Saturday Roundup: Ordway, Dunbar combine for 1-hitter, offense fuels 17-0 Lady Lions shutout of A-L, team inducts six into Diamond of Honor; Wellsville, Fillmore baseball also triumph

Written By Chris Brooks

WELLSVILLE — The home-at-home series started back on Thursday between Allegany-Limestone and Wellsville, found its way towards a close at Tullar Field for the Lady Lions’ home opener on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

48 hours ago in their first game of their title defense, the Lady Lions offense was relentless from start to finish, with multiple hitters garnering at least a pair of hits in the lineup to go with what was a no-hit performance from Makenzie Cowburn in the circle in their 13-0 win in Allegany.

Back home, a near mirror image from that performance. This time mimicked by Marissa Ordway and Makenna Dunbar, as the two sophomore hurlers combined to hold Allegany-Limestone to just one hit at the plate while the offense continued to keep the pistons churning towards a 2-0 start on the season, as they swept the home-at-home series with a five-inning, 17-0 shutout of the Lady Gators.

“Our team came out and played well from the start. I’m happy to have a great day, as far as the weather goes to play this game. We took advantage of it, and played a nice game today. Marissa did a nice job pitching, she gave up just one hit. She was around the strike-zone all game, so I was happy to see that.”

The Lady Lions (2-0) started out red hot from the start, beginning with a quick stand of defense which saw Allegany-Limestone record their lone hit with two outs on a double down the left field line. That would help the offense’s cause by recording a two-out double of their own off the bat of Makenna Dunbar, who plastered a line drive to the left field fencing to score Brazen Beckwith.

With the ice broken, Wellsville would go on to crack even further with Dunbar trading places with Ordway at the plate after her RBI double to the outfield. After going up by a pair, the Lady Lions would take the field for their second defensive stand — one that would provide a big energy boost moving forward.


It would begin with some resilient bounce-back pitching from Ordway, who fell behind in the count 3-1 on back-to-back stints, and then rebounded with a pair of strikeouts. She would end the inning by striking out the Lady Gators side to get the Lady Lions back off the field.

From that point, it would set up a 10-run second inning for the team, consisting of nine total hits to break it completely open, ultimately for good, as they went on to score five more runs in the bottom of the third to force the 15-run rule after four innings to pick up their second win.

Ordway was credited with the win, as she tossed a one-hit shutout during her three inning start, fanning five Allegany-Limestone batters. Dunbar would then make a relief appearance that saw four strikeouts across two no-hit frames. At the plate, Emma Dunaway had the biggest bat, being one of three Wellsville hitters to record three hits, going 3-for-4 with a double and a team-high five RBI. Two of the hits would see at least a pair of runners score.

Helping the cause, was Makenzie Cowburn and Sawyer Burke, who each had three hits. Ordway provided a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs.

After the game, the Lady Lions softball community came together to induct six new members into the program’s Diamond of Honor. Joining last year’s class of nine, were six more prominent names in Lady Lions softball lore, as Kila Green Cook, Stacey Densmore Kamrowski, Jaime McLaughlin, Megan Keib Osborn, Jamie Hall Root and Heather Matta Vogel all joined Wellsville’s highest table.

Burke reflected on the ceremony, noting that it’s a testament to the tradition that the program has carried throughout the years.

“We certainly showcased a lot of talent for our Diamond of Honor today, and it just speaks to the tradition of Wellsville softball,” he said. “Each one of those players have been a key contributor towards the success of this program. It’s an honor to have that ceremony, and it’s very humbling to see how much softball success has come through this system.”

The Lady Lions also held a special dedication ceremony for one of their newest commodities that will serve as a legacy fulfiller, as well as a program utilizer — The Frank Cady Bullpen, with the family of the legendary softball coach on hand to help with the unveiling.

The brief story and reflection on the bullpen dedication will appear on WellsvilleSports.com later on this week.

As for the Lady Lions themselves, they will return to action over the road in a pair of contests beginning on Monday with a 6 p.m. trip to Gowanda before visiting rival Bolivar-Richburg two days later, in a 5 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday.

Allegany-Limestone 0 0 0 00 – 0 1 0

Wellsville 2 (10) 5 0X – 17 18 0

A-L – Kourtney Magara (LP) (K, 4BB), Jenna Margeson (3) (BB), and Ellie Strade.

WLSV – Marissa Ordway (WP) (5K), Makenna Dunbar (4) (4K), and Lindsay Stuck.

Fri/Scio wins, C-R falls at Portville Tourney

PORTVILLE — The theme for the opening round festivities in Portville on Saturday, was dominant pitching.

Both Friendship/Scio pitcher Nevaeh Ross, and Portville’s Mia Welty were simply unstoppable from within the circle during the afternoon’s showcase, each recording over 10 strikeouts while holding their opposition at the plate at bay along the way, as both teams propelled their way towards victory and into the Championship game, which will occur later this month.

For the defending Class D2 Champions, Ross was a force on both sides of the field during the team’s first round contest against Randolph, with her pitching serving as the hammer, holding down the Lady Cardinals to a single hit — a two-out single in the sixth that broke up the no-hit bid for the Friendship/Scio sophomore.

“Nevaeh had a good game. As a whole team, we did pretty good, but we did have some first game jitters,” said Friendship/Scio coach Deb Kane. “There are definitely some areas that we’ve seen that we need to work on. It might be our first game, but we definitely need to be more disciplined at the plate and cut down on the strikeouts, especially the ones where we were caught looking.”

In the end, Ross outlasted Randolph’s Kendall Steward in a season-opening pitching duel of epic proportions, fanning 18 Lady Cardinals, while Steward countered with 15 strikeouts of her own to go with two walks in her performance from within the circle.

At the plate, Ross broke open the game after Friendship/Scio originally took a 2-0 lead through the opening frame, as she blasted a grand slam in the top of the third inning, helping extend their lead to seven. She would finish with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate with six total RBI and two runs scored. Morghyn Ross added in a double, while Jadeyn Shields drove in a pair of runs.

As for the Lady Rebels (0-1), a four-run opening frame from the Lady Panthers of Portville would prove to be the spark they needed to kick the tires on a dominant 10-2 victory to claim the Championship game’s final spot of their home tournament.

Cuba-Rushford was slowed by a 12-strikeout performance from Mia Welty in the circle for the Section VI powerhouse, as she held the Lady Rebels to just three hits in her victory. Taylor Searle had two of those hits, both singles, as well as one of the two runs scored. Aubrey Williams added in the final hit off a single of her own to help the cause.

Sydney Howard went the distance for the team in grey and blue with six strikeouts and two walks. On April 26, the tournament will reach its conclusion with Cuba-Rushford and Randolph going head-to-head in the Consolation round, while Friendship/Scio and Portville battle it out for the tournament’s title.

For now, Friendship/Scio and Cuba-Rushford will both return to action in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches on Monday, with Friendship/Scio heading back on the road to visit Andover/Whitesville, in Whitesville, while Cuba-Rushford heads back home to welcome in Bolivar-Richburg.

Friendship/Scio 205 001 2 – 10 8 3

Randolph 000 000 0 – 0 1 8

F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 18K), and Morghyn Ross.

RAN – Kendall Steward (LP) (CG, 15K, 2BB), and Allie Conley.

Cuba-Rushford 000 000 2 – 2 3 5

Portville 402 022 X – 10 13 0

C-R – Sydney Howard (LP) (CG, 6K, 2BB), and Aubrey Williams.

PORT – Mia Welty (WP) (CG, 12K, 2BB), and Mattison Foster.

Fillmore 19, Perry 2

FILLMORE — The Lady Eagles of Fillmore followed up their double-digit victory over Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg back on Thursday with another in the same fashion on Saturday, as they used a dominant complete game perfromance from Saige Friedl and their special teams to their advantage to create a 19-2 win over Perry to move to 2-0.

The Lady Eagles (2-0) would account for 10 of the game’s first 11 runs after Perry scored an early 1-0 lead. Fillmore responded with two runs to ultimately overtake the lead permanently. They would add onto it an inning later with their biggest stand, scratching across eight runs to eclipse double figures for the game.

To end the game, the hosts in black and green scored their last nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, paced by baserunning and a pair of RBI singles off the bats of Emily Krzeminski and Mercedes Wolcott.

“We were very solid on the defensive side, and offensively we were smart at the plate and on the base paths,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “We advanced when we should have, hit behind the lead runners, and played smart offensive softball. It is nice to start the season off 2-0, but this next week, we will be tested with games against three quality opponents.”

Friedl earned the win in the circle for the Lady Eagles, holding the Lady Yellowjackets to just three hits behind a six-strikeout, two-walk performance. At the plate, Krzeminski and Wolcott led the bats with a pair of hits each, both collecting two RBI while Krzeminski scored four times. Skylar Gaddy drove in three additional RBI.

Fillmore is back on the field Monday night over the road with a 7 p.m. first pitch in Belfast, visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast.

Perry 100 01 – 2 3 2

Fillmore 280 9X – 19 7 1

PER – Jayden McClurg (LP) (5K, 6BB), Keira Weber (3) (2K, 4BB), and Allison Sumeriski.

FIL – Saige Friedl (WP) (CG, 6K, 2BB), and Lizzy Nugent.

BASEBALL

A-L Early Bird Consolation: Wellsville 20, Cuba-Rushford 1 (F-5)

ALLEGANY — After falling to the hands of Maxx Yehl and the Portville Panthers in the opening around of Allegany-Limestone’s Early Bird Tournament, the Wellsville Lions were looking for a way to provide a response in the Consolation round, Saturday afternoon.

Next up was Cuba-Rushford, and for the Rebels, they had the same goal in mind.

But fortunately for the Lions, they made sure they recorded the bounce back. Led by the guidance of Ty Vogel on both offense and defense, they would not be denied their first win under first-year head coach Tom Delahunt, as they kicked the tires on a fast start and never looked back on their 20-1 rolling of the Rebels to split their tenure at the weekend tournament.

Vogel provided a presence from the mound and at the plate that Cuba-Rushford could not find an answer for, as the Wellsville freshman picked up his first Varsity win behind six strikeouts and one walk across his three-inning start, while Cody Costello and Cooper Brockway added in a strikeout each to help the cause.

On offense, the Lions collected 20 total runs off 15 hits, with four different batters recording at least a pair of hits, including Vogel who went 2-for-4 with a team-high four RBI and two runs scored. Brockway added in two hits, driving in three runs and scoring twoice, while Alex Green and Aidan Riley had two hits, with Riley driving in two runs and Green scoring four times.

Vogel and Green were each named to the All-Tournament team.

Costello and Jere Havens each scored four runs in addition for the Wellsville offense.

Cuba-Rushford (0-2) was shut down until the fifth inning when they ended the shutout bid by the Lions with their lone RBI of the game coming from Braeden Wight on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fifth inning. Noah Siegel would lead the bats with two of the team’s five in all. On the rubber, Benson McCumiskey struck out four in relief.

Wellsville will look to avenge their first round loss to the Portville Panthers back home on Tuesday, when they host the Section VI powerhouse in their home opener beginning with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch. As for the Rebels, they head back home to open their home slate on Monday with Bolivar-Richburg in for a visit at 5 p.m.

Wellsville 273 62 – 20 15 1

Cuba-Rushford 000 01 – 1 5 2

WLSV – Ty Vogel (WP) (6K, BB), Cody Costello (4) (K), Cooper Brockway (5) (K), and Alex Green.

C-R – Austin Pinney (LP) (K, 3BB), Eli Sleggs (2) (K, 2BB), Benson McCumiskey (3) (4K), and Caleb Root.

GV/Belfast at Avoca Early Bird

AVOCA/PRATTSBURGH — Bright and early in the morning, the trip to Avoca was made for Genesee Valley/Belfast to begin their season Saturday in Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Early Bird Tournament, with defending Class D2 Champion Northstar and Bath-Haverling also making the trip to compete.

For Genesee Valley/Belfast, the hosts were up first, and even though they were able to get the start they wanted with the game’s first run, Avoca/Prattsburgh came right back and went on to score 14 straight, eight of those runs coming in the bottom of the sixth to force the end of the game in their 14-1 win to advance into the title game later on in the afternoon.

Four different hitters, including Pacey Hopkins and Macoy Putnam, all had a hand in helping Avoca/Prattsburgh pull away towards victory with RBI hits. On the mound, Carter Stout struck out two in his start for Genesee Valley/Belfast (0-2). At the plate, Trent Scott delivered the team’s lone hit.

In game two, Genesee Valley/Belfast went toe-to-toe with Northstar through two scoreless innings. The punches would soon be exchanged in the back half of the game, with each team working their way towards a 2-2 tie heading into the fifth inning. But the defending Sectional champions found a way to break the game wide open on the attack, recording a seven-run frame to speed away towards an 11-3 win in the Consolation game.

Genesee Valley/Belfast put together an eight-hit effort that saw them tie Northstar in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs coming across, responding to the Knights and their early 2-0 lead they grabbed in the top of the third. But the tie was soon broken by the Class D2 Champions with a massive seven-run fifth inning, cushioning their lead to seven.

Despite the loss, Thai Norasethaporn and Carter Stout each had two hits to lead the Genesee Valley/Belfast offense. On the mound, Ryan Daciw struck out one in his start.

Up next, Genesee Valley/Belfast heads back home to host Fillmore in a 5 p.m. first pitch in Belfast on Monday.

Game 1

Genesee Valley/Belfast 100 000 – 1 1 2

Avoca/Prattsburgh 302 018 – 14 8 1

Game 2

Northstar 002 071 1 – 11 8 0

Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 210 0 – 3 8 1

Fillmore 13, Keshequa 3 (F-5)

FILLMORE — The Keshequa Indians made the most of their time in the opening frame of play to grab the early jump on Fillmore in their home opener, Saturday morning.

But despite falling behind rather quickly, some energy was built by the Eagles after they got on the board in the first inning. Trailing 3-1, the offense came to life behind a massive day from Alex Ellsworth and a phenomenal relief appearance from Mitch Ward, as Fillmore started their 2022 campaign on the right foot with a six-inning victory over the Indians by a 13-3 count.

“They surprised me out of the gate with their aggressiveness, and it was something really incredible to watch,” said Eagles coach Bill Nolan. “The first game out, their first time on the field, they did well. The big thing was that they hit the ball. They made great contact, and they had fun. Mitch coming in, that was even bigger. I wanted to spread the wealth with our pitching, but Mitch cruised through that second inning, and he did the same in the third. We rode on his shoulders, and he took us to the end.”

Fillmore (1-0) went straight to work with taking the lead away from the Indians, as they built a monumental eight-run second inning after the first of three doubles from Ellsworth began the power shift, as he added his second in big fashion by driving in a pair. Ellsworth would drive in another later on off his final double, completing his day with three RBI.

While the Eagles rallied back after a slow start, the rest of the game now laid on the shoulders of Ward in relief, as he provided five straight shutout innings to keep the Indians at a complete standstill, holding them in check with eigth strikeouts and one walk to pick up the victory on the rubber.

Fillmore would go on to force the 10-run rule with their last four runs coming in the fourth and fifth innings. Helping on offense was Zach Sisson, who had three hits including a triple and double, three RBI and three runs scored. Ward, along with Aiden Wagner, each chipped in with two hits.

The Eagles will hit the road and visit Belfast on Monday, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. first pitch against host Genesee Valley/Belfast.

Keshequa 300 000 – 3 4 3

Fillmore 180 31X – 13 12 2

KES – Kellen Wood (LP) (K, 2BB), Nathan Thayer (3) (2K, 2BB), and Tyler Mallaber.

FIL – Zach Sisson (K), Mitch Ward (WP, 2) (8K, BB), and Alex Ellsworth.

Chris Brooks
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Thursday Roundup: Consistency key as Cowburn, Dunaway, Ordway propel Lady Lions towards successful start in title defense with 13-0 win at A-L; Wellsville, C-R baseball falls at A-L