Photos and story by CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
SCIO — Just days removed from their epic clash against Bolivar-Richburg late last week, Friendship/Scio was on the rebound.
Their opponent on Monday was no slouch – that being the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles, who are as tough as they come not only in Class D, but in Section V in recent years. Fortunately enough for the hosts, they were able to get the pistons firing on all cylinders right from the start.
While Nevaeh Ross held complete command all game long from inside the circle, the bats for Friendship/Scio would soon follow with Katherine Lamberson leading the way behind a massive night at the plate, helping the team cruise past the Lady Eagles and toward their 10th win of the season by a 12-1 count in Scio.
“It was great to bounce back tonight. We hit the ball really well tonight, especially in the middle of our lineup. While we found our bats, Nevaeh gave us another great game. She pitched well, and this was the kind of game we wanted to get, to build our confidence back up.” said Friendship/Scio coach Deb Kane.
Friendship/Scio (10-3) start off strong through the first three innings of play, grabbing a 5-0 jump on Alfred-Almond, with Kendra Gleason starting it off in the opening stage with a groundball to the left side of the infield which would score a run in the process to break the ice.
The bats would continue to escalate going forward with another run off a Kiara Grover single coming across, and then the first of two huge two-run hits from Lamberson beginning in the bottom of the third, as it opened up the five-run lead on the Lady Eagles.
After both teams shelled out quick stands in the fourth, Friendship/Scio went straight back to work with seven combined runs in their last two outings at the plate, including a three-run fifth that saw Kadence Donohue power it up with a big RBI double, while Lamberson added a two-run double to finish off what was a magnificent day of offense in the team’s four-run sixth inning.
In the midst of their offensive explosion, Nevaeh Ross was at the top of her game once more in the circle, holding Alfred-Almond without a single hit up until the top of the seventh, when they led off with a single to erase the no-hit bid. At the same time, Alfred-Almond would also score their first and only run of the game.
Ross would finish with 15 strikeouts in her one-hit complete game. On the attack, Lamberson led all Friendship/Scio bats with three hits, totaling four RBI. Ross, Gleason and Donohue would follow with two hits each.
Friendship/Scio heads down the road to Belmont on Thursday, as they visit Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Alfred-Almond 000 000 1 – 1 1 7
Friendship/Scio 113 034 X – 12 13 2
A-A – Olivia Flaitz (LP) (CG, 4K, BB), and Ali Hurd.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 15K), and Morghyn Ross
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, Avoca/Prattsburgh 1
BELMONT — Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Annabella Putnam and Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Hannah Southwick-Powers were both on a mission for their respective teams on Monday. To start the new week of action, the two hurlers were docking outs left and right until there were no more to be had.
The defensive battle between the two clubs began to sink in fairly quickly in the beginning of their battle in Belmont, but then the offense began to pick up.
Fortunately enough, the Lady JagDogs were the team that struck first, as they scored the game’s first four runs – two coming across in both the fourth and fifth innings to crack the ice large enough to remain in front of Avoca/Prattsburgh permanently, going on to take the 4-1 victory for themselves in the dead heat.
“I tip my hat to both girls, they were hanging outs left and right tonight,” said GV/Belfast coach Mark Sullivan. “We had to manufacture some sort of offense, and we had to be aggressive at the same time. The defenses were good, and the pitching was good, it was just a matter of whoever was going to score first would wind up winning the game. Fortunately, we were able to do that and this gives the girls a great confidence builder as we continue to play much better. This is the time to get rolling.”
After three shutout innings were issued by both Putnam and Southwick-Powers through the first three innings of play, Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-7) cranked their offense into gear in the home half of the fourth with back-to-back singles from Southwick-Powers and Sondra Guilford starting it off.
From there, special teams would fuel both runs they would scratch across, with Southwick-Powers scoring first off a sacrifice from Jenna Hillbefore Guilford used her legs to make her way home on a passed ball to extend their lead to a pair.
Avoca/Prattsburgh would find their way onto the board a short time later though, cutting their deficit right down the middle with their first and only run of the game. But in the clutch, the Lady JagDogs went on to shell out some insurance as their response – a two-run fifth led by an RBI single off the bat of Lexi Burrows to extend their lead to three, for good.
Southwick-Powers would be the one that came away victorious over Putnam at the end of their pitcher’s duel, as the Genesee Valley/Belfast hurler struck out nine and walked one in her tossed two-hit victory.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will get right back to work tonight over the road once again, as they visit the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford in a 5 p.m. contest.
Avoca/Prattsburgh 000 010 0 – 1 2
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 220 X – 4 3
A/P – Annabella Putnam (LP) (CG, 9K, 2BB), and Riley Stowe.
GVB – Hannah Southwick-Powers (WP) (CG, 9K, BB), and Harley Proctor.
Fillmore 12, Arkport/Canaseraga 2
FILLMORE — One swing of the bat can change the momentum of the game, entirely. In an early battle that saw Arkport/Canaseraga spring out to an early lead against Fillmore, the Lady Eagles started to kick into gear taking action.
While navigating their way towards a tie after the first three innings of play, it would get closer to crunch time. In the home half of the fourth, the pendulum would find a way to change direction.
That would lean towards the favor of the Lady Eagles.
Fillmore would supply a big go-ahead RBI single from Torann Wolfer, and that swing was enough to create a big enough tide to keep it in their favor for the remainder of the game, as the Lady Eagles created an offensive tsunami in the bottom of the fifth by scoring nine runs, adding to their lead for good, en route towards a 12-2 home victory on Monday.
“We were slow coming out of the gates physically and mentally, but we did enough to pull away,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “It was Senior Trip time this past weekend, and we had three days off with no action. It took us a while to get rolling, but now we have a week left with three pretty good teams we will face. It’s all about getting better each and every day. We will feel good about being 8-5, and we’ll hope to improve on that to finish the season out.”
Arkport/Canaseraga would start fast against the Lady Eagles out of the gate, as they took an early 2-0 lead for themselves after their first two outings on offense. But Fillmore (8-5) would find a way to regain traction at the plate, tying the game up in the bottom of the second with a lead-off double from Saige Friedl leading it off.
She would ultimately find her way in off an RBI single from Kada Frazier to cut the deficit in half, before scoring herself later to tie the game after the first three innings.
Then in the back half of the game, clutch hits were starting to become paramount. Fillmore managed to find one from Wolfer, who swung at the second pitch she saw and drove it into left center field, scoring Emily Krzeminski on the play to take the lead away from the Lady Wolves.
The hit from Wolfer set up shop for what ultimately came to be for Fillmore – a massive momentum shifter, as they went on to score nine more runs in the home half of the fifth, the majority of which were scratched across on special teams after capitalizing on multiple Arkport/Canaseraga errors in the field to pull away for good.
Leading the bats was Friedl, who went 2-for-4 with her double and an RBI. Wolfer along with Sadie Wolcott would finish with two hits and an RBI each. In the circle, Friedl struck out five and walked three in her complete game three-hitter.
Fillmore is back on the field tonight with a 5 p.m. road trip to Bolivar-Richburg.
Arkport/Canaseraga 110 000 0 – 2 3 5
Fillmore 020 190 X – 12 9 2
A/C – Allyson Graves (LP) (CG, 5K, 3BB), and Valerie Miller.
FIL – Saige Friedl (WP) (CG, 5K, 3BB), and Lizzy Nugent.
Andover/Whitesville 17, Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg 2 (F-5)
WHITESVILLE — The Andover/Whitesville offense was smacking the ball left and right at the plate, while Makaila Brewster accounted for near perfection from within the circle, as she held Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg to just one hit while the team capitalized on a fast first tenure to power a 17-2 home win in Whitesville after five innings, Monday night.
“Makaila was absolutely dealing tonight,” Andover/Whitesville co-coach Al Barber said. “She had a perfect game going up until the fifth inning. She had a minor hiccup to start, but she settled right back in and regained her composure to finish the game strong. The defense provided some solid plays behind her. Offensively, the bats were lively to give us a great game.”
Andover/Whitesville (5-6) scored 17 runs off 14 hits at the plate. Of those runs, 11 of them came during the team’s first at-bats with Olivia Waters providing one wail of a start for the hosts.
Waters scored four RBI in the inning alone as Andover/Whitesville blew through their entire lineup, and then some, as she posted a pair of two-run hits beginning with a single and later, a two-run double to help cap off the tone-setting inning.
She wasn’t the only hitter to record a pair of two-run hits. Helping the cause, was Aislinn Hamilton who had a two-run single of her own from within the team’s 11-run first inning. After Andover/Whitesville added more behind a four-run third later on, Hamilton belted a two-run triple immediately after Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg spoiled Brewster’s perfect bid, which would help set up shop for the endgame stage.
Brewster was in command across all five innings for Andover/Whitesville, holding Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg to a single hit while handing out eight chairs and walking just one to complete the victory.
The offense was propelled by five different batters who all recorded at least a pair of hits, including Waters and Hamilton, who both had two. Kennedy Bledsoe had the biggest bat of them all, earning three hits, while Rachel Jackson and Gabbi Hall joined in on the hitting parade with two each.
Andover/Whitesville is back on the field tonight over the road, as they take on the Hammondsport Lady Lakers in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
C-G/J-T 0 00 02 – 2 1 5
Andover/Whitesville (11) 04 03 – 17 14 1
CGJT – Kayla Atherton (LP) (CG, K, 4BB), and Cadance McCaig.
A/W – Makaila Brewster (WP) (CG, 8K, BB), and Gabbi Hall.
GOLF
Fillmore 39, Bolivar-Richburg 16
RUSHFORD — A balanced scorecard from top to bottom for the Eagles of Fillmore is what paved the way towards their sixth straight victory on the links Monday afternoon in Rushford, as they rolled towards a 39-16 victory over Bolivar-Richburg at Allegany Hills behind their top-scoring round from Haley Hall.
Hall led all golfers on the greens by shooting the match’s medalist round, firing the lowest round of 55 to help propel Fillmore (6-0) towards the finish line. Helping further the cause was Anderson Wiltsey, who was not far behind with a 58. Reid Cockle added in a 60, while Will Roeske and Isaac Sylvester chipped in with rounds of 62 and 68 to round off.
Bolivar-Richburg (1-4) saw Parker Worth record the team’s lowest round of the match, carding a 67. Gauge Robinson and Anthony Donoghue each followed with rounds of 69, while Ryan Greeson and Maddox Day finished the scoring with a round of 72 each.
Both teams are back on the links Wednesday afternoon in a pair of 4 p.m. tee times, with Fillmore going for their seventh straight win against Genesee Valley/Belfast at the Wellsville Country Club, while Bolivar-Richburg heads back home to host Hinsdale at the Bolivar Golf Club.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 39, Cuba-Rushford 15
WELLSVILLE — The JagDogs of Genesee Valley/Belfast were at the top of their game on a gorgeous Monday on the golf course, as they saw Will Guilford shoot one of his best rounds of the season to help lead a balanced scorecard towards victory against visiting Cuba-Rushford, as they strolled towards a 39-15 home win at the Wellsville Country Club.
Guilford led the front of the pack for Genesee Valley/Belfast (4-6), as he earned medalist honors by finishing with a match-low round of 54. Chris Weaver was not very far behind him on the scorecard, pitching in with a 55. Dakota Hemphill tallied a 62, while Deric Grantier and Addy Herring each concluded with a 65.
Cuba-Rushford (1-6) was led by a team-low round of 65 from Sebastian Saulter. Haven Kellogg and Ethan Fries both chipped in with rounds of 72, while Cliff Karn had a 78 to round off.
Both teams are back on their home greens on Wednesday in a pair of 4 p.m. tee times, as the JagDogs get set to host Fillmore, while Cuba-Rushford heads back home to Allegany Hills in Rushford to host the Lions of Wellsville.
BOYS TENNIS
Fillmore sweeps home twinbill with GV/Belfast
HOUGHTON — The Eagles of Fillmore remained untouchable on the tennis courts to begin the new week on Monday, providing a sweep of all six singles matches while adding four forfeit wins from the doubles department to pick up a pair of 5-0 wins over Genesee Valley/Belfast at Houghton College.
In the first match, the Eagles (11-0) were fueled by wins from Eben Schilke, Joe Derck and Carson Sanasith, as they all controlled play with victories in the singles department, with Schilke and Derck scoring 8-0 shutouts over Dominic Marra and James Frawley at first and second singles, respectively. At third singles, Sanasith grooved his way towards an 8-1 win over Luke Snyder.
The doubles teams of Carter Sisson and Isaiah Sisson, as well as Henry Decker and Noah Strickland rounded off the first match win for the hosts.
The story was no different in the final match of the evening, as Carter Sisson, Jack Boon and Henry Decker all led the way with three more singles victories over Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-7), with Sisson and Boon each carding 8-0 triumphs in the first two singles matches. Decker would follow with an 8-2 win at third singles.
The last two forfeit wins at doubles were provided by Isaiah Sisson and Marcus Wolfer, along with Joe Derck and Noah Strickland.
Both teams will have Andover/Whitesville up next on their schedules, with Fillmore welcoming them in for a 5 p.m. visit tonight back at Houghton College, while Genesee Valley/Belfast travels to Andover for a 5 p.m. contest of their own on Thursday.
Match 1
Singles
1. Eben Schilke (FIL) def. Dominic Marra (GVB), 8-0.
2. Joe Derck (FIL) def. James Frawley (GVB), 8-0.
3. Carson Sanasith (FIL) def. Luke Snyder (GVB), 8-1.
Doubles
1. Carter Sisson/Isaiah Sisson (FIL) by for.
2. Henry Decker/Noah Strickland (FIL) by for.
Match 2
Singles
1. Carter Sisson (FIL) def. Dominic Marra (GVB), 8-0.
2. Jack Boon (FIL) def. James Frawley (GVB), 8-0.
3. Henry Decker (FIL) def. Luke Snyder (GVB), 8-2.
Doubles
1. Isaiah Sisson/Marcus Wolfer (FIL) by for.
2. Joe Derck/Noah Strickland (FIL) by for.
Scio 3, Cuba-Rushford 1
CUBA — Scio would open up the match on Monday with two victories already in hand against host Cuba-Rushford. The Tigers would ultimately go on to record one of the two singles victories they needed to triumph in the end, as they edged their way towards a 3-1 road win over the Rebels.
Corey Field was the Tiger that claimed the victory at second singles, as he battled through a back-and-forth duel with Cuba-Rushford’s Ethan Cole to pick up the win. Scio (6-3) was able to grab both forfeit wins from their doubles teams of Will Broach and Ben Weimer at first, and then from Liam Carouge and Austin Gowdy at second.
For the Rebels (0-7), Nate Cole grabbed the team’s lone victory at the top of the scorecard, garnering a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Scio’s Jude Marion. The team will now prepare for a 5 p.m. road trip to Bolivar-Richburg, this evening.
Scio will look for their fourth straight win back on their home court Thursday night, hosting Avoca/Prattsburgh in a 5 p.m. first serve.
Singles
1. Nate Cole (C-R) def. Jude Marion (SCIO), 6-3, 6-1.
2. Corey Field (SCIO) def. Ethan Cole (C-R), 6-3, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Will Broach/Ben Weimer (SCIO) by for.
2. Liam Carouge/Austin Gowdy (SCIO) by for.
Bolivar-Richburg 4, Andover/Whitesville 1
BOLIVAR — The Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines battled through thick and thin with host Andover/Whitesville all the way down to the finish. With tough points being traded along the way, the visitors were able to get the job done with two victories in each division, including a sweep of the doubles matches to ignite a 4-1 win on Monday in Andover.
Leading the way in the singles department for the Wolverines (4-2) was Anthony Densmore, as he fought his way through a first-set tiebreak against Andover/Whitesville’s Trey Kent before finding his groove to close out his match, recording the 7-5, 6-0 victory. At third singles, Ben Kisel would survive a back-and-forth battle with Elden Terhune to come up with a narrow 6-4, 6-4 decision
As for the doubles, the second doubles team of Zane Pangburn and Nebula Wilson-Smith had perhaps the most thrilling match of the five in action, as they worked past a second-set tiebreak to edge out Alicea Makeley and Dawson Reed to keep the momentum rolling until the end with a 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 win.
Gwen Coats and Andrew Crawford would help finish off the doubles sweep at first doubles, carding a 6-1, 6-4 win over Taegan McCrea and Morgan Saterlee.
Andover/Whitesville (0-7) was led by a first set victory from Will Kent, as he too survived a close battle with Bolivar-Richburg’s Jacopo Canepa, settling for a 6-3, 6-4 triumph. The team will now get set for a 5 p.m. road trip to Houghton College, as they visit undefeated Fillmore.
As for the Wolverines, they will host a pair of matches tonight beginning in a 5 p.m. first serve against both Cuba-Rushford and Houghton Academy.
Singles
1. Will Kent (A/W) def. Jacopo Canepa (B-R), 6-3, 6-4.
2. Anthony Densmore (B-R) def. Trey Kent (A/W) 7-5, 6-0.
3. Ben Kisel (B-R) def. Elden Terhune (A/W), 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles
1. Gwen Coats/Andrew Crawford (B-R) def. Taegan McCrea/Morgan Saterlee (A/W), 6-1, 6-4.
2. Zane Pangburn/Nebula Wilson-Smith (B-R) def. Alicea Makeley/Dawson Reed (A/W), 6-1, 6-7, 6-3.