Thursday Roundup: Lions overcome slow defensive start, ignite bats down stretch with 13 unanswered runs to weave past B-R with 13-5 victory; GV/Belfast’s Preston cards 11th straight medalist round
BOLIVAR — The message swirling around the Wellsville dugout in the preliminary stages of conflict with the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg was a similar memo to what they received during their Class B Finals victory over Notre Dame-Batavia last spring: It starts with one.
It was a less-than-ideal start, with a bushel of errors plaguing the Lions of defense in the first three innings of play, which permitted the Wolverines to slingshot ahead of their opposition with the advantage. But after the third inning, Wellsville ran the table with a miraculous comeback of enormous magnitude.
It began with a resilient finish to Ty Vogel’s start on the mound. It would then end with the bats producing an uncontrollable avalanche later on.
Down 4-0, the Lions turned it around completely in the middle frames with the top of the order starting all of the damage right away, tying the game up at four each side before taking the game by storm in their last two stands at the plate with nine more runs — 13 unanswered to complete the game-changing sequence, as the defending Class B champions rocketed past the reigning Class C State Final Four Finalists with a 13-5 road win on Thursday.
“We competed with them for a while to start things out, and today’s game was definitely the kind of game we needed to make that turn in Sectionals coming up,” Wolverines coach Dustin Allen said. “Wellsville is potent all throughout their lineup, one through nine, and they showcased that today. Maddox pitched an outstanding game for us, but Wellsville was able to find all the right holes to get their offense going down the stretch. They’re one of the best teams in the State for a reason.”
With back-to-back clean slates of defense starting Bolivar-Richburg’s evening off against Wellsville, the Wolverines (10-6) made the most of the opportunity when it presented itself, scoring their first three runs off errant throws to catch the base-runners off guard before Maddox Davison registered the team’s first hit in the second inning on a two-out triple to right field that rolled straight towards the fence, allowing Braden Zilker to streak home and score.
After the hosts scribbled a 4-0 lead onto the board, a brief discussion for the Lions ensued entering the back half of action. It was one that helped turn the tide completely, as Vogel settled in to deliver three straight frames of hitless baseball against the Wolverines before he was relieved of his duties in the sixth inning. The senior ace for the Lions ended his day victoriously with 12 strikeouts and four walks.
In the midst of it all, 13 straight runs from the Wellsville (12-3) defense beginning with a game-tying four-run sequence in the top of the fourth, with Vogel, Aiden Cowburn, Matt Ritter and Trent Green launching four straight hits — three of which saw RBI before Andrew Ordiway completed the rally with a sacrifice fly to deep center field, plating Green.
After a rapid fire fifth inning that kept the playing surface level, the Lions re-assumed command in the top of the sixth inning to take their first lead, with Karter Grover and Karson Grover going back-to-back with a sacrifice and a base hit into right field to jump-start a second four-run frame for the bats, finishing up with two more runs on special teams to set the music to the tune of an 8-4 lead.
With the visitors in black and orange working their way off one more time on defense, the Lions pulled out of reach of the Wolverines during their final appearance at the plate, scratching across their last five runs — two on a double to deep left field by Karter Grover, who continues to be perfect at the dish since his call-up from the JV squad.
The Lions totaled their 13 runs off 10 hits with Cowburn, Vogel and Ordiway leading the way with two hits each.
As for the Wolverines, they were limited to just three hits — two from Maddox Davison and one from Landon Barkley. On the mound, Davison advanced his start into the seventh inning, striking out just one.
Bolivar-Richburg will look to regroup quickly and bounce back one more time tonight with a 7 p.m. Senior Night clash with the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.
Wellsville 000 404 5 — 13 10 7
Bolivar-Richburg 112 000 1 — 5 3 1
WLSV – Ty Vogel (WP) (12K, 4BB), Anthony Button (6) (BB), Aiden Cowburn (7) (2K, 2BB) and Matt Ritter.
B-R – Maddox Davison (LP) (K), Waide Karnuth (7) (K, BB) and Ryder Iantorno.
Andover/Whitesville 17, Friendship/Scio 7 (F-6)
SCIO — They endured another defeat to the hands of Avoca-Prattsburgh on Wednesday, but 24 hours later, Andover/Whitesville rapidly left it in the rearview mirror and returned to the win column following an early exchange of barbs with Friendship/Scio out of the gate on Thursday. With each team all squared even entering the back half of action, Andover/Whitesville turned up the heat on offense with a strong finish in what was a 17-7 six-inning win in Scio.
The runs arrived fast and furiously in the first three innings of play between both teams, with 14 of the game’s 24 total runs navigating their way across the plate. Andover/Whitesville (5-8) was the first to strike in a big way, unleashing a flurry of runs in their opening at-bats — seven in all to provide an enormous fissure into the ice on top of the surface.
Friendship/Scio (0-15) came right back and scuttled some runs themselves through the next three innings of play to match Andover/Whitesville’s first inning eruption, finishing with three game-tying runs in the bottom of the third to create a brand new ballgame with a 7-7 tie entering the back half of action.
The response that the hosts provided was not taken lightly by Andover/Whitesville. In turn, they put a wrap on the entire kit and kaboodle with the game’s final 10 runs — five of which coming right after Friendship/Scio tied the game, in the top of the fourth inning, to propel ahead with a 12-7 lead they never lost again.
With the offenses connecting on an amassment of special teams, the two teams combined to record just eight hits at the plate, with Andover/Whitesville posting five of them. Captaining the efforts was Colton Calladine, who went 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Rogan Perkins chipped in with two hits of his own, scoring three runs along the way.
On the mound, the win was Vinny Joyce’s in relief, as he picked up a strikeout.
For the hosts, Noah Roberts led the bats with a hit and two RBI. Friendship/Scio is back on the field Monday night with a 5 p.m. visit to Cuba-Rushford.
Andover/Whitesville will now head out to Campbell-Savona tonight for doubleheader action starting at 4:30 p.m. against the Hammondsport Lakers.
Andover/Whitesville 700 532 — 17 5 6
Friendship/Scio 223 000 — 7 3 11
A/W – Gavin Frungillo (4K, 4BB), Vinny Joyce (WP, 3) (K), Rogan Perkins (5) (K) and Colton Calladine.
F/S – Cooper Greenman (LP) (4K, 9BB), Mike Wade (4) (3BB), Aiden Golden (5) (2K, 5BB) and Noah Roberts.
SOFTBALL
Andover/Whitesville 18, Friendship/Scio 3
SCIO — Despite an early bump in the road against Friendship/Scio on Thursday, Olivia Waters was a one-lady wrecking crew for Andover/Whitesville.
To go with a solid complete game effort from within the circle, the Andover/Whitesville junior paired the defensive performance with a mammoth six-RBI night at the plate to set the music for an offense that reached their ultimate crescendo in the back half of play, as they strolled straight towards an 18-3 win in Scio.
“Liv and Reece (Winters) did a wonderful job controlling the tempo of this game,” said Andover/Whitesville coach Al Barber. “The girls played solid defense once we got out of that first inning. Liv and Leigha Phelps had great nights at the plate, scoring runners when we needed to. There’s a lot of softball this week for the girls, and there are a lot of good things that are starting to show throughout these games. With such a tough schedule for us as a small D school, we need to grow each night.”
It was the Friendship/Scio (4-11) ladies that connected with their opening at-bats first following a superb rapid fire frame issued by Jadyn Wonderling, building off the momentum with two big RBI — one off the bat of Avery Lamberson, who batted in Alexiss Herring on a double to break the ice right away. With the lead in hand, the hosts engaged in a back-and-forth defensive exchange that witnessed three straight scoreless innings come to light.
But in the top of the fifth, Andover/Whitesville (5-9) unequivocally ripped the band-aid off in the midst of two complete revolutions through their batting order, starting with a gigantic two-run double from Reece Winters to tie the game. Immediately after, the visitors registered three straight RBI from Waters, Lilly Ordway and Avery Hoffman to aid in propelling their way ahead of Friendship/Scio, ultimately for good.
In their second go-around at the plate, Hoffman, along with Lilly Harrington each had an RBI to chip in while Waters blasted another two-run hit to help complete a 12-run frame that proved insurmountable.
Andover/Whitesville computed their 18 runs off 14 hits at the dish, with Waters and her 4-for-6 outing leading the way, gathering six RBI. Leigha Phelps had three hits of her own, including two doubles, to pitch in. On the mound, Waters finished the game with seven strikeouts and two walks across all seven innings.
For Friendship/Scio, Jadyn Wonderling was phenomenal through the first four innings and change, finishing with six strikeouts and four walks. At the plate, Alexiss Herring, Avery Lamberson and Leanne Pierce each had two hits.
Both teams are back on the field Monday night, with Andover/Whitesville heading back home to host Bolivar-Richburg at 6 p.m. in Andover, while Friendship/Scio hits the road to visit Cuba-Rushford at 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville 000 0(12)2 4 — 18 14 3
Friendship/Scio 200 0 1 0 0 — 3 8 2
A/W – Olivia Waters (WP) (CG, 7K, 2BB) and Reece Winters.
F/S – Jadyn Wonderling (LP) (6K, 4BB), Emily Lamberson (5) (3K, 10BB) and Avery Lamberson.
Fillmore 21, Hinsdale 9 (F-6)
FILLMORE — The Senior Night celebration was on for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, Thursday night. There was absolutely no wasting time making their impact known, as the offense caught fire and it spread relentlessly, establishing a double digit lead through the first three innings of play to cement their position in the driver’s seat once and for all to roll towards a 21-9 victory under the lights at home.
“We honored all three of our seniors, Summer (Friedl), Ryleigh (Goodliff) and Montana (Gayford) tonight. Hinsdale hung tough and had a big inning in the fifth. It speaks volumes of them and their coach to stay focused and enthusiastic to have an inning like that late in the game. We’ve got one more game for the week coming up tomorrow night. The question we now ask of us is do we have the energy to be ready?” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley.
The Lady Eagles (13-3) dispatched at least a run in every single inning to keep the cogs in the machine rolling at full bore, hitting maximum overdrive right out of the gate following a quick top half of the first inning, cementing the momentum in their first at-bats with a seven-run stanza that blossomed relentlessly over time.
The lead reached 12-0 after four complete innings of play before the Lady Bobcats (1-16) put the pressure on themselves to climb back within reach, utilizing some crucial walks to bring home eight runs to end the shutout bid from the Lady Eagles. But despite their attempts to bridge the gap, the hosts in black and green went on to take command once again, scoring nine of the game’s last 10 runs to pull away for good.
From within a 21-run offensive outburst, the Lady Eagles posted nine hits — four of them from Morghyn Ross, who had a humongous night at the plate, finishing with a 4-for-5 outing consisting of three doubles and eight total RBI. Mylee Miller and Abby Earley each had two hits to chip in, with Miller driving in a pair and Earley scoring three runs.
In the circle, Miller posted the win behind just over four innings of work, fanning eight and walking two.
As for Hinsdale, Amaya Russell garnered two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs to pace the bats. The Lady Bobcats are back on the field Saturday morning, visiting Alfred-Almond at 10 a.m.
Fillmore stays put at home to host Genesee Valley/Belfast in their final game of the week tonight, with first pitch slated for a 7 p.m. start.
Hinsdale 000 081 0 — 9 4 2
Fillmore 712 254 X — 21 9 2
HIN – Jen Tuttle (LP) (2K, 9BB), Lily Bushnell (4) (3K, 10BB) and Jaylynn Wade.
FIL – Mylee Miller (WP) (8K, 2BB), Lily Sisson (5) (3K, 7BB), Abby Earley (7) (2BB) and Morghyn Ross.
GOLF
Genesee Valley/Belfast 195, Cuba-Rushford 205
WELLSVILLE — Before heading into their final match of the regular season the following night for a match that will likely clear up the smog surrounding the Allegany County League Championship on the links.
Some momentum was stockpiled by Genesee Valley/Belfast in their return to the Wellsville Country Club on Thursday, as they used another magnificent performance from Grant Preston to set the stage for their 195-205 win over visiting Cuba-Rushford.
Preston’s unbelievable campaign on the links raged on for Genesee Valley/Belfast (7-4), as he came away with medalist honors for the 11th straight time at the top of the scorecard, finishing his latest nine-hole effort with a match-low round of 44. Behind him was Will Guilford, who added his round of 47 into the mix. Jackson Barney chipped in his round of 51, while Afton Hamer rounded off with a 53.
Zach Deck led all golfers for the visiting Rebels (2-8) at the top of their respective scorecard, posting a team-low round of 49. Ethan Fries pitched forth his round of 50. Coen Kellogg chipped in a 51, while Coleman Searle rounded off the scoring with his round of 55.
Cuba-Rushford’s regular season on the links officially reached its conclusion.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will put their regular season to rest tonight in Rushford, as they visit the Eagles of Fillmore for the match of their lives — one that will likely determine this year’s Allegany County League Champion. Tee time is set for a 4 p.m. start at Allegany Hills.
BOYS TENNIS
Fillmore 5, Bolivar-Richburg 0
HOUGHTON — In their final regular season match, the Eagles of Fillmore ended it the same way they started it — victorious, as they made their grand return to the Kerr-Pegula Fieldhouse at Houghton University one more time on Thursday to finish off another perfect regular season on the tennis court, scoring all five victories against visiting Bolivar-Richburg in dominant fashion to claim the 5-0 match sweep.
The brooms were brought out by the Eagles (12-0) through all phases of the match, with Isaiah Sisson and Ezra Schilke leading the singles matches with a pair of 6-0, 6-0 straight-set shutouts over their respective opponents, Bolivar-Richburg’s Trevor Whitsell and Samuel Martin at first and second singles. Brayden Walton was issued a forfeit win at third singles.
In the doubles department, the winning ways continued with a third shutout pitched by the first doubles team of Carson and Kallan Sanasith, as they tag-teamed to deliver a 6-0, 6-0 win over Jamie Werner and Adalyn Griswold. The second doubles duo of Owen Chapman and Levi Russell finished off the match win with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Kya and Kaitlyn Lutes.
Both teams have concluded their regular season, as they now await Sectional play next week.
Singles
1. Isaiah Sisson (FIL) def. Trevor Whitsell (B-R), 6-0, 6-0.
2. Ezra Schilke (FIL) def. Samuel Martin (B-R), 6-0, 6-0.
3. Brayden Walton (FIL) by for.
Doubles
1. Carson Sanasith/Kallan Sanasith (FIL) def. Jamie Werner/Adalyn Griswold (B-R), 6-0, 6-0.
2. Owen Chapman/Levi Russell (FIL) def. Kya Lutes/Kaitlyn Lutes (B-R), 6-1, 6-0.
