By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
CUBA — Entering Monday night, the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg have been on fire. Since their return home from Myrtle Beach at the beginning of the campaign, the four-time Sectional champions have docked wins in 11 of their last 12 games, including a narrow 4-1 decision over their archrival Cuba-Rushford back in mid-April.
The two foes came together in Cuba to settle one final score before they both begin their push towards Sectionals. But one constant remained the same at the end of the night — the Wolverines kept their flame ablaze.
Bolivar-Richburg played spoiler on Senior Night for the Rebels, as they navigated through a tough, early sequence battle to break the game open on offense, as they garnered four big RBIs to jet fuel a strand of runs that would blossom into 11 unanswered, maintaining all momentum in their favor to roll towards a 16-4 road win to sweep the season series with their 12th triumph in the last 13 games.
“Credit to B-R. They were ready to play. We had a couple of good innings then we struggled to throw strikes,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “They were solid defensively, and took advantage of our mistakes and killed us on the bases. It was our Senior Night and I’d like to thank our seniors Caleb Root, Preston Bilotta, Sam Grover, Jack Frank, Allen Fuller and Jacob Smith.”
It did not take long for the Wolverines (12-3) to strike first, using a lead-off walk to Trey Buchholz to position their first runner into scoring position. On the next at-bat, Reiss Gaines smoked a base hit into right field to create the first crack into the ice. But the Rebels provided a swift response after a strong end to the frame, paced by a lead-off double by Jacob Smith.
Smith worked his way to third off a Braeden Wight bunt before eventually finding his way home on a Finn Ricketts poke into shallow right field to match Bolivar-Richburg, tying the game at one on each side.
Both Landon Barkley and Jack Frank would toss a scoreless second inning before Bolivar-Richburg found their rhythm at the plate, beginning a scoreless strand of runs that Cuba-Rushford (7-6) could not provide a response for, scratching across 11 in a row beginning in the third with a four-run frame led by four different batters, as Gaines, Aydin Sisson, Caden Allen and Landon Barkley all helped branch the visitors lead to 5-1 after three innings.
The lead was maintained the rest of the way by the Wolverines, as they used a two-run base hit by Sisson in the top of the fourth to extend the advantage to five before pulling away permanently with a five-run top of the sixth inning.
Bolivar-Richburg recorded 16 runs off 12 total hits at the plate, with Allen and James Margeson leading the bats with a pair each including a double, as the two batters combined to score five runs. Trey Buchholz scratched across four more runs himself. On the mound, Barkley recorded the win across five innings of work, handing out three chairs and walking one.
For the hosts in gray and blue, Allen Fuller led the bats with three of the team’s 10 hits. Ricketts and Smith each collected two hits of their own to help further the cause. On defense, Jack Frank went three innings, recording six strikeouts and walking four. The Rebels will look to turn it around on the road tonight with a 5 p.m. visit to Hinsdale.
The Wolverines head back home to welcome in the Fillmore Eagles for a massive Allegany County clash, Thursday night at 5 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg 104 205 4 – 16 12 1
Cuba-Rushford 100 002 1 – 4 10 4
B-R – Landon Barkley (WP) (3K, BB), Caden Allen (6) (K, BB), Reiss Gaines (7) (K, 3BB) and Aydin Sisson.
C-R – Jack Frank (LP) (6K, 4BB), Allen Fuller (4) (2BB), Eli Sleggs (6) (BB), Finn Ricketts (6) (4BB), Braeden Wight (6) (5BB), Adam Shaffer (7) and Caleb Root.
Wayland-Cohocton 6, Wellsville 2
WAYLAND — With just over a week remaining until the end of the regular season, the time to make one last push towards the playoffs was now for the Lions of Wellsville, as they hit the road for a massive Class B2 clash pitted against Wayland-Cohocton on Monday.
Looking to climb over the hump, they began their day on the right foot with the game’s first lead. But it would be their only advantage they would undertake, as the Eagles took over shop behind key hits and baserunning, scoring a pair of three run frames to deter the balance of power in their favor until the end to lay claim on a 6-2 home win.
After the Lions (6-9) took advantage of their opening at-bats with a 1-0 lead, Wayland-Cohocton went on to provide the first of two big three-run responses in the bottom half, using an RBI single off the bat of Isaac Mehlenbacher to help take control. The lead would hold until Mehlenbacher, along with Ethan Loop, recorded two more clutch RBIs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-1 lead.
Wellsville would add one final run in the top of the seventh to provide a late amount of pressure on the Eagles, but the deficit would ultimately become too much to overcome in the end, as the hosts managed to hold on for victory.
The Lions totaled two runs off eight hits, with eight different batters all recording a hit. Leading the way was both Cooper Brockway and Ty Vogel, as they provided an RBI each to fuel the offense. On the mound, Brockway went the first four innings, striking out three Wayland-Cohocton batters.
As for the Eagles, Mehlenbacher and Markus Brehm led the bats with two hits each out of the team’s five total. On the mound, the win was awarded to Matt Clark, who went six innings with three strikeouts and a walk.
Wellsville is back home to play host to Bath-Haverling on Wednesday in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Wellsville 100 000 1 – 2 8 6
Wayland-Cohocton 300 030 X – 6 5 3
WLSV – Cooper Brockway (LP) (3K), Gavin Haggerty (5) (K, 3BB) and Matt Ritter.
W-C – Matt Clark (WP) (3K, BB), Tony Schirmer (7) (BB) and Ethan Loop.
Alfred-Almond 6, Andover/Whitesville 1
ALMOND — Nolan Tormey was at the very top of his game for the Eagles of Alfred-Almond on Monday, as he helped begin the new week on the biggest of footnotes with his dominant complete game outing, while the offense fed off the defensive prowess on the bases to score an early lead they would never lose against Andover/Whitesville to go forth and claim a 6-1 victory.
All six runs for Alfred-Almond were scored behind special teams play, beginning in the bottom of the second with the first of three two-run frames to break the ice with a 2-0 lead. Not long after though, Andover/Whitesville (4-6) cut the early deficit right down the middle with the assistance of Brody Carlin, who drove in CJ Estep on an RBI single in the top of the third.
But the hosts in blue and gold would assume total control immediately following Andover/Whitesville’s third stint at the plate, as they went on to score the next four runs in a row to branch out their advantage for good, while Tormey held down the fort permanently with his dominant five-hit outing on the mound.
Tormey would hand out 18 chairs to Andover/Whitesville in all, walking just two to claim the victory. At the plate for the Eagles, Kanye Cumberbatch and Liam Ruthven each recorded a hit.
The visitors saw Estep lead the bats with two of the team’s five hits. Colton Calladine and Jacob Wagner each helped the cause with a hit each. On the mound for Andover/Whitesville, Carlin struck out six and walked four across his three innings of work.
Up next, Andover/Whitesville hits the road again in a quick turnaround tonight, heading for the Jungle in Belmont to take on host Genesee Valley/Belfast at 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville 001 000 0 – 1 5 6
Alfred-Almond 022 200 X – 6 2 1
A/W – Brody Carlin (6K, 4BB), Jacob Wagner (4) (2K, 2BB), Joe Fonte (6) and Colton Calladine.
A-A – Nolan Tormey (WP) (CG, 18K, 2BB) and Nathan Munson.
Hinsdale 19, Archbishop Walsh 4 (F-5)
OLEAN — After a strong performance at Scio’s annual mid-season tournament this past weekend, the Bobcats of Hinsdale kept the momentum rolling with their fifth win in the last six games on Monday, coasting past Archbishop Walsh with a 19-4 victory over the road in Olean.
Xander Pascucci and Jake Elliott kept Archbishop Walsh off balance all game long, as the two hurlers combined to hold the Eagles to just two hits at the plate. On offense, both Bobcats (6-6) provided a massive presence of their own with Pascucci driving in four runs off three hits, while Elliott scored two hits and added an RBI.
A complete box score was not made available to report upon publication.
Hinsdale returns to their home field this evening with a 5 p.m. contest slated against the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.
