The Wellsville Lions softball team is 13-1 and all alone in first place for the #1 seed in Section V Class B2 followed by North Rose-Wolcott, Bath-Haverling, Way-Co and LeRoy.
The team is focused on the Section V title and another trip to the state championships.
The past seven days has been a major statement. Wellsville beat the defending Class A champions on top of other huge wins.
They had a win over rival Hornell and on Wednesday take on Class A2 Mercy, who is in the hunt for a #1 seed.
The team also has big games with St. Mary’s, Keshequa and Bishop Kearney.
Here is a look at four big wins for Wellsville:
By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
Wellsville 7, Hornell 2
WELLSVILLE — Although the Lady Lions had to overcome a slow start to their battle against the Lady Red Raiders of Hornell, they would accept the challenge that their longtime rival brought to the center of the table.
With it, the bats soon began to catch flames on the attack, more and more, and more and more. That would help in closing out their battle with Hornell with the game’s first runs while under tremendous guidance from Makenzie Cowburn in relief, garnering the 7-2 edge over the Lady Red Raiders at Tullar Field.
The Lady Lions (13-1) were able to work their way through a tough battle right alongside the Lady Red Raiders in the opening frames of play, scoring a run in each the first and second to create a two-run cushion ahead. After trading a scoreless third inning with their opposition, the hosts in black and orange found their rhythm at the plate after their bats continued to flare up.
It would then cause a partial eruption with five more runs across the third and fourth innings, beginning with a smack from Averee Palmatier into the outfield in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring one of the team’s two runs on an RBI double. Later on from within a three-run fifth inning, the damage would soon be done by Makenna Dunbar, as she blasted a two-run double herself to the outfield fence, branching out Wellsville’s lead to seven.
While the offense kept cooking, Cowburn kept holding Hornell in check since the beginning of her relief appearance. But despite it, the Lady Red Raiders were able to find the board for the first and only time in the seventh, scoring a pair of runs off six total hits at the plate.
Cowburn would wrap up a magnificent outing of relief in the circle for the Lady Lions, fanning 10 Hornell batters. On the attack, Natalie Adams had the big bat, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, while Emma Dunaway chipped in two more hits out of the team’s 11 all together.
For the Lady Red Raiders, Jordyn Dyring tallied two of the team’s six hits, while Kaidence Gollnitz blasted a triple to further the offensive cause. In the circle, Reagan Evingham went all seven innings, dishing out four strikeouts and four walks.
The Lady Lions are back in action bright and early Saturday morning, if the rain holds steady, as they prepare for a trip to Mudville to partake in tournament action with battles against Shaker and New Hartford, beginning at 10:15 a.m.
Hornell 000 000 2 – 2 6 1
Wellsville 110 230 X – 7 11 1
HHS – Reagan Evingham (LP) (CG, 4K, 4BB) and Ireland Harrison.
WLSV – Marissa Ordway (2K, 5BB), Makenzie Cowburn (3) (10K) and Brazen Beckwith.
Wellsville knocks off State champion Schroeder, rolls past Addison in twinbill
WEBSTER — The site was Webster Schroeder. The very site where the Lady Lions of Wellsville won it all for a second consecutive season in Class B2.
In their latest trip back up to the north on Saturday, it was for a much different occasion: their toughest challenge of the season so far — the defending Class A State Champion Lady Warriors.
Wellsville knew they would have to engage in the fight of their lives, having to rally from behind from a 5-1 deficit at one point. Fortunately enough, the Lady Lions would find a way to answer the call.
Their bats soon came alive.
Behind two incredibly clutch shutout innings from Makenzie Cowburn to keep the Lady Warriors off the board, it would allow the Lady Lions to go to work, as they went on to score 10 unanswered runs across the three middle innings of action, including an eight-run bounty in the top of the sixth to overtake Webster Schroeder in the lead ultimately for good, as they went on to collect a massive 11-8 win in style before taking down Addison in their second game of the day by a 15-4 count.
“Kenzie came out and rose to the challenge to give us a chance to win. She competed in every inning,” said Lady Lions coach Matt Burke. “Averee (Palmatier) has been hitting lasers this year, and overall, you go from the top to the bottom of our lineup, we’re all swinging the bats well. We faced a quality team today that is well-coached. Webster Schroeder played really well.”
Webster Schroeder was the first to come out of the gate swinging against the Lady Lions (12-1) early, posting five of the first six runs across the first three innings of play, including a three-run lead in their first at-bats. But the defense for Wellsville would dig in and make up the deficit slowly but surely.
They would get to within two entering the sixth innings, where all of their damage against the Lady Warriors would soon come, as the bats came alive with multiple hits up and down the lineup, including RBI strikes from Averee Palmatier and Teagan Burke before a two-run double by Emma Dunaway towards the end of the frame helped finish off the rally.
In the bottom half, the Lady Warriors would apply some late pressure with their last three runs of the game to close the gap, but the Lady Lions defense was able to hold strong in the last frame to lock down one of, if not, their biggest win of the season.
Six different Lady Lions all recorded at least a pair of hits from within a 17-hit barrage against Webster Schroeder. Paving the way was Palmatier, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Lindsay Stuck had three hits including a double, driving in two runs, while Cowburn, Dunaway, Makenna Dunbar and Natalie Adams all recorded two hits.
In the circle, Cowburn went the distance to pick up the victory, fanning six and walking one.
Immediately following their triumphant performance over the Lady Warriors, Wellsville shifted the momentum into their second game against the Lady Knights of Addison. A game where they would ensure a perfect end to their day over the road.
With Addison right on the doorstep down the stretch, the Lady Lions brought out the bats again to deliver a nine-run fifth inning to pull away and out of reach, coasting their way out of town and back home with a 15-4 win — their 12th in the last 13 games.
“Makenna did an excellent job in the circle today, pounding the strike zone. She was dominant, and helped us keep the momentum going in game two,” Burke said. “Lindsay and Natalie had some good swings, and had very productive days. Our outfield play was outstanding. Hailey Lanphier, Ayla Faulkner, Averee Palmatier, Teagan Burke all made plays that helped us win these two games today. We swung the bats well again, and our defense played well too.”
The big bat for the Lady Lions belonged to Natalie Adams, as she collected eight total RBI at the plate to help the team start game two with a bang, scoring four runs in their first term of offense. With the Lady Knights beginning to find their way closer in the middle frames, Wellsville would then branch the advantage back out insurmountably in the bottom of the fifth, scoring nine straight runs to eclipse double figures to close out the action.
Lindsay Stuck went 3-for-3 with two RBI to pace the offense at the plate for Wellsville. Following behind were Cowburn, Adams and Dunaway, each with two hits. Makenna Dunbar posted a double while helping garner the win from within the circle, fanning eight and walking four across her complete game.
Wellsville is now off until a Thursday night battle back home at Tullar Field with the Hornell Lady Red Raiders, as the two rivals square off at 5 p.m.
Game 1
Wellsville 010 118 0 – 11 17 2
Webster Schroeder 302 003 0 – 8 12 2
WLSV – Makenzie Cowburn (WP) (CG, 6K, BB) and Brazen Beckwith.
WS – Liana DeValder (6K, BB), Sam Schoenhardt (4) (2K), Teagan Murphy (LP, 6) and Izzie Baglieri.
Game 2
Addison 000 120 1 – 4 7 3
Wellsville 401 190 X – 15 11 1
ADD – Sadie Strauss (LP) (CG, 4K, 8BB) and Hadleigh Watson.
WLSV – Makenna Dunbar (WP) (CG, 8K, 4BB) and Lindsay Stuck.
