville, while Hinsdale stays put at home to host Cuba-Rushford.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 304 052 – 14 12 2
Hinsdale 210 001 – 4 5 2
GVB – Derek Calanni, Ben Cater (WP, 1) (10K, BB) and Owen Heaney.
HIN – Robert Childs (LP) (2K, 2BB), Tyler Richards (4) (K, 4BB) and Peyton Keller.
Bolivar-Richburg 22, Friendship/Scio 3 (F-5)
SCIO — Hard on the heels of Charlie Militello and Landon Arnold on the mound on Wednesday for the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg, the two hurlers combined to hand out 11 strikeouts against host Friendship/Scio while the offense came together for an 18-hit explosion to record their sixth straight win by a 22-3 count after five complete innings in Scio.
The Wolverines (6-0) went straight to work laying the foundation down at the plate, posting 10 runs during their first tenure to set the tone for good. After three scoreless innings, Friendship/Scio was able to navigate their way onto the board behind a two-run hit off the bat of Aiden Golden in the bottom of the fourth to end Bolivar-Richburg’s shutout bid.
Golden’s hit was one of two Friendship/Scio (0-3) garnered in the contest.
Militello picked up the win for the Wolverines on the rubber, fanning seven and walking one. On offense, Trey Buchholz paced the bats with four hits. Reiss Gaines chipped in with three.
Both teams are back on the diamond on Friday, as Bolivar-Richburg returns home for a 6 p.m. start against Port Allegany, while Friendship/Scio travels to Fillmore in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Bolivar-Richburg (10) 27 21 – 22 18 2
Friendship/Scio 0 00 30 – 3 2 3
B-R – Charlie Militello (WP) (7K, BB), Landon Arnold (4) (4K, 2BB) and Aydin Sisson.
F/S – Deacon Brown (LP) (7BB), Charlie Taylor (2) (5BB), Aiden Golden (4) (K, 5BB) and Cooper Greenman.
GOLF
Wellsville 200, Bolivar-Richburg 234
WELLSVILLE — Following a close victory against the likes of their archrival Hornell at Twin Hickory earlier this week, the Lions of Wellsville returned home on Wednesday to put some newly-founded momentum to good use at the Wellsville Country Club.
With the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg in town for a date on the links, senior Ethan Bailey ensured his hot start to his campaign remained on fire, as he combated the less-than-ideal conditions that surrounded the area for much of the day with his best round this year, firing the medalist round of 41 to aid Wellsville’s 200-234 win to spring above the .500 threshold.
Following behind Bailey on the Wellsville (3-2) scorecard was Jackson Shoughrue, who tallied a round of 48. Fletcher Kaye chipped in with his round of 51, while Noah Brogan rounded off with a 60.
Bolivar-Richburg (0-2) was paced by Cayden Gaines and his team-low round of 52. James Margeson was not far behind him on the card, providing a round of 54. David Abdo had a 61, while Zach Mitchell rounded off with a 67.
Both teams now break away from action until Tuesday in a pair of 4 p.m. tee times, as the Lions hit the road for Allegheny Hills in Rushford to meet Fillmore, while the Wolverines head back home to host Genesee Valley/Belfast at the Bolivar Golf Club.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 195, Hinsdale 254
FRANKLINVILLE — At the Ischua Valley Country Club in Franklinville, the day would belong to Genesee Valley/Belfast. Led by a medalist round fired by Grant Preston at the top of the leaderboard, the visitors made the most of the opportunity on the links Wednesday night, despite some tough conditions, to deliver a 195-254 win over host Hinsdale.
Preston led all golfers on the links from start to finish for Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0), as he posted the match’s lowest round of 43 to help set up the team’s victory over the road. Right behind him was Chris Weaver, who posted a round of 46. Will Guilford chipped in with his round of 51, while Jackson Stout rounded off the scorecard with a 55.
Hinsdale (0-2) was paced by the team-low round of 45 garnered by Caden Miller. Brett Bergstrom and Lily Howell each tallied a round of 69, while Alex Dove had a 71. The Bobcats are now off until Tuesday, hosting Cuba-Rushford right back at Ischua Valley in a 4 p.m. start.
Friendship/Scio’s Olivia Marks was also in action on the links, recording a round of 70.
A quick turnaround will be had for Genesee Valley/Belfast tonight, as they travel to the Hornell Golf Club to meet host Arkport-Canaseraga in a 4 p.m. contest.
