By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
ST. BONAVENTURE — The Lions of Wellsville and host Olean saw their offenses form an eruption that would turn into a back-and-forth affair through a good portion of the battle, Monday evening. Haymakers were traded between the Lions and Huskies, but the knockout blow was delivered coming down the homestretch.
Wellsville has Jere Havens to thank for it, as the cardiac kids came through once again in the last three innings of play.
The Lions went on to account for six of the game’s final eight runs, with Havens’ big hit in the top of the sixth providing the difference maker, setting up for a flood of insurance to come across in their final at-bats while the defense held off a late comeback bid to secure their fourth straight win by a 9-7 count at St. Bonaventure.
“I think one of the differences in the game was the production in the second half of our lineup,” Lions coach Tom Delahunt said. “Hitters six, seven, eight and nine really came through for us tonight, and it made a huge difference. We put the bat on the ball, and for the most part it went into play. We only struck out five times, and we stayed aggressive. Some of our regulars like Cody (Costello), Alex (Green) and Tyler (Vogel) didn’t have the hits they normally do, but that was when the bottom half picked up when they had to, and when we needed to.”
In the early stages of the fierce battle, Wellsville (9-6) had to ward off some pressure provided by the Huskies after taking a 3-0 lead right out of the gate. With the hosts creeping closer to their lead in their first at-bats, they would work their way into the lead after three complete, scoring a pair in the third inning to grab the 4-3 lead to control.
Down the home stretch, it was a matter of what team wanted it more in the end, as both Wellsville and Olean continued to deal. But when the time came, Havens made sure the Lions wanted it the most, as he provided the final lead change of the game with his two-run single engineering a 6-5 lead that they would hold onto for dear life.
In the top of the seventh, the insurance would come. Three additional runs for the visitors would come across, one on the same play that began at the plate, as Aidan Riley blasted an RBI-triple-on-error into the outfield, touching all the bags before scoring to help push Wellsville’s lead to four.
Olean would provide a late response coming down their final home stretch of the game, but in the end, it was not enough to overcome, as they scored two final runs to cut their deficit down to a pair.
Wellsville totaled nine runs off nine hits on the offensive, with Havens leading the charge behind his solid 3-for-4 outing, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Riley followed with two hits himself, driving in and scoring a pair of runs. Logan Dunbar chipped in with a hit and two RBI, while Alex Green, Cooper Brockway and Kavan O’Grady all had a hit and RBI to contribute.
On the mound, the Lions saw another phenomenal start from Ty Vogel, going six strong behind 10 strikeouts and four walks to pick up the victory.
“He really had to battle through his innings,” Delahunt said of Vogel. “He had a couple of really long innings, and he had a little tough time getting comfortable at Bonaventure. But he eventually got into a rhythm, he started to mix his pitches really well. Sometimes that’s what you have to do when you don’t have your best stuff. He fought through an enormous amount of adversity to help give us this win.”
The Lions are back home tonight to host Senior Night, where they will honor their three Seniors – Havens, Alex Perkins and Dylan Culver, before taking on the Hornell Red Raiders in a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.
Wellsville 300 012 3 – 9 9 0
Olean 202 010 2 – 7 11 2
WLSV – Ty Vogel (WP) (10K, 4BB), Jere Havens (7) (K), and Alex Green.
OLE – Railey Silvis (LP) (3K, 3BB), Ethan Sumsinski (6) (K, BB), Lucas Brushingham (7) (K, BB), and Dom Henzel.
Fillmore 2, Arkport/Canaseraga 1
FILLMORE — The pitcher’s duel was a common trend across much of the area on Monday. Among the other places that managed to see one unfold, was in Fillmore.
Arkport/Canaseraga’s Tidus Marvin and Fillmore’s Graham Cahill fought pitch for pitch across all seven innings of play in a defensive battle that saw runs become an absolute luxury to hang on the scoreboard out in the outfield.
For the most part, both the Wolves and Eagles had to rely on special teams around the bases if they wanted to do any sort of ice-cracking on the frontlines.
It would be a one-run game at the end of it, and when the time for manufacturing arrived, the hosts in green came through.
Fillmore would use their legs to score both of their runs, the latter of which giving them the lead over Arkport/Canaseraga in the bottom of the fifth, gaining the upperhand and using it to hang onto until the final pitch was thrown by Cahill at the plate, as he went on to win the pitcher’s duel and the game for the Eagles by a 2-1 count over the Wolves.
“It was a nice win, and the kids played really well. The defense was solid, and I thought Arkport was pretty solid too making some plays in the field,” said Eagles coach Bill Nolan. “Graham threw well to keep up with their pitcher. They loaded the bases behind him pretty early on, but he was able to get out of it and settle down afterward. It was a pretty good game I think both coaches would be satisified with.”
After both Marvin and Cahill delivered two consecutive shutout innings to begin their clash, Fillmore (11-1) would be the first to strike in the home half of the third, with Nolan Krzeminski charging up the special teams on offense with his fielder’s choice reaching the infield far enough to plate Jude Beardsley from third to get the Eagles off and running.
Through the battle once more on the mound, Arkport/Canaseraga found their opening in the top of the fifth, taking the lead way from Fillmore and using it to tie the game at one on each side with their lone run.
Fortunately for the Eagles, they collected one final run almost immediately after the Wolves forced the tie, as Alex Ellsworth led off the inning with a triple, landing on third before coming home to score the team’s go-ahead and game-winning run, securing the victory – their 11th in the last 12 games, for good.
Cahill would record the victory on the rubber for the Eagles, striking out six and walking one. At the plate, Fillmore collected four hits in all with Ellsworth tallying a pair including his lead-off triple in the fifth. Aiden Wagner and Jude Beardsley rounded off with a hit each.
Fillmore will now get set for a big road trip tonight, as they visit the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Arkport/Canaseraga 000 010 0 – 1 7 1
Fillmore 001 010 X – 2 4 2
A/C – Tidus Marvin (LP) (CG, 6K, 2BB), and B. Drake.
FIL – Graham Cahill (WP) (CG, 6K, BB), and Alex Ellsworth.
Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg 4, Cuba-Rushford 3
CUBA — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were given a chance right away to make some noise on Monday. After they went on to take an early lead from Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg, the defenses began to hunker down.
Although the hosts were able to take the lead away from their visiting opposition, they would garner multiple opportunities to help branch it out. Instead, Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg would take matters into their own hands.
In the top of the fifth and going forward, the game was now in their possession, as they posted a game-tying frame before taking the lead away with a clutch final session of at-bats that resulted in them taking the lead away from the Rebels for good, as they edged their way back onto the buses and back home with a 4-3 road win.
“It was a very well played game by both teams tonight,” said Rebels coach Pat Wight. “We had some chances early on with guys aboard to extend our lead, but we just could not find the big hit when we needed it the most. I am proud of the effort from the guys and how they were able to grind this out, with this being out fourth game in the last five days.”
Through a complete first inning that saw Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg take the opening bite in the starting frame, some zeroes would be traded. That was until the Rebels (5-9) dug their way onto the board with a three-run frame paced by a sacrifice fly from Jon White, and later an RBI single from Austin Clement to take a 3-1 lead.
It would remain the same score all the way up until the top half of the fifth, when Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg saw Jared Ainsworth come up with one of the team’s clutchest hits of the afternoon – a two-run double to tie the game right back up again at three going into the game’s final inning.
In the seventh, the Rebels would lose complete control of their lead, as they scored a go-ahead single from Hunter McCaffery, plating a run along the way to maintain their side of the boat. In the bottom half, the team would go on to shut down Cuba-Rushford, hanging one final zero to end the day by tallying the victory.
Despite the outcome, White provided another solid stand on the mound for the Rebels, as he struck out six and walked one in his six-inning start. At the plate, Logan Lewis led all batters with a 2-for-4 outing and an RBI.
The Rebels are back in action tomorrow night right back on their home field, as they host Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 5 p.m. battle.
C-G/J-T 100 020 1 – 4 8 3
Cuba-Rushford 030 000 0 – 3 6 2
CGJT – Noah Warriner (WP) (CG, 2K, 3BB), and Jared Ainsworth.
C-R – Jon White (LP) (6K, BB), Benson McCumiskey (7) (K), and Logan Lewis.
Avoca/Prattsburgh 21, Friendship/Scio 2 (F-5)
PRATTSBURGH — All that Avoca/Prattsburgh needed to get their game off on the right foot, was a quick knockout punch in their first at-bats, as they went on to score a 9-0 lead against Friendship/Scio that they never looked back from to roll towards their eighth win in the last nine by a 21-2 count on Monday, in Prattsburgh.
While the bats collected 21 runs off 12 total hits at the plate, Hayden Abbott held Friendship/Scio (5-9) in check for most of the game, keeping them at bay with just five hits behind 12 strikeouts and two walks in his tossed complete game for the hosts in green.
Friendship/Scio was able to find their way onto the board for the first and only time in the top half of the third, as Ethan Davenport provided one of his team-leading three hits with a two-run single. He would finish 3-for-3 at the plate.
“He’s the best looking eighth grader I’ve seen all year,” Avoca/Prattsburgh coach Dennis Miles said of Davenport. “He is really good, and he is certainly someone that you can build a team around for the future. I was a little disappointed in the sloppy play on our part, but we’re still putting things together, especially on the mound. But it seems to all be coming together at the right time.”
Leading the bats for Avoca/Prattsburgh (10-4) was Macoy Putnam, who went 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Pacey Hopkins, Jamel Crowder and Josiah Stilson all had two hits each to pitch in, with Hopkins and Stilson each recording a double. The hosts will travel to Hammondsport in a 5 p.m. first pitch tonight.
Friendship/Scio is back on the road Wednesday night for a 5 p.m. visit to Lima Christian.
Friendship/Scio 002 00 – 2 5 4
Avoca/Prattsburgh 907 5X – 21 12 3
Bolivar-Richburg 19, Andover/Whitesville 1 (F-5)
BOLIVAR — The bats came alive right from the start, despite Andover/Whitesville breaking the ice first in the visiting half of the opener, as the Wolverines responded by setting the tone for the rest of the game with the next 19 runs, 15 of them coming in the second inning to pull away towards a 19-1 win in five innings on Monday.
Five different Wolverines (13-1) all recorded at least a pair of hits at the plate, with the team recording 16 in all to fuel the offensive victory. Among them, Landon Danaher led the way with a 3-for-3 afternoon, driving in a pair and scoring three times. Aydin Sisson and Matt Mitchell chipped in with three hits each with Mitchell driving in three runs.
Furthering the cause was Trey Buchholz and Reiss Gaines, who each garnered three RBI off two hits, while Wyatt Karnuth tallied an inside-the-park two-run home run. On the mound, Sawyer Johnson collected the victory with five strikeouts and two walks.
Andover/Whitesville (2-9) was able to get on the board with the first run of the game behind just three hits, with Layton Miller’s triple paving the way. Luke Erdmann would also add in a hit.
Both teams are back in action tonight in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches, with Bolivar-Richburg looking to complete the season sweep against Fillmore, while Andover/Whitesville looks to regroup back home in Whitesville against Hinsdale.
Andover/Whitesville 1 0 0 00 – 1 3 3
Bolivar-Richburg 3 (15)0 1X – 19 16 0
A/W – Cormac Brown (LP) (3BB), Luke Erdmann (2) (2BB), Landon Cook (3) (3BB), and Colby Calladine.
B-R – Sawyer Johnson (WP) (5K, 2BB), Evan Pinney (5), and Aydin Sisson.
