Joey Nickerson had the go-ahead 3-RBI hit in the sixth inning to put Scio-Friendship ahead for good. Photo and graphic by Trisha Davenport.
By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
SCIO — Clutch hitting can always play a major key in who comes away victorious night in, and night out. On Friday, it was down to the wire in Scio. With a late tie awaiting to be broken by both Genesee Valley/Belfast and host Friendship/Scio, something surely had to give in crunch time.
In the sixth inning, the hosts made sure the opportunity wasn’t wasted, as they broke a 2-2 tie with a big four-run frame to spring themselves ahead and into the driver’s seat, while the dfense managed to shut down Genesee Valley/Belfast one final time to secure the win, as they took the 6-2 decision away from the JagDogs.
“It was a great game, and there were a lot of back and forth play going on. Our bats were able to come alive at the right time,” said Friendship/Scio coach Brad Gertis. “Ethan Davenport threw an amazing game tonight. He was able to mix his pitches, and work out of a couple of big jams. The defense stayed strong behind him, even though we did a lot of bending but we never broke.”
The game was determined in the bottom of the sixth after both teams navigated their way toward a 2-2 tie through the past five innings leading up to the shape-shifting frame for Friendship/Scio (1-4). The frame was started by a Gabin Benhassine single to start getting the pistons firing on all cylinders. Later on, the gates opened as Joey Nickerson delivered with a clutch two-out, bases-clearing single to help record a four-run sixth inning to put the hosts ahead essentially for good.
While Friendship/Scio deliverd the win, Ethan Davenport was able to outlast Genesee Valley/Belfast’s (1-5) Matt Cater, as the two starting pitchers engaged in a fierce battle through the first four innings, both eclipsing at least 10 strikeouts in the game. Davenport went the distance for Friendship/Scio, striking out 10 and walking two in his twirled five-hitter.
On the other side, Cater dished out 11 strikeouts of his own to pair with five walks across four innings of work for Genesee Valley/Belfast. At the plate, Matt Weaver was the sole producer of the team’s two-run fourth, as he drove in an RBI to go with his two hits. Carter Stout added a single, and scored a run.
Both teams are back on the field on Monday in a pair of 5 p.m. contests, as Friendship/Scio heads back to Friendship to play host to Hinsdale, while Genesee Valley/Belfast heads back on the road themselves with a visit to Bolivar-Richburg.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 200 0 – 2 5 3
Friendship/Scio 100 014 X – 6 4 3
GVB – Matt Cater (11K, 5BB), Thai Norasethaporn (LP, 5) (2K, 4BB), and Matt Weaver.
F/S – Ethan Davenport (WP) (CG, 10K, 2BB), and Landen Arnold.
Fillmore 16, Andover/Whitesville 2 (F-6)
ANDOVER — After Fillmore was able to get on the board to start the day, host Andover/Whitesville provided a big response of their own in their first at-bats, tying the game with one swing to force an early chess match in Andover on Friday.
But soon after, the Eagles took over shop, as the offense began to click on all facets, scoring at least a pair of runs in four of the last five innings of the night, while Luke Colombo kept the hosts at bay with a sublime stint of pitching on the rubber, as Fillmore soared their way towards a 16-2 victory after six innings.
Five different Eagles (5-1) all had a hand in jumpstarting the production on the attack, as Colombo, Brent Zubikowski, Nolan Krzeminski, Aiden Wagner and Alex Ellsworth each recorded a pair of hits, with Colombo and Krzeminski lifting the Eagles into the driver’s seat ultimately for good behind back-to-back RBI doubles in the team’s four-run second inning that broke a 2-2 tie.
From that point forward, the Eagles went on to score 14 unanswered runs while Colombo held Andover/Whitesville (1-2) in check after a two-run blast from Layton Miller saw them provide an early deadlock in the bottom of the first. The Fillmore hurler handed out 10 chairs in all along with two walks while allowing just one more hit after the Miller home run to take care of business.
On the other side, Miller fanned four and walked five in his four inning start for the hosts. The team’s final hit would come off the bat of Luke Erdmann, who scored a single in the bottom of the fourth. Andover/Whitesville will return to action Tuesday night back on their home field, as they welcome in Avoca/Prattsburgh for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch in Andover.
Fillmore will take aim at potentially a sixth win in their first seven games on Monday, when they hit the road for a 5 p.m. clash with Cuba-Rushford.
Fillmore 242 305 – 16 14 0
Andover/Whitesville 200 000 – 2 2 5
FIL – Luke Colombo (WP) (CG, 10K, 2BB), and Nolan Krzeminski.
A/W – Layton Miller (LP) (4K, 5BB), Brody Carlin (5) (K, 2BB), and CJ Estep.
Bolivar-Richburg 20, Hinsdale 0 (F-5)
BOLIVAR — After a back and forth war against Fillmore back on Wednesday, the momentum wave that was created by Bolivar-Richburg was theirs to surf into the weekend. It began on Friday with a return back home, one that saw three different pitchers combine to throw the County’s first no-hitter in baseball, as the Wolverines coasted past visiting Hinsdale with a 20-0 victory in five innings.
While the pitching staff kept the visiting Bobcats at bay, the Wolverines (5-0) offense came alive in the same turn, as they scored 20 runs off 10 total hits, accounting for a run in each of the first four innings. Among the frames, a massive 13-run fourth inning that ultimately pushed their lead out insurmountably in the end to secure their fifth straight win to begin the young season.
On the hill, Caden Allen, Cam MacDonell and Reiss Gaines all combined to toss a no-hitter for the hosts in black and red, handing out a combined 11 chairs to go with three walks, with MacDonell’s relief appearance charging the defense with six strikeouts and two walks across just over two innings. At the plate, Aydin Sisson and Darien Champlin led the bats with a pair each, with Sisson driving in a run and scoring three times, while Champlin drove in a pair.
In addition, Gaines contributed three RBI, while Evan Pinney added in a two-run single. For Hinsdale (0-2), Sam Cashimere struck out one and walked five in his relief appearance on the mound. The Bobcats will hit the road Monday night to Friendship for a 5 p.m. contest against Friendship/Scio.
Bolivar-Richburg will hit the road themselves this afternoon for a 1 p.m. showdown in the Lion’s Den, as they get set to search for their sixth straight win against host Wellsville.
Hinsdale 000 0 0 – 0 0 3
Bolivar-Richburg 331 (13) X – 20 10 0
HIN – Xander Pascucci (LP) (7BB), Sam Cashimere (3) (K, 5BB), Landen Wyant (5), and Parker Cummins.
B-R – Caden Allen (WP) (2K, BB), Cam MacDonell (3) (6K, 2BB), Reiss Gaines (5) (3K), and Aydin Sisson.
