Roundup and Photo Gallery by CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — No better beginning has gone on better than what the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines have put together thus far. The defending Class C2 champions have won six straight games, with their offense and defense clicking on all facets. On Saturday, they took a trip into the Lion’s Den in hopes of taking care of business once more.
Through the first inning, each team found their way off the field. But in the midst of it, a spark.
Landon Danaher brought the gas.
The Bolivar-Richburg senior was simply remarkable and unstoppable on the hill across six shutout innings, allowing just a single hit to keep Wellsville off the board completely, handing out 12 chairs and walking just three before Trey Buchholz came on to finish the job in the seventh, as the two Wolverines hurlers combined to record a massive two-hit shutout of the Lions, netting their seventh straight win to begin the season in a 9-0 road win.
“I tip my cap to Danaher, because he pitched one heck of a ballgame for them,” said Lions coach Tom Delahunt. “He was dealing, and he was the star and difference in this game today. He gave up one hit, he spotted his fastball very well and had a curveball that had a lot of bite to it. He was the difference, and playing our third game in a row, we had some jet lag, but it is what it is. When you go up against a pitcher like that, he will find a way to make you pay.”
Both teams came off the field rather quickly to begin the afternoon, including the Wolverines (7-0) defense who assumed control of the game right from the start after a near-immaculate inning from the arm of Danaher, fanning the first two batters in six pitches before allowing Wellsville’s first baserunner to reach, and be left on after a groundout in the infield.
The inning would provide some fuel for the offense in turn for the visitors in black and red, as begun the scoring with the first of seven unanswered runs against the Lions (3-4), as Aydin Sisson fired off a first-pitch base hit through the left side to plate Reiss Gaines, who led off with a first pitch hit of his own — a two-out double down the left field line.
Three runs would come across in the top of the third, as the gates began to open for Bolivar-Richburg, with Trey Buchholz, Wyatt Karnuth and Cam MacDonell all delivered three straight RBIs, with Karnuth and MacDonell blasting back-to-back drives into left field to end the scoring. Another three-run frame would soon come to fruition, with Karnuth leading the way once more with a big two-run double launched to the fence in left field to branch their lead to seven.
While the offense continued to click, Danaher remained in command on the mound, as he would finish his stand after the Wolverines scored their final two runs of the game in the top of the sixth, dropping a season-high 12 strikeouts and three walks whilst holding Wellsville to a single hit — a Cody Costello single that squirted into shallow right field to reach base.
Buchholz would then enter to finish off the shutout for the visitors in the seventh, handing out just one strikeout while the defense behind him sealed the win for good with a quick outing on the field, cooling off a team that had recorded at least 10 runs in four of their first five games.
At the end of it all, Danaher and Karnuth led the bats with two each out of the team’s eight in all they would record. On the other side, Cooper Brockway added Wellsville’s final hit in the seventh inning on a base hit into the outfield. On the mound, Aiden Cowburn struck out two and walked three in relief.
Both teams are back in action Monday night in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches, as Bolivar-Richburg heads back home to welcome Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Wellsville also travels to take on Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg.
Bolivar-Richburg 013 302 0 – 9 8 1
Wellsville 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
B-R – Landon Danaher (WP) (12K, 3BB), Trey Buchholz (7) (K), and Aydin Sisson.
WLSV – Aidan Riley (LP) (5BB), Aiden Cowburn (5) (2K, 3BB), and Alex Green.
Bolivar-Richburg 17, Andover/Whitesville 2
RICHBURG — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg struck all chords on the field, from the hitting to the defense, as they accounted for a run in every inning while Haley Mascho took command of the defense from within the circle, holding visiting Andover/Whitesville to just three hits in their 17-2 victory on Saturday in five innings.
Andover/Whitesville was the first to get on the board with a lead-off single from Aislinn Hamilton, who scored later on Rachel Jackson’s double to break the ice. Soon after, Bolivar-Richburg (4-0) took over the scoring with 14 unanswered runs beginning with their first at-bats, which were powered by an RBI single from Maddy Thornton to help jumpstart a three-run frame to take the lead.
Four more runs came across in the second to help distance the Lady Wolverines advantage behind some key baserunning before the bats reactivated once more in the third, with Thornton, Madigan Harris and Malayna Ayers hitting three straight doubles before Jessica Majot contributed even more damage with an RBI triple to help account for a six-run frame, eclipsing the 10-run mark along the way.
The visitors would find their way onto the board one more time before the Lady Wolverines put the finishing touches on the victory with a pair of home runs coming from McKinlee Harris, and Jessica Majot, each sending a solo shot into orbit, with Harris providing hers in a three-run fourth inning, while Majot ended the shortened game with hers in the bottom of the fifth inning.
While the hosts found their groove behind a 14-hit performance on offense, Mascho delivered a three-hit victory on the field, fanning eight and walking one to pick up her first win of the season. She along with McKinlee Harris led the offense with three hits, while Majot, Ayers and Madigan Harris had two each.
Makaila Brewster fanned one and walked one in her start for Andover/Whitesville (2-2), and also added in a hit of her own to round off the offense.
Both teams are back in action Monday night in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches, as Bolivar-Richburg goes for five in a row to start the season against Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Andover/Whitesville looks to rebound on the road, visiting Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg.
Andover/Whitesville 100 10 – 2 3 7
Bolivar-Richburg 346 31 – 17 14 1
A/W – Makaila Brewster (LP) (CG, K, BB), and Gabbi Hall.
B-R – Haley Mascho (WP) (CG, 8K, BB), and Madigan Harris.
TRACK
B-R boys, Wellsville’s Dorrough shine at Olean Boosters Invite
OLEAN — Many schools from across the region met in Olean on a gorgeous Saturday for a mid-season showcase like no other — The Ried’s Food Barn Invitational.
Five different teams from Allegany County were among the visitors that made the trek over to Cattaragus County to compete with some of the best across Section VI, including the Bolivar-Richburg boys, who recorded 69 points overall to place fourth behind multiple top six finishes.
Rudy Polk led the way for the Wolverines with four of them, including a first place win in the long jump, and added second place finishes in the 100 dash and triple jump, as well as a third place finish in the 200 dash. Lloyd Kinnicutt shined from the field in both throwing events, collecting second place finishes in the shot put and discus, while Hunter Stuck placed third and fourth in both hurdling events — the 110 and 400 hurdles respectively.
Rounding off was Ethan Coleman, who powered his way towards a sixth place finish in the 400 dash.
Another stand-out performance putting her full talent on display, was Wellsville’s Alyssa Dorrough, who received the top medal in both throwing events, garnering winning distances on both the shot put and discus, the prior eclipsing a new personal best for the Lady Lion. Her top finishes from the field would earn her one of the meet’s highest honors — the Fay Cosen Most Outstanding Performer.
The regular season track schedule will resume on Tuesday with multiple Allegany County schools making their return to action. Below is the schedule:
Wellsville at Bath-Haverling, 4:30 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg, Friendship/Scio at Genesee Valley/Belfast, 5 p.m.
Fillmore, Houghton Academy at Cuba-Rushford, 5 p.m.
