By JOHN ANDERSON, photo by ELLA GREEN (photo: From left, Hailey Cowburn, Tayler Palmatier, Lydia Brockway and Brynn Hallock)
Since 1990, pitching has defined Wellsville High School softball. The Lions were playing fastpitch and some teams looked like gym class pitching.
Players flocked from miles with their parents to learn pitching from Niles Herberger, whose first two students, his daughter’s Wendy and Vaneesa were the first of 270 pitchers he worked with.
The list of pitchers is too long to name, but the current staff has two once again in Kennedy Perry and Brynn Hallock.
However, on a night that featured an upset on the other side of Wellsville’s Section V Class B2 bracket, it wasn’t just pitching, it was hitting that lit up the skies at Tullar Field on Tuesday night.
All nine hitters in the Wellsville lineup had at least on hit as Wellsville downed #6 LeRoy (11-7), 8-1.
With the victory, Wellsville will take on No. 5 Avon (12-5), who upset #1 Mynderse (18-2), 5-1.
The Section V championship game will be played between Wellsville and Avon on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Gates-Chili High School.
There were more storylines as well.
“With this win, our seniors — Brynn Hallock, Ayla Faulkner and Teagan Burke — finish an undefeated career on our home Tullar Field,” said Wellsville coach Gia George.
The Wellsville pitching was tremendous again.
Junior pitcher Kennedy Perry, throwing to Hannah Bennett, tossed a complete game 3-hitter with 12 strikeouts and just one walk for Wellsville.
At the plate for Wellsville, Peyton Cawley (RBI), Teagan Burke and Kennedy Perry all had two hits.
The Lions also received hits from Ayla Faulkner (RBI), Brynn Hallock RBI double), Hailey Cowburn (RBI), Hannah Bennett (2 RBI’s), Tayler Palmatier and Lydia Brockway (RBI).
Hits will be important in the finals.
Avon’s senior pitcher Jessie Crye tossed a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts to down Mynderse. Charley Pierce had three hits for Avon as they team had 10 hits.
