(Photo: Did they win or lose? No one knows at Hank Sinkey Field when both teams line up for perfectly grilled roller dogs, chips and a drink after every game)
STORY AND PHOTO by JOHN ANDERSON
Another successful season of Little League baseball is in the books for Wellsville and on Tuesday night, Hank Sinkey Field in Island Park hosted the opening round of the 12u Little League All-Stars.
Formerly called 11-12 all-stars, this is the age group that dreams of advancing to Williamsport, Pa., for the World Series.
In th District 2 East Bracket, Wellsville opened with a 13-1 win over Portville in a game that was close until the last inning, and in game two on Tuesday, Fillmore defeated Cuba-Rushford/Bolivar-Richburg, 10-0 in five innings.
On Thursday in Wellsville’s Island Park, Wellsville and Portville square off at 5:30 p.m. followed by Portville vs. CR/BR. The winner of the second game plays on Saturday and the finals are on Monday, June 29 with the if necessary game on July 1.
The games on Tuesday featured a four-man volunteer umpire team of Jeff Taylor, Craig Plaisted, Marty Burroughs and Robert Wade. Taylor and Wade split games behind the plate.
In the West bracket for District 2, Allegany defeated Springville and Ellicottville-Cattaraugus-Little Valley defeated Olean, 5-4.
Here are the game results:
WELLSVILLE 13, PORTVILLE 1
Portville jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Hawkslee Phillips scored after reaching on a dropped third strike strikeout nand a single by Cruz Taylor.
However, Wellsville’s Bentley Crittenden and Wyatt Green combined for the win and the save as they struck out 10, scattered four hits and only walked one batter.
Portville’s Ian Studley had a solid outing with five strikeouts, but hit the pitch threshold. Portville used several relief pitchers to keep the game close until Wellsville exploded for nine runs in the top of the sixth to turn a 4-1 game into a 13-1 win.
Wellsville’s Braidon Potter was 3-for-3 with a double, three RBI’s and a run while Jace HerrNecker blasted a double, had two hits and scored a run. Crittenden was 2-for-3 with a run and Mason Russo was 2-for-2 with a RBI, two runs and a stolen base.
Green had a RBI, two walks and a run, Wyatt Scheible had a hit, scored two runs, reached base all four times up, had two walks and a RBI. Maddoc Johnson had a 2-RBI double and scored, Felix Grimes had a walk, stolen base and a run, Sullivan Kehrer reached all three times with a single, two walks and scored twice while Luke Aftuck had a RBI, run and a walk.
Wellsville’s manager is Dan Russo.
For Portville, Jack Matz had two hits and pitched well in relief, Ian Studley reached twice, Dom Buckner singled and reached twice, Hunter Manroe was on base twice, Jonah Washington, Maxwell Landries also reached and Collin Johnston had a nice single for manager Mike Matz’s squad.
FILLMORE 10, CR/BR 0
Fillmore’s Aiden McCumiskey came close to the complete game, throwing a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts through 4.1 innings. Thomas Swift came in and struck out the only two batters he faced.
For Fillmore at the plate, Ian Corbin reached three times and scored twice, Emmett Wilcox had two hits and scored twice with a RBI, Beau Nevinger had two hits, a walk and scored twice, Aaron Romance had two hits and RBI and a run and Jacob Delude was 2-for-2 with a RBI and run.
Swift had a RBI, single and stolen base, McCumiskey singled, Bryce Oyer had a RBI single, walked and scored, Judah Bialek had a RBI and scored, Westley Beardsley had a RBi and Zander Myers had a RBI. Fillmore is managed by Matt Beardsley.
For CR/BR, Levi Miller doubled and Jaxson Feuchter reached twice. Duke Allen, Greyson Wight, Colden Kuhn and Bentley Walters all reached base. The manager is Shay Klotz.
