Thursday Roundup: Livonia’s Minnehan outduels Wellsville’s Havens as Bulldogs edge out Lions with 2-1 home win; Outman homers in Fri/Scio’s road rout of Hammondsport
LIVONIA — It was safe to say that Thursday’s colossal meeting of the Class B titans, was one that was worth every penny.
Wellsville’s Jere Havens and Livonia’s Alex Minnehan were wheeling and dealing across all seven innings, but in the end, it was the Bulldogs phenom that came away with the big decision on the hill, as he tossed a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and three walks to help his team earn the 2-1 victory on Thursday.
Havens in return for Wellsville provided a solid showing of his own, going the distance behind three strikeouts and one walk — a performance that head coach Marc Agnello applauded, along with the defense behind him, for hanging with Livonia for as long as they could.
“It was a great game. It was a pitcher’s duel to the fifth, and Jere threw the ball extremely well,” he said. “He kept them off-balanced all day, and they didn’t hit any hard-hit balls. Our guys played phenomenal defensively behind him, and defense is my calling card. We made every solid play in the field that we could, despite one error. It was a typical Class B clash of top schools. They came in at 6-2, we were 5-1, but our guys were ready. They threw their number one at us, and that gave us some credence, and the boys rose to the occasion. They never gave up, and that’s what this game is all about.”
The door was sealed shut for the Lions (5-2) by Minnehan and the Bulldogs defense for much of the contest, holding Wellsville scoreless through the first six innings before finding their way in by cutting the deficit from a pair down to just one. The run coming off a big RBI-triple off the bat of Havens, scoring Brayden Delahunt on the play.
But the 2-0 lead by the Bulldogs in the bottom of the fifth was one that they garnered, and never lost, despite one last attempt to tie the game with two outs and Haven 90 feet away from home. But after a bang-bang play in the infield, Livonia was able to get Havens charging home on a score with the game’s final out to successfully hold down the fort and earn the win in the endgame.
In all, just three hits were collected by the Lions in all at the plate. Behind Havens, was Delahunt and Cody Costello, both recording singles to help the cause.
Wellsville will look to rebound back home Saturday afternoon, as they welcome in Canandaigua for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
“We have nothing to be ashamed about over this game,” Agnello said. “We’re going up against a bigger school than us in Class A on Saturday, so it will be a redemption game. We’ll have Logan (Dunbar), and the rest of the guys will be lined up ready to go. We’re hungry, and they want to keep playing. They love to play the game, and this group is an incredible group of young men that knows how to play the game the right way.”
Wellsville 000 000 1 – 1 3 1
Livonia 000 020 X – 2 8 1
WLSV – Jere Havens (LP) (CG, 3K, BB), and Alex Green.
LIV – Alex Minnehan (WP) (CG, 9K, 3BB), and Alex Benitez.
Friendship/Scio 19, Hammondsport 6 (F-5)
HAMMONDSPORT — Cam Loucks provided a solid day on both sides for Friendship/Scio, scooping up the victory on the rubbing while recording another big day at the plate, as the Golden Eagles recorded a fast start they never looked back on over the road Thursday night, concluding with a 19-6 five-inning victory over host Hammondsport.
Friendship/Scio (5-2) brought the hammer down almost immediately to start their day on offense. Out of the 19 runs scored, nine of them came in the first inning of play to establish a lead they never lost, ultimately building on it in the last three innings of play to force the 10-run rule in the end to pick up the victory.
Loucks earned the win on the hill behind six strikeouts and two walks for the Golden Eagles in his three-inning start. On the other side, he went 3-for-4, driving in three RBI. John Outman provided a big spark of his own, blasting his first home run of the season — a two-run blast to further the offensive cause.
Friendship/Scio will now come back home to welcome in Fillmore after the weekend, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. battle on Monday.
Friendship/Scio 904 42 – 19 12 2
Hammondsport 100 23 – 6 4 5
F/S – Cam Loucks (WP) (6K, 2BB), Dekota Stewart (4) (K, 3BB), Cory Bolzan (5) (2K), and Ian Romero.
HAM – Ball (LP) (2K, 3BB), Buckley (1) (3K, BB), Cook (3) (3BB), Underwood (5) (2K, BB), and Veley.
Hinsdale 17, Whitesville 12
WHITESVILLE — A grand total of 29 runs between both Hinsdale and Whitesville were scratched across the plate in Thursday’s donnybrook in Whitesville. With the Jays holding an 11-8 lead entering the final inning, the Bobcats had one last card to play — baserunning, as they scored nine of the last 10 runs to pull ahead for good to pick up their first win of the season in a 17-12 road win.
The day began with a 5-2 lead in favor of Hinsdale (1-5) after the first inning of play, but after both teams scored a pair of runs in the third inning, Whitesville would find their groove thereafter to take the lead away from the Bobcats with runs and hits of their own, scoring the next nine in a row to take an 11-7 lead heading into the last pair of frames.
Hinsdale would find a way to bounce back in the last two innings, as they went on to score 10 straight runs with nine coming in the seventh inning to take the lead back once and for all to pull away toward their first win of the season.
Ethan Cashimere picked up the win on the mound in relief for the Bobcats, scoring three strikeouts and three walks. At the plate, Zach Byrne and Pete Cummins each had two hits, and scored a combined five runs. For the Jays (0-6), Brendal Jackson struck out seven and walked five across a solid five-inning start on the rubber. He would also added two hits of his own including a double, driving in three runs in the process. Spencer Mattison added in two hits of his own, and scored four times.
Both teams are back on the field after this weekend, with Hinsdale heading back home to host Bolivar-Richburg on Tuesday in a 5 p.m. first pitch, while Whitesville heads out on the road to take on Genesee Valley in a 5 p.m. first pitch of their own on Monday.
Hinsdale 502 001 9 – 17 8 3
Whitesville 202 340 1 – 12 10 11
HIN – Xavier Pascucci (4K, 8BB), Ethan Cashimere (WP, 5) (3K, 3BB), and Pete Cummins.
WHI – Brendal Jackson (7K, 5BB), CJ Estep (LP, 6) (BB), and Estep, Luke Erdmann (6).
SOFTBALL
Cuba-Rushford 8, Andover 5
CUBA — The Lady Panthers began the contest with three runs in the first inning of play to garner the first lead, but it was a lead that did not last long after, as Sydney Howard twirled a big two-hit gem in the circle for the host Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, keeping Andover at bay for the majority of the contest while the offense went to work in what was an 8-5 home victory on Thursday.
“We started out the first inning a little rough, but the girls stepped up a lot and took the win,” said Lady Rebels coach Diana Joseph. “These girls amaze me winning or losing, they go out strong and positive, and don’t ever give up. Our hitting is getting better, we just need to clear the bases more.”
The first response the Lady Rebels (2-6) were able to garner came in the bottom half of the first with their first three at-bats resulting in the bases being loaded. But Andover had a response of their own to end the threat, getting the next three Lady Rebels hitters to go down in order to escape what was a potential game-tying jam.
But Cuba-Rushford would manage to find their way onto the board an inning later with Tara Duvall scoring on a steal home, and Aleah Demick plating a run off an RBI sacrifice. The momentum continued to build into the fourth inning, when the hosts added four more runs, using their baserunning to their advantage once more with two coming in off steals, and one off another fielder’s choice from Ella Jaffe.
The scoring would end in the sixth with the last two runs extending Cuba-Rushford’s lead to five before Andover (1-4) providing one last threat in the seventh with a pair of runs led by baserunning of their own. But it was not enough to overcome in the end, as the Lady Rebels were able to get the next three batters at the plate down in order to keep their lead in tact.
Howard earned the win in the circle behind a dominant performance, dealing the Lady Panthers 13 strikeouts to go with five walks. At the plate, Elysa Tylor and Tara Duvall each had two hits, with Duvall contributing a double and two runs scored. Hunter Jahnke added in a double of her own to round off the offense.
Andover was led by Kelsie Niedermaier, Gabby Terhune and Katie Calladine, as they all recorded two hits each. In the circle, Makaila Brewster struck out five and walked four in her complete game tossed.
Both teams will have the Belfast Lady Bulldogs up next on their schedule, with the Lady Panthers getting first crack back on the road tomorrow in a 7 p.m. first pitch under the lights. Cuba-Rushford will play host to Belfast after the weekend in a 5 p.m. contest on Monday.
Andover 300 000 2 – 5 7 2
Cuba-Rushford 020 402 X – 8 11 0
AND – Makaila Brewster (LP) (CG, 5K, 4BB), and Katie Calladine.
C-R – Sydney Howard (WP) (CG, 13K, 5BB), and Riley Keller.
Hammondsport 6, Friendship 5
FRIENDSHIP — It was a neck-and-neck battle all the way to the very end in Friendship on Thursday, but it was a battle that visiting Hammondsport was deemed victorious, as they did just enough to edge their way past the Lady Golden Eagles with a 6-5 decision.
A complete box score and statistics were not made available upon publication.
Friendship (3-3) will return to the field after the weekend on the road, as they pay a visit to the Lady Eagles of Fillmore in a 5 p.m. battle on Monday.
GOLF
Cuba-Rushford 198, Hinsdale 231
RUSHFORD — Cuba-Rushford put together a stellar season-best performance on the links at Allegheny Hills in Rushford on Thursday, as they came up with a complete round of 198, using it to defeat visiting Hinsdale with a 198-231 victory to remain undefeated in Allegany County League play.
Three different Rebels (4-1) carded rounds in the 40s, with Ethan Rix providing the team-low round of 48. Caden Granger and Landon Wight followed closely behind with rounds of 49, while Zack Eddy chipped in with his round of 52. For Hinsdale, it was Henry Schwartz that earned the medaling round on the day, scoring a match-low round of 46. Brad Bergstrom chipped in with a 54, while Parker Keenan and Cayden Miller had rounds of 63, and 68 respectively.
Both teams are back in action in quick turnarounds today with 4 p.m. tee times, as Cuba-Rushford returns to Allegheny Hills to host Wellsville while Hinsdale continues their road swing to the Bolivar Golf Club to take on the host Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg.
BOYS TENNIS
Wellsville 5, Avoca/Prattsburgh 0
WELLSVILLE — The Lions had to fight tooth and nail across all five matches on display in the Lion’s Den on Thursday with Avoca/Prattsburgh in for a visit. The majority of the matches were decided in three sets, some of which with numerous tiebreaks, but in the end, Wellsville made sure they stayed undefeated with a 5-0 sweep of the Vikings.
Dahlton Mattison led the way with a comeback victory at first singles for the Lions (6-0). After falling in a first set tiebreak to Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Nolan Randall, he catapulted toward victory with 6-4 and 6-2 wins in the remaining two sets. Walker Waldon came up with a three-set win of his own at second singles, taking a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory, while Matt Bittel collected a straight-set blank at third singles to help perform a sweep of the singles department.
The first singles match was one that Lions head coach Bill Stives had his eye on.
“It was another very competitive match against Avoca/Prattsburgh,” he said. “The first singles match with Mattison and Randall was a great match to watch. They both hit beautiful groundstrokes and put together some fantastic points, and fantastic tennis. It was just great tennis across the board tonight.”
At first doubles, the team of Ian Iantorno and Jake Schrlau grappled with a three-set win, coming back after a second set defeat to take the 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win, while at second doubles, Ryan Carlton and Ryan Haggerty made sure the match was clinched in Wellsville’s favor with a third-set tiebreak victory, earning the 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 win behind a 7-5 tiebreak triumph.
The Lions will now go for seven straight wins on Monday when they hit the road, paying a visit to the Eagles of Fillmore — winners of five in a row themselves, in a 5 p.m. first serve at Houghton College.
Singles
1. Dahlton Mattison (WLSV) def. Nolan Randall (A/P), 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2.
2. Walker Waldon (WLSV) def. Ryan Stanford (A/P), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
3. Matt Bittel (WLSV) def. Justus Wilmoth (A/P), 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles
1. Ian Iantorno/Jake Schrlau (WLSV) def. Bryce Schuck/Jackson Oliver (A/P), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
2. Ryan Carlton/Ryan Haggerty (WLSV) def. Connor Stewart/Elias Putnam (A/P), 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5).
Local tennis stars compete at Class D Qualifiers
HOUGHTON — The Allegany County Class D Sectional Qualifiers took center stage on the confines of Houghton College, beginning on Wednesday and wrapping up festivities on Thursday to determine who earned the right to move on and compete for Sectional titles individually.
In the doubles department, Fillmore’s duo of Zach Herring and Colby Wolfer was the first to earn their nod into the Sectional tournament, defeating their teammates, Ryan Ballard and Joe Derck by a 6-1, 6-0 count. Scio would see both double teams — Brenden Loucks and Jude Marion, and Ben Weimer and Corey Field earn the last two qualifying spots for the doubles tournament in Sectionals.
On the singles side, Fillmore highlighted the matches with another Eagle v. Eagle matchup, as Eben Schilke defeated Carter Sisson, 6-4, 6-4 to win the County title, while Cuba-Rushford’s Nate Cole and Aaron Kumpf battled through a consolation draw to earn the final two berths in the singles tournament.
“It was interesting to have Scio vs. Fillmore in both doubles semifinals, and I am proud of how both Fillmore teams played to advance,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “I’m really happy for Colby and Zach to be able to get a County title under their belt before they graduate. The singles semifinals were really competitive. It was also weird that singles worked out to be C-R and Fillmore in both semis. Aaron and Nate are really good players, who get better every time I see them play, but Carter and Eben did a great job of battling and finding ways to be successful.”
Crouch added, “In the final, Eben and Carter really went back and forth. Eben was just able to come up with the one big service hold when he needed it in each set. Coaches always comment to me that it must be hard to watch your players compete in a final, but in both singles and doubles, I kept thinking about how lucky I am to work with players like them who represent Fillmore so well.”
All of the County’s representatives in the Sectional tournament will advance to the big dance, which begins May 29th at Canandaigua Middle School.
