The Section V Class D tournament is heating up! Fillmore, the #3 seed and no stranger to the finals and winning titles the last two years, will take on #3 Arkport-Canaseraga, a favorite to win the whole thing on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, for Coach Dennie Miles, it’s a bittersweet semi-finals, as his Genesee Valley/Belfast team takes on Avoca-Prattsburgh in Belfast on Wednesday. Miles won two titles at A-P, including a championship last season over Fillmore. A-P is the defending champion and made quick work of each team they have faced so far in sectionals.
Here are all the games from around the county on Monday
Stories and photos By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
Class D Quarterfinals
No. 3 Fillmore 7, No. 6 Naples 2
HOUGHTON — In the midst of a defensive duel early on, with the skies cloudy and the sun peeking its beams through, something out of the ordinary occurred at Houghton University. A rumble of thunder off in the distance.
Between No. 6 Naples and No. 3 Fillmore in their Class D Quarterfinals clash on Monday, that would prompt a 30-minute delay with the Big Green ahead by a 1-0 count in the middle of the third inning, as the respective teams were escorted back to their dugouts, wiping the field of play clean in the process.
The wait for the brief interruption in the sky to pass over, it can be agonizing. But at the same time, the Eagles found a way to keep it positive and entertaining throughout.
That included an impromptu yoga session led by assistant head coach Jordan Mullen.
When the action left off, the Eagles were in the midst of building a headful of steam to counter the Big Green’s ice-breaking run, with the game-tying run standing on third base and the top of the order forthcoming. After the recess was over, it was back to work, and the Eagles would go on to deliver right off the hop with a game-tying sacrifice into center to level the playing ground again.
After hanging an enormous zero following Naples go-ahead run, all momentum began shifting from one direction to the other. In short, it was Fillmore’s time to shine.
The bats ended up breaking loose.
As the Steve Miller Band would declare, it was Fillmore’s time to fly like an eagle in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they slammed Naples with a six-run outburst, led by humongous strikes at the dish from both Jack Boon and Jude Beardsley. As a result, they would take what was a 1-1 tie with the Big Green and turn it inside out and upside down, springboarding ahead with their first lead of the game — one they never let up on again, claiming their spot in Wednesday’s Semifinal round with a 7-2 victory.
“We were pretty solid all around tonight. We had a ton of good at-bats up and down the lineup,” said Eagles coach Kaiden Bowers. “Jared Boon was perfect with a big double, Jude (Beardsley) followed up with a huge triple. It’s tough to sit around for an hour in a delay, but we came out hot after that and never looked back. We’re hitting our stride at the right time, and if that wasn’t enough, Jack (Boon) ended the game with a highlight reel catch in left field to help end the game. We dug in and delivered.”
Across the first inning, both Naples and Fillmore (9-8) delivered their first hits in the midst of a four-batter rotation between both defenses, with the Eagles garnering their hit on a two-out shot to left from James Hillman, advancing no further than second base to allow the Big Green to work towards their way off the field.
The defenses would continue to hold their ground leading up to the top of the third inning, when the No. 6 seeds became the first to strike with their backs completely against the wall with two outs, as Chase Bauman connected with a base hit into right field with two runners on, cycling one of them around to score, breaking the ice in the process.
The momentum then shifted gears in the No. 3 seeds’ favor in the bottom half, when they worked their game-tying run over to third base off a clutch Nolan Krzeminski bunt. But that would be all Fillmore could do for the time being, as the thunder delay held the action at a complete freeze.
Riding the coattails of Naples going into the recess, the message Bowers outlined for his team was quite simple: Have fun.
“We went into the delay with a runner on third and one out, down one. We knew it was a big run to get us back in it. Honestly, I told the kids to just keep it light during the delay,” he said. “We did some yoga, we played some games and we would continue to trust that our bats would come alive. We play our best when the guys are having fun and not thinking too much.”
That trust was implemented in full fruition.
On the very first at-bat coming out of the break, Jude Beardsley leveled the surface of the game before changing its complexion completely, providing a sacrifice fly into the outfield to score Krzeminski and tie the game — the first of what would be seven straight runs they scratched across against Naples.
After docking a momentum-sustaining zero in the fourth inning, the bats became a five-alarm fire at the plate in the bottom half for the Eagles, as they used a big RBI double and a giant two-run triple from Beardsley to cement their lead permanently on the Big Green, as they allowed just one more run across the homestretch to propel towards victory in the end.
Fillmore assembled seven runs off seven total hits at the plate, with an immaculate 3-for-3 outing from Jared Boon — the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, leading the way, as he posted a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
On the mound, Brayden Hennard was awarded the victory, going the first four innings with five strikeouts and three walks.
The Class D Semifinal round will see the Eagles go up against the No. 2 Arkport-Canaseraga Wolves for the third and final time this campaign, with each team splitting their regular season series in half.
Fillmore was victorious in their most recent clash in Arkport just two weeks ago, in a 3-0 shutout over the Wolves. First pitch for their Semifinal clash on Wednesday is yet to be determined.
Naples 001 010 0 – 2 4 3
Fillmore 001 600 X – 7 7 2
NAP – Grady Grove (LP) (4K, 3BB), Hunter Jacoby (5) (K, 2BB) and Oliver Bruen.
FIL – Brayden Hennard (WP) (5K, 3BB), Kalen Beardsley (5) (K, BB), Wade DeRock (6) (2K) and Nolan Krzeminski.
More stories after photos:
No. 1 Genesee Valley/Belfast 17, No. 8 Andover/Whitesville 1
BELMONT — In the bottom portion of their bracket’s subdivision, there was a very real possibility that Dennis Miles could encounter a Class D Semifinal crossroads with a very familiar opponent — Avoca-Prattsburgh.
A team that he won two Sectional titles with in four years before making his way back to Allegany County to lead Genesee Valley/Belfast.
After their defeat of No. 4 Lima Christian to fulfill their end of the bargain for the middle-of-the-week clash, it was now on the bracket’s top-seed to counter with theirs. In the Jungle in Belmont, Genesee Valley/Belfast wasted absolutely no time, as they emerged and set the tone with a massive first outing at the plate to claim a 17-1 home win over No. 9 Andover/Whitesville on Monday.
“One interesting thing about this game, baseball can become a crazy thing. We scored 11 runs all with two outs to start the game,” said GV/Belfast coach Dennis Miles. “That allowed us to break the game open early. I think we were mentally ready to face (Derek) Perkins, and he pitched three great innings against us in Cooperstown not too long ago, and since then, he’s pitched great. We just found a way to provide a different approach at the plate against him.”
Genesee Valley/Belfast (16-4) slammed straight down on the gas pedal following a strong game-opening sequence on the field, as they set the tone right away with all 17 of their runs scoring the first three innings of play — 12 of them during their opening at-bats to set the tone immediately.
The offense recorded 14 hits in all at the dish, with five different hitters composing at least a pair of hits. Leading the way were Ian McKenzie, Matt Cater and Evan Turybury, all having three hits each, with McKenzie driving in three runs, while Cater and Turybury each posted two RBI.
On the mound, the win belonged to Ben Cater, who went the first four innings with two strikeouts and six walks, as the Genesee Valley/Belfast pitching staff held Andover/Whitesville to just three hits in the contest.
One of them ended the No. 1 seed’s shutout bid in the top of the fourth inning, as Ethan Warriner delivered an RBI single to score Jake Mattison.
On the rubber, Vinny Joyce struck out four and walked three in his outing of relief.
Andover/Whitesville’s season has reached its conclusion, as they put the finishing touches on a 6-12 campaign on the field. The team will lose just one senior at the end of the school year, in Derek Perkins.
As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, the dinner table is now set for a Wednesday night at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast, as they now prepare to host the team that Miles last coached to Sectional glory just last season — No. 5 Avoca-Prattsburgh, with first pitch commencing at 5 p.m.
“It’s kind of a weird feeling, but a lot of these kids I’ve had the privilege of coaching for the last three, four years, and we won two Section V titles together. I was hoping that we wouldn’t face them, but now here we are. We will be ready for the challenge they will bring.” said Miles.
Andover/Whitesville 0 00 100 0 – 1 3 3
Genesee Valley/Belfast (12) 23 000 X – 17 14 1
A/W – Derek Perkins (LP) (6BB), Vinny Joyce (3) (4K, 3BB), Colton Calladine (7) (2K) and Calladine, Jake Mattison (7)
GVB – Ben Cater (WP) (2K, 6BB), Fisher Herdman (5) (4K), Trent Hutchison (7) and Evan Turybury.
SOFTBALL
Class C2 Quarterfinals
No. 6 Bolivar-Richburg 5, No. 3 South Seneca/Romulus 0
CAMPBELL — Since the end of April, the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg have found their rhythm. Standing at 4-7 overall following a split of Waterloo’s Strike-Out Cancer Tournament at that juncture in time, the No. 6 seeds in Class C2 have gone on a torrid run, winning eight of their last 10 games.
It was evident that there was no better time for the defending three-peat champions to begin carving a warpath back towards glory once again.
The next task ahead came in the shape of No. 3 South Seneca/Romulus over the road at Campbell-Savona on Monday, and it was a fierce defensive fight early on with each team exchanging three straight scoreless frames of play.
Only one team could come out unscathed in the end to continue marching towards the Sectional tournament’s big stage.
In the end, the red hot Lady Wolverines ensured it was them, as they went ahead of South Seneca/Romulus with three big runs, cementing their advantage even further during their final at-bats, all while Rylee Whiting kept holding the No. 3 seeds completely at bay to secure the biggest shutout of the season, claiming their spot in the Class C2 Semifinal round with a 5-0 blank in upset fashion.
Each inning for Bolivar-Richburg (13-9) on the field would last no more than four South Seneca/Romulus hitters at the plate, as the defense provided an absolutely stellar showing to keep them off the board completely.
As a result, the Lady Wolverines would transition some momentum over to the plater where they snapped a strand of three shutout innings between each squad with a three-run top of the fourth, paced by an RBI single from Cassidy Stives, a Danika Saunders sacrifice and one more additional RBI from Danika Loucks on error to score a 3-0 lead.
Whiting would then assume control of the team’s destiny back on the field to keep South Seneca/Romulus shut down while keeping their advantage firmly intact. She would go on to hold her opposition to just three hits behind 13 strikeouts and a walk.
Bolivar-Richburg helped finish off the contest with two final runs in the top of the seventh, stemming with the bases loaded, as Kylee Whiting chipped in with an RBI before some key base-running allowed the last of the pair to come across.
In all, the offense posted five runs off five hits, with Jayna Thomas and her two hits, including a triple, leading the way.
Thursday night, the Lady Wolverines hit the road once more to keep their second season alive with a visit to No. 2 Caledonia-Mumford for Class C2 Semifinal battle — a team that overcame a massive early deficit to No. 7 Honeoye and edged out a 15-12 victory at home later in the evening, to claim their vacancy.
Time for the first pitch is yet to be determined.
Bolivar-Richburg 000 300 2 – 5 5 0
SS/Romulus 000 000 0 – 0 3 3
B-R – Rylee Whiting (WP) (CG, 13K, BB) and Sydney Faulkner.
SS/R – Liz Barbay (LP) (CG, 7K, 2BB) and Chloe Scott.
No. 1 Dundee/Bradford 13, No. 9 Cuba-Rushford 2
BRADFORD — To earn their spot in the Quarterfinal round, the No. 9 Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford had to circumvent two different trailing points against Kendall to finish off a remarkable upset finish. That allowed them to make a reservation for a date with top-seeded Dundee/Bradford to keep a potential Cinderella story in the works, Monday night.
But right from the beginning, the clock would ultimately strike midnight on the strong Lady Rebels, as the top seeds brought the firepower right from the start to set a tone that they could not match, as their 2024 campaign on the field came to a complete close with a 13-2 victory in favor of the host Lady BraveScots, in Bradford.
“We got off to a slow start, but eventually settled in. Unfortunately, we couldn’t dig ourselves out of a hole we found ourselves in,” said Lady Rebels coach Mary Keesler. “I’m proud of the growth and fight in this group of girls. We are still a young team with a ton of potential. We made improvements in each game, and were in each and every one of them we played in. We will lose two seniors in Sydney (Howard) and Gianna (Loiacono), who have been a pleasure to coach and have helped grow our program. I am excited about what the future will bring for us next.”
All 13 of Dundee/Bradford’s runs came across the plate in the first three innings of play to set the tone against Cuba-Rushford, going through their lineup in one full go in the first inning to produce a 5-0 lead right off the bat. The top seeds would go on to keep the Lady Rebels at a complete standstill behind back-to-back four run frames to break the floodgates down completely.
The Lady Rebels were able to navigate their way onto the board for the very first time in the top of the fifth inning, ending Dundee/Bradford’s shutout bid with two RBI doubles off the bats of Arlah Shaffer and Sydney Howard — two of the team’s six hits they would muster in the game’s entirety.
Adding help along the way were Jordyn Radomski, who had two more hits of her own, while Katelyn Radomski and Lizzie Kocsis both had one to chip in.
On the mound, Jordyn Radomski was superb in relief. Following Dundee/Bradford’s inducing of damage, the Cuba-Rushford sophomore reliever would go on to hold the Lady BraveScots hitless for the remainder of the game, striking out three and walking two.
The season is over for the Lady Rebels, as they put a wrap on a 2024 season that saw them finish with a record of 7-8-1 overall. The team will part with two of their seniors: Howard and Gianna Loiacono, at the end of the school year just over a month from now.
Cuba-Rushford 000 020 0 – 2 6 3
Dundee/Bradford 544 000 X – 13 9 0
C-R – Sydney Howard (LP) (K, 3BB), Jordyn Radomski (4) (3K, 2BB) and Arlah Shaffer.
D/B – Adrienne Kendall (WP) (CG, 4K, 2BB) and Korrin Yeoman.
GOLF
Class D First Round
No. 6 Notre Dame-Batavia 191, No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast 207
WELLSVILLE — It was a fierce battle at the Wellsville Country Club to open up Sectional play on Monday. Every single golfer on the links stood right by one another on the scorecard, through and through, between visiting No. 6 Notre Dame-Batavia and host No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast.
But in the end, the match’s medalist round would hover in the direction of the Irish, as they provided just a bit more balance to their scorecard to record the upset victory over No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 191-207 decision.
“I am very happy with our fine young men and how we put our season together this year,” said GV/Belfast coach Lisa Scott-Schneider. “I’d like to thank our seniors, Chris (Weaver), Dakota (Hemphill), Jackson (Stout), Sean (Mahon), Jacob (Borden) and Tristan (Jenkins). Their dedication they brought to this program has helped bring this back with a winning formula. They will all be missed next year.”
Genesee Valley/Belfast was led by the team-leading round of 47 fired by Grant Preston. One stroke behind him, was another fine effort recorded by Will Guilford, who posted a 48. Chris Weaver chipped in with his score of 54, while Sean Mahon followed behind with a 58.
The 2024 season is now history for the Genesee Valley/Belfast golfers, as they put a wrap on a campaign that saw them go 11-3 overall.
