By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
ARKPORT — The Genesee Valley/Belfast JagDogs started their season with a record of 1-6. Despite the slow start, it was overcome with a brilliant showing of baseball since then, winning six of their last nine games. Saturday morning brought another chance to extend that hot streak.
Not only did their road trip to Arkport/Canaseraga provide them the opportunity to do that, they would respond with their best game of the season.
After battling across two scoreless innings with the Wolves to begin the morning, the bats came alive for the JagDogs soon after, breaking the ice with a three-run frame to establish a lead that they would never give away while Carter Stout provided his best tenure of pitching to lead the defense in the team’s 8-0 blanking.
“This was our best game of the season. It was a really good team effort from everyone. Carter pitched a heck of a game. He had complete command, putting the ball in the strike-zone and when they did hit the ball, the defense made all the plays behind him,” said GV/Belfast co-coach Kevin Scott. “Trent (Scott) and Elden (Aquila) made great plays in the middle infield to keep them off base. We were running the bases ourselves like crazy, keeping Arkport on their feet with a lot of pressure. If we play like this, we’ll give anyone a fit.”
The bats for Genesee Valley/Belfast (8-9) would kickstart after exchanging the first two innings of play in a scoreless battle with Arkport/Canaseraga, finding their way onto the board in the visiting half of the third with the first three runs.
From within the runs, one came across a massive RBI triple belted to the outfield by Matt Cater to help get them started.
The momentum shift continued on in the fourth inning where the JagDogs would add three more runs to the board with more offensive firepower stemming from another triple. The next coming off the bat of Stout himself, driving a shot into the outfield with a pair of runners on, scoring both to give their lead a big extension heading down the homestretch.
The visitors would add on two final runs in the sixth inning to complete the shutout victory behind Stout’s dominance from the hill, as he held Arkport/Canaseraga to just one hit across eight strikeouts and two walks. On offense, the team finished with seven hits in all with Trent Scott leading the way with a pair, including a double, RBI and two runs scored.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will close out the final week of the regular season with their last three games after the weekend, beginning on Monday with a 7 p.m. Senior Night battle against Bolivar-Richburg in Belfast.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 003 302 0 – 8 7 2
Arkport/Canaseraga 000 000 0 – 0 1 6
GVB – Carter Stout (WP) (CG, 8K, 2BB), and Justin Hill.
A/C – Logan Hoyt (LP) (5K, 4BB), Titus Marvin (4) (3K, BB), Phil Chamberlain (6) (2K), and Jones.
SOFTBALL
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, Arkport/Canaseraga 1
ARKPORT — Not far from the baseball field, the Genesee Valley/Belfast softball team had a chance to provide the sweep against the Lady Wolves, Saturday morning.
Like their baseball counterparts, all that was needed was a big inning to assume control of the game. The Lady JagDogs would go on to do that in the top of the third inning, busting open the offense with an early 3-0 lead they kept until the end, as they rebounded from their 11-inning loss to Friendship/Scio with a 4-1 triumph against the Lady Wolves.
“It was a hangover game today. We didn’t really play well today, and I was a bit worried about that. We struggled with the bats, but we had our one inning and that was basically all we needed to win the game. Good teams find a way to win. We’re getting there slowly, but surely.” said Lady JagDogs coach Mark Sullivan.
Leading the Lady JagDogs towards victory with a double-effort from Ashley Burrows from both the mound and at the plate, beginning with a three-run third inning that was powered by her two-run single to help break the ice against the Lady Wolves.
On defense, Burrows held down the Lady Wolves at the plate, allowing just four hits behind a six-strikeout, three-walk complete game to help secure the victory.
The Lady JagDogs accounted for seven total hits at the plate, with Raygen Haggstrom recording a pair, including a double, to pave the way.
The team will head back home to Belfast to host Bolivar-Richburg in a 7 p.m. battle of their own on Monday.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 003 001 0 – 4 7
Arkport/Canaseraga 000 100 0 – 1 4
GVB – Ashley Burrows (WP) (CG, 6K, 3BB), and Harley Proctor.
A/C – Allyson Graves (LP) (CG, 7K, 2BB), and Valerie Miller.
BOYS TENNIS
Fillmore shines at Class B4 Sectionals
CANANDAIGUA — The Eagles of Fillmore, behind some dominance that they have displayed on the tennis court all season long, saw their top two tennis players work their way into the Class B4 Singles Final on Saturday.
Only one could come away as champion in the end, and Eben Schilke made sure it was him, as he took his teammate, Carter Sisson to the end in what ended up being a 6-3, 6-2 victory to come away as a Sectional champion.
“I am really proud of how all of the team represented Fillmore today,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “It was a brutally hot day to play four plus hours of tennis. Carter played a really smart, tactical semifinal and wore down his opponent. Eben really battled through a tough semi, and in the final he was really able to dictate points with pace and depth. Hopefully, we can use this as a springboard towards team success in Sectionals.”
The path for Schilke, the No. 3 seed, to the Finals began in the opening round by a dominating 10-0 count. He would then roll into the Semifinal round with ease with another display of power against Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Elias Putnam, winning the match by a 10-2 count. In the Semifinals, Schilke would battle back and forth with Austin Chapman of Naples all the way to the end.
Schilke would claim the opening set before Chapman forced a decisive third set through a tiebreak, where the Fillmore junior powered his way through towards victory by a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 count to meet Sisson in the Finals, where he would finish off a perfect afternoon in Canandaigua with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
As for Sisson, his journey towards meeting Schilke in the Finals started with a dominant first round victory over Elba’s Chris Olguin, taking the 10-1 count before coasting past Notre Dame-Batavia’s Ronin Hofmaster to earn a spot in the Semifinals.
Sisson battled back and forth with Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Elias Putnam across a closely-contested first set, one that the Fillmore senior would wind up finding victory in before closing out with a strong second set victory to advance into the Finals.
In the doubles department, the team of Marcus Wolfer and Isaiah Sisson would finish 2-2 on the afternoon, finishing fourth overall. Fillmore’s final team of Joe Derck and Layton Sanasith fell in first round action in a close 10-8 battle with Caledonia-Mumford’s Nathan Doll and Jeremiah Anderson.
Friday report:
Allen wins 300th as B-R beats Andover-Whitesville
ANDOVER — Throughout nearly 20 years of his career spent with the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines, their head coach Dustin Allen has seen all walks of life come and go on the baseball diamond under his guidance. Some of names that he has had the opportunity to coach, have left an everlasting and legendary legacy behind.
To name a few: Reston Pettit, Allen Murphy, Parker and Hayden Cole. The list is outstanding, and because of it, the program has won eight Section V titles since the dynastic uprising began in 2008 with their first. That includes three in the last four seasons, excluding the 2020 absence due to COVID-19.
Nevertheless, an amazing and illustrious career that continues to rage on.
On Friday, his Wolverines would add on with another milestone – 300 career victories.
All it took was breaking a 1-1 tie after the opening at-bats in the first, and the Wolverines buckled down to deliver a truckload of offense, as they went on to score 14 unanswered runs, including a massive six-run fifth inning to finish off the victory in five innings against Andover/Whitesville, rolling towards a 15-1 win to hand their coach another moment to remember in the shape of their eighth straight win.
“It’s hard to believe, but it’s been an amazing tribute to the success of our program,” Allen reflected. “They’ve started at a young age, and it has just kept going right up through our baseball pipeline. It means I’ve been coaching a long time. It has never been about me, but more about the kids that I’ve had the opportunity to coach, the coaches I’ve had alongside me over the years, and the endless dedication from the parents of our kids that have supported this program 100% full. I’m the one who’s name is next to the accomplishment, but over the years, they have had as big of a role in it as I have. This goes out to them.”
The Wolverines (16-1) were able to build some momentum off a close first inning start that saw them encounter an early 1-1 tie with Andover/Whitesville, after breaking the ice in the visiting half.
From the second inning on, Bolivar-Richburg was able to cash in on nearly everything that was presented to them, scoring four big runs in the second to extend their lead before capping it off later on with a six-run fifth to ultimately force the game to a quick end.
Reiss Gaines would pick up the win on the rubber for the Wolverines, fanning seven and walking two across his four inning start. At the plate, three different hitters compiled at least a pair of hits to charge the attack which was led by Trey Buchholz, who went 2-for-2 with a triple and a pair of RBI. Matt Mitchell added in two hits, including a double while Evan Pinney collected a pair of hits.
Caden Allen would add in a two-run double of his own while fanning one in his inning in relief of Gaines. In all, the Wolverines finished the game with 15 runs off eight hits at the plate.
On the other side, Andover/Whitesville’s (3-12) lone run came in the bottom of the first which served as the early game-tying run, also coming off their only hit in the game – an RBI double off the bat of Layton Miller. On the mound, Jacob Wagner went all five innings for the hosts, striking out one and walking five in his complete game.
Both teams are back in action Monday night, as Bolivar-Richburg goes for nine straight wins with a 7 p.m. road trip to Belfast to take on host Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Andover/Whitesville stays home to battle Alfred-Almond in a 6 p.m. contest in Andover.
Bolivar-Richburg 141 36 – 15 8 1
Andover/Whitesville 100 00 – 1 1 2
B-R – Reiss Gaines (WP) (7K, 2BB), Caden Allen (5) (K), and Aydin Sisson.
A/W – Jacob Wagner (LP) (CG, K, 5BB), and Colton Calladine.
Bath-Haverling 13, Wellsville 8
WELLSVILLE – It has been a week filled with trials and tribulations for the Wellsville Lions.
With tough battles against Olean and Hornell in the rearview mirror, a chance for redemption to head into the weekend came about when they squared off with the Rams of Bath-Haverling inside the Lion’s Den. As opposed to their last meeting in Bath, the Lions of Wellsville nearly provided the go-ahead word in the top of the seventh, applying all the pressure they could on the Rams with a late rally from behind.
This time around, a much different story.
Although the Rams provided perhaps the biggest bang in their first at-bats, the Lions hung right with them step for step in the opening stages of the game, trailing by as little as one. But in the end, an inning would wind up taking the wind right out of Wellsville’s sails.
Bath-Haverling found their groove on offense while continuing to fend off the Lions with a one-run lead, extending upon it insurmountably with a game-changing four-run fifth inning that saw them spring ahead with a lead by as much as six to carry towards victory at the end of the day to record the season sweep by a 13-8 count.
“It was a one-run game after four, and we started to chip away,” said Lions coach Tom Delahunt. “We gave up five big runs to start the game, but we stayed right with Bath. In the fifth, their big inning took the win right out of our sails. Our pitching couldn’t hold them at bay, and our defense made way too many miscues. We can’t do that against a team that is as good as they are. Bath really hit the ball well, and we did too. They just did more damage with theirs.”
The Rams wasted no time breaking the door down at the plate, as they accounted for the first five runs to set the tone right away. But despite it, the Lions (9-8) were able to bounce back with a response that allowed them to turn the heat up, scoring five of the next six runs including a three-run bottom of the third to close the gap to a run.
That would be as close as Wellsville gets to Bath-Haverling for the entirety of the game, as the Rams found a way to break away and out of the reach of the hosts in orange and black with a big four-run stand of offense down the homestretch to secure their lead for good.
Despite the series-sweeping defeat, the Lions managed to score eight runs off 11 total hits, with four different hitters providing at least a pair, including Trenton Green who shined in his Varsity debut by going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI.
Helping further the cause along the way was his older brother Alex, who also had two hits, including a solo bomb in the bottom of the first inning, pairing it with two RBI and two runs scored. Cooper Brockway chipped in with two more hits including a double to go with an RBI and run scored, while Aidan Riley led all the bats with three hits.
Wellsville will look to bounce back after the weekend and into the final week of the regular season, as they close it out with three games over the road beginning with a stop at Wayland-Cohocton for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday.
“We’re hoping to get a couple wins this week, and go into Sectionals hot to grab that home game. We’re right in the midst of things in our Class. Our goal is to finish well enough to get one final shot for our kids to play on this field again,” said Delahunt. “It’ll be a tough matchup with Way-Co. They beat Hornell earlier this year with their young squad, so we’re going to have to bring our best game on Tuesday.”
In the JV game, Wellsville beat Bath, 6-4.
Gavin Haggerty got the win, striking out seven.
On offense for Wellsville, Kory Nurse had two hits while Carson Grover, Bryce Rahr, Cameron Lyons had hits and Kameron Dodge had a RBI.
Bath-Haverling 501 240 1 – 13 14 3
Wellsville 113 200 1 – 8 11 5
B-H – A.J. Brotz (WP) (3K, 5BB), Owen Smith (7), and Gavin Buckley.
WLSV – Ty Vogel (LP) (K, 2BB), Logan Dunbar (2) (3K, 4BB), Cooper Brockway (6) (2K), and Alex Green.
Cuba-Rushford 23, Friendship/Scio 6 (F-5)
CUBA — The first inning was filled with wildfire for the Cuba-Rushford offense on Friday, as the Rebels connected with a big response for an early lead taken by Friendship/Scio with a countering 10-run opening stand, using it to coast forward towards victory on their home field by a 23-6 count after five innings.
“We got down early 2-0 and credit to Friendship/Scio, they were ready to hit today,” said Rebels coach Pat Wight. “Thankfully, we were ready to hit as well, and we answered with a solid inning of our own. It was great to see the bats come alive heading into Sectionals and the last week of the regular season. Even some of the outs we had were hard hit balls.”
Big nights were recorded by both Austin Pinney and Benson McCumiskey for the Rebels (7-9) to help power up an electric night of offense, with Pinney leading the charge behind a 3-for-3 outing that included a double, driving home four runs and scoring five times himself.
As for McCumiskey, he also provided two solid hits, driving in four additional runs.
The Rebels were able to overcome a slow start after Friendship/Scio connected with some early help off the bat of Joey Bednez, who recorded an RBI double to break the ice with a 2-0 lead.
After taking a 10-2 lead after the first inning, the hosts took the opportunity to add on, scoring eight unanswered runs to cap off the victory for good.
While the offense concluded a 23-run, 15-hit afternoon, the defense led by Pinney’s complete game on the mound was stellar, as the hurler held Friendship/Scio (6-11) to just five hits across four strikeouts and three walks.
On the flip side for the visitors in black and purple, Jacob Golden went the first four innings on the hill, striking out three and walking seven. At the plate, Jake Sortore provided two hits including a double.
Both teams are back at it in a pair of 5 p.m. battles on Monday, with Cuba-Rushford looking to continue their momentum swing into Fillmore, while Friendship/Scio looks to rebound over the road themselves, in Hinsdale.
Friendship/Scio 2 00 40 – 6 5 5
Cuba-Rushford (10) 35 5X – 23 15 2
F/S – Jacob Golden (LP) (3K, 7BB), Landen Arnold (5) (K, BB), and Colby Greenman.
C-R – Austin Pinney (WP) (CG, 4K, 3BB), and Logan Lewis.
SOFTBALL
Bolivar-Richburg 9, Andover/Whitesville 1
ANDOVER — The bats were once again on point for the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg, especially Madigan Harris, who delivered back-to-back momentum shifters from within a four-RBI game at the plate, as she helped the team roll towards a 9-1 road win over Andover/Whitesville, Friday night in Andover.
After the Lady Wolverines (15-1) were able to garner a quick 2-0 lead, one of those runs off a Jessica Majot RBI single, Andover/Whitesville responded with their only run of the game coming off a sacrifice into the outfield by Olivia Waters, helping cut their early deficit in half going into the third inning.
But with momentum continuing to shift towards each team, Bolivar-Richburg made sure it would remain in their favor for the rest of the game, as Harris delivered the first of two humongous strikes in the top of the third by blasting a two-run homer to extend their lead out to three.
While the defense was continuing to keep Andover/Whitesville (6-8) in check across all phases, the Lady Wolverines capped off the night with their last five runs coming in the fourth and sixth innings, two of them stemming off a two-run single from the last of Harris’ big swings in the fourth while baserunning scratched across their last three.
“We played a nice game tonight. Bolivar-Richburg is solid, and they dropped a few balls in the right places on the field,” said Andover/Whitesville co-coach Al Barber. “The game was much closer than the score indicated. It’s tough for a small defense to compete with a program like they put on the field, night after night.”
On defense, Malayna Ayers provided a red hot outing in the circle for the visitors in black and red, handing out 13 strikeouts and just one walk in her one-hit victory. Along with Harris, Haley Mascho, McKinlee Harris and Jessica Majot all recorded two hits to fuel the offense.
The no-hit bid by Ayers was carried into the final stages of the seventh inning, where it was eventually lost by a pair of Andover/Whitesville hits, one coming from Aislinn Hamilton who originally put an end to it.
For the hosts in the circle, Zoey Lee went the distance with five strikeouts and four walks.
Both teams are back on the field Monday night, with the Lady Wolverines continuing their long stretch back over the road to Belfast in a 7 p.m. first pitch against Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Andover/Whitesville remains home in Andover to welcome in Alfred-Almond for a 5 p.m. contest.
Bolivar-Richburg 202 203 0– 9 10 1
Andover/Whitesville 010 000 0 – 1 2 4
B-R – Malayna Ayers (WP) (CG, 13K, BB), and Madigan Harris.
A/W – Zoey Lee (LP) (CG, 5K, 4BB), and Gabbi Hall.
GOLF
Bath-Haverling 190, Wellsville 223
WELLSVILLE — Although Dylon Day recorded his best round of his career for the Lions of Wellsville on the golf course Friday afternoon, the day would belong to the Bath-Haverling Rams and their medalist, Gavin Rounds, who fired a match-low round of 38 to pace their 190-223 victory to conclude the week victorious at the Wellsville Country Club.
Day was the leading golfer for the Lions (7-4) on another beautiful day for golf, as he fired the team’s lowest round as well as the lowest round of his golfing career, with a 47. Briar Dye helped the team’s cause with a 51, while Jack Jordan and Mason Parks rounded off with rounds of 62 and 63, respectively.
Wellsville will conclude their regular season after the weekend, as they host the Hornell Red Raiders for a 4 p.m. match on Tuesday.
BOYS TENNIS
Bolivar-Richburg 4, Genesee Valley/Belfast 1
BOLIVAR — A sweep of both doubles matches for the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg helped propel them to victory back on their home court once more on Friday, as they rolled towards a 4-1 victory over visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast.
The doubles team of Gwen Coats and Andrew Crawford went the extra mile for the Wolverines (6-5), as they battled alongside Genesee Valley/Belfast’s James Frawley and Gavin Kenyon through three thrilling sets, two of them belonging to the prior, as they outlasted their opposition by a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 count to claim victory.
The second doubles team of Kayley Putnam-Bacon and Nebula Wilson-Smith recorded a forfeit win for Bolivar-Richburg to finish the sweep of the department. In the singles matches, Jacopo Canepa added to it with a narrow first set victory and then the overall win through a second-set tiebreak against Genesee Valley/Belfast’s (2-8) Dominic Marra at first singles.
Bolivar-Richburg rounded off their wins with a third singles forfeit win from Dylan Crawford.
The JagDogs recorded just one victory from Trevor Clark at second singles, as he rolled past Bolivar-Richburg’s Zane Pangburn with a 6-1, 6-1 win.
Both teams are back on the court Monday evening, as the Wolverines head out to visit Avoca/Prattsburgh in a 5:30 p.m. first serve, while Genesee Valley/Belfast looks to rebound with a 5 p.m. visit to Houghton Academy.
Singles
1. Jacopo Canepa (B-R) def. Dominic Marra (GVB), 6-3, 7-5.
2. Trevor Clark (GVB) def. Zane Pangburn (B-R), 6-1, 6-1.
3. Dylan Crawford (B-R) by for.
Doubles
1. Gwen Coats/Andrew Crawford (B-R) def. James Frawley/Gavin Kenyon (GVB), 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
2. Kayley Putnam-Bacon/Nebula Wilson-Smith (B-R) by for.
