Saturday Sectionals: Late 6th inning torrent by B1 titleist Haverling dooms defending State Champ Lady Lions, complete comeback with 4-2 win; GV/Belfast baseball blanked by No. 1 Kendall in C2 Finals

[PHOTOS BY CHAR STONE]

HONEOYE FALLS — After taking down one of Class B’s Players of the Year in Avon’s Jessie Crye to win their fifth straight Section V championship on Thursday, the attention for the Lady Lions of Wellsville now turned to the other — Bath-Haverling’s Kaili Witherell, Class B1’s Player of the Year. But on this occasion, it is to move one step closer towards heading back to where their season left off last season.

Like their previous battle over the Lady Riverhawks to win the championship brick, it was not going to get any easier. Not even the slightest.

In fact, it turned out to be yet another pitcher’s duel that the Lady Lions had to survive once more, as Witherell and Makenna Dunbar went toe-to-toe across a vast majority of their heated battle in the circle. There were plenty of zeroes across each side of the scoreboard. All except for a big third inning run that allowed Wellsville to propel into the driver’s seat with the game’s first lead.

It was an advantage that was held intact by the Lady Lions for quite some time, despite a great deal of pressure from Lady Rams each step of the way. But all of that coercion over time from the Class B1 Champions eventually led to a boil-over at perhaps one of the most opportune times of the evening.

That stemmed in the top of the sixth inning — a frame where Haverling shattered the glass ever so loudly.

It was a monumental sequence that began with the bottom of the order for the Lady Rams. One hit after another, the flood of runs came right behind it, accounting their four runs on three hits — five in total for the inning to turn a game-long 1-0 deficit to the Lady Lions completely on its head with a 4-1 advantage they never lost again, as they proceeded to stun the reigning New York State Champions in Class B in the State Qualifier contest by a 4-2 final count.

“We lost to a good team today. They out-hit us and we made too many errors at the end of the day,” Lady Lions coach Gia George said. “Their pitcher Kaili is an excellent pitcher, and I wish Haverling good luck as they continue on towards getting to States. I’m so proud of this team. I love each and every one of them. The seniors have had unbelievable careers. Five-time Sectional champions, State Champions last year. Averee (Palmatier), Alexis (Ireland), Natalie (Adams), Lindsay (Stuck) and Makenna will all be so missed next year. Their energy and their leadership carried us through this season.”

The battle between the two Class B juggernauts was on right from the start, each trading two straight scoreless frames. Right after it, a fine opportunity for the Lady Rams to strike first in the top of the third, with a short chopper down the third baseline from Witherell seeing her reach on the first of three Wellsville errors in the frame. With the pressure applied, Dunbar aided in some relief from within the circle, handing out two big strikeouts to go with an Ayla Faulkner catch in center field to close up shop.

With that sequence now under wraps, the momentum changed hands in favor of the Lady Lions entering the bottom half. With two strikeouts from Witherell to open her latest stint on the mound, Wellsville spoiled a potential perfect inning with Faulkner reaching on an error, as she galloped her way around the bases before coming home on an ice-breaking Natalie Adams RBI single into left center field to grant a 1-0 lead over the Lady Rams.

Following Makenna Dunbar’s arrival on base on her two-out single, she was left on alongside Adams after the issue of a third strike-out from Witherell in the frame to prevent any further damage from developing.

Both teams would see another threat come into effect across the next two innings, with the Lady Lions utilizing a Teagan Burke one-out double down the right field line in the fourth. The course of action to try and double their lead on the Lady Rams ultimately faltered, as the next two Wellsville hitters to enter the batter’s box were retired in consecutive fashion to leave her hanging on second.

As for the Lady Rams, they saw a one-out chance to end the shutout bid with two runners on base in the next inning of play. But once more, the Lady Lions gleamed through with a magnificent 5-4 double-play turned by Emily Stuck’s line drive catch at third base.

As the sixth inning began its rapid approach, time was running out. For Bath-Haverling, it was time to cook. With some small ball making an appearance onto the playing grounds, Kasandra Plewa registered a mammoth two-out hit into right center field to score Ryleigh Laverty, tying the game at one.

With two more runners on base once again for the Class B1 Champions, it was Emmalyn Lafler’s turn to deal damage of her own to give the Lady Rams their first lead of the night, driving a shot into right field. A throw home to catch the go-ahead run ultimately sailed past the plate to officially double their money with a 2-1 lead over the Lady Lions.

They didn’t stop there either. After the top of the order was reached once again for Haverling, Kaili Witherell absolutely unloaded on a gargantuan two-run double up the middle into center field to help cap off what was a four-run sixth inning.

Despite adding a run in the bottom of the sixth off an error by the Bath-Haverling defense, the Lady Lions could not pick up enough steam to fully turn the momentum back in their direction, as the Lady Rams retired the next three batters following Brynn Hallock’s lead-off double in the final inning of play to officially knock out the defending Class B State Champions.

Wellsville assembled two runs off six total hits at the plate, with Natalie Adams charging those efforts with two hits. Faulkner, Dunbar and Hallock had a hit to go alongside Burke’s fourth inning double. On the mound, Dunbar went all seven innings, striking out seven Lady Rams batters.

An incredible stretch of softball by the Lady Lions is officially history, as their State Championship title defense comes to a close with a record of 19-3 overall in Gia George’s first season at the helm.

The team will bid farewell to their five superstar seniors who played just as big of a role as any in the program’s highest of successes, in Dunbar, Adams, Lindsay Stuck, Averee Palmatier and Alexis Ireland.

Bath-Haverling 000 004 0 — 4 12 3

Wellsville 001 001 0 — 2 6 5

B-H – Kaili Witherell (WP) (CG, 13K, BB) and Caydence Spears.

WLSV – Makenna Dunbar (LP) (CG, 7K) and Lindsay Stuck.

BASEBALL

Class C2 Finals

No. 1 Kendall 6, No. 2 Genesee Valley/Belfast 0

BATAVIA/LIVONIA — For the second time in as many seasons in the very last dance of Sectionals, the wait for Genesee Valley/Belfast to battle for their chance at Section V glory was put on hold after a torrential downpour at Dwyer Stadium back on Friday forced a postponement of the action against No. 1 Kendall.

When the action was restored, this time in Livonia the following day, they had to work their way back from an early hole created by the Eagles. After a four-run frame in the bottom of the first that was highlighted by a bounty of errors, it set the tone for the game going forward across both days. As a result, the top seeds in Class C2 managed to keep Genesee Valley/Belfast off the board, led by a complete game gem from Gavin Braun to become Section V champions in what was ultimately a 6-0 victory.

Following a strong finish on defense to keep Genesee Valley/Belfast silent at the plate, the Eagles went straight to the grindstone in the bottom of the first, logging four big runs at Dwyer Stadium — the first two scratching across on an error, and the last two following behind on a Nicholas Cole double, forcing a change on the mound from Ryan Daciw to Ben Cater for the No. 2 seeds.

With the lead in their possession heading into the next day in Livonia, Kendall assembled only two more runs on one hit across the remainder of the contest. But it was no problem for their ace on the hill in Braun, who surrendered five hits to Genesee Valley/Belfast, striking out nine and walking three to score the complete game win for the top seeds.

As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, Cater concluded with four strikeouts and three walks in relief. At the plate, he was one of five different hitters to register a hit, as Derek Calanni, Ian McKenzie, Evan Turybury and Trent Hutchison all had one to chip in.

A complete box score was not made available to report upon publication.

The season is over for Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they close the book on a magnificent 2025 Spring with a record of 21-2 overall. The team will graduate six seniors in all, in Daciw, Turybury, Ty Hutchison, Hunter Newman, Zach Thomas and Tyler Wedge.