By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
ANDOVER — Like most close battles, crunch time is when the pressure really begins to mount. On Friday, that was no different in Andover, with host Andover/Whitesville trading barbs with the visiting Lady Eagles of Fillmore.
The back and forth blows came at a premium, with multiple ties and lead changes coming as a result of it. After Fillmore found a way to take Andover/Whitesville’s first lead away from them, the hosts had to react quickly. Starting in the fifth inning, they would go on to rattle off five unanswered runs, including a three-spot in the sixth to pull themselves back ahead for good to secure a 9-6 home win over the Lady Eagles.
“It was a fun game tonight,” said Andover/Whitesville co-coach Al Barber. “Both starting pitchers did well to keep the game close early, and both had their fair share of errors and base-running mistakes. We were on the cusp of having a big sixth inning with the bases loaded, but we invented new ways to get ourselves out. Fillmore started to comeback in the seventh, but if it wasn’t for a big catch, we probably could be still playing.”
Baserunning saw Fillmore strike first right away in the third inning, with two of their runs scratching across on error. But not long after the afact, Andover/Whitesville (2-1) came right back with a punch the size of a four-run third in the bottom half, with Rachel Jackson providing a big bat that saw her drive a two-run triple to the outfield to help power the hosts ahead.
In the top of the fourth, the Lady Eagles (3-3) continued to repsond with a three-run frame of their own doing, led by back-to-back RBI from Zoe Beardsley and Lizzy Nugent, each recording an RBI single and double respectively to vault over Andover/Whitesville in the lead by a 6-4 count.
That lead would remain until the last two innings before the seventh for the hosts, as Gabbi Hall started a two-run fifth off with an RBI single. The game was officially put on ice a single inning later, as Gabby Terhune provided two major pieces of insurance — a two-run single to score Zoey Lee and Hall to give Andover/Whitesvlle the room they needed to survie in the end.
Makaila Brewster struck out four and walked two in her four-inning start before Zoey Lee came aboard to add in a fan and two walks along the way for the hosts.
On the other side of the field, Saige Friedl went the distance for the Lady Eagles, fanning eight and walking three. At the plate, Lizzy Nugent had the big bat, recording a double and driving in three runs. Fillmore will hit the road for Cuba-Rushford Monday night for a 5 p.m. contest.
Andover/Whitesville rides their momentum into Richburg this morning, as they get set to face the host Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg in an 11 a.m. first pitch.
Fillmore 003 300 0 – 6 6 4
Andover/Whitesville 004 023 X – 9 6 5
FIL – Saige Friedl (LP) (CG, 8K, 3BB), and Lizzy Nugent.
A/W – Makaila Brewster (4K, 2BB), Zoey Lee (WP, 5) (K, 2BB), and Gabbi Hall.
SOFTBALL
Friendship/Scio 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
SCIO — It was as good of a pitcher’s duel as any between Genesee Valley/Belfast and Friendship/Scio from across the road at the softball field in Scio, Friday evening. Both Ashley Burrows and Nevaeh Ross went pitch for pitch down to the end in a game that just saw five hits combined between their respective teams.
Fortunately for Friendship/Scio, their offense came towards the beginning stages of the battle, scoring all three runs in the second and third innings with just three big swings while Ross continued to hand out one chair after another to help the defending Class D2 champions squeeze their way towards a 3-0 shutout win, their fifth in a row.
While the offense broke the ice beginning in the second inning, Ross headlined the defensive outburst with yet another twirled gem from within the circle, as the Friendship/Scio (5-0) sophomore handed out 16 chairs and walked just one, holding Genesee Valley/Belfast to just a pair of hits at the plate.
The hosts were the first to strike on a fielder’s choice from Jadeyn Shields in the second inning, scratching Katherine Lamberson across. Then Ross and Lamberson provided back-to-back RBI hits in the third inning to put an early bow on the scoring, with Ross driving in younger sister, Morghyn Ross on a deep triple, while Nevaeh scored an at-bat later off Lamberson’s RBI single.
In addition to the RBI hits, Morghyn Ross added a first inning two-out double to help the cause.
For the Lady JagDogs (1-4), Ashley Burrows turned in a fine performance of her own to counter Ross’, as she struck out 10 and walked three from the rubber. The team would collect just two hits, with Hannah Southwick-Powers recording a triple, while Brooke Middaugh had a single.
Friendship/Scio will now have a little time away to regroup before they go for their sixth straight win to start the season on Wednesday, when they visit the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines in a 5 p.m. showdown, while Genesee Valley/Belfast gets their first crack at the defending Class C2 champions right after the weekend on Monday at 5 p.m.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 000 0 – 0 2 3
Friendship/Scio 012 000 0 – 3 3 3
GVB – Ashley Burrows (LP) (CG, 10K, 3BB), and Harley Proctor.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 16K, BB), and Morghyn Ross.
GOLF
Fillmore 40, Genesee Valley/Belfast 15
WELLSVILLE — There was no better day for a round on the links than a Friday afternoon at the Wellsville Country Club, where the Eagles of Fillmore controlled much of the field with a pair of drivers scoring medalist round honors in their 40-15 road victory over host Genesee Valley/Belfast.
At the end of it, it was Will Roeske and Haley Hall came away as the top winners for the visitors, each firing the round of 54 to help pace the field for the Eagles (2-0). Following behind on the Fillmore scorecard was Reid Cockle, who fired a round of 57. Issac Sylvester provided a 60, while Anderson Wilsey rounded off with a 64.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (0-2) was led by a team-low round of 64 from Dakota Hemphill. Jack Stout chipped in with a 67, while Chris Weaver followed behind with a 68. Zach Davis and Addy Herring rounded off the JagDogs card with rounds of 72, and 73 respectively.
Both teams are back on the links Monday night with a 4 p.m. tee-time, as Fillmore visits the Bolivar Golf Club to take on the host Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines, while Genesee Valley/Belfast heads out to Allegany Hills to visit the host Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.
