Monday Sectionals: No. 9 C-R embraces challenge from top-seeded B-R, but Lady Wolverines rally late for 2-1 edge; Vogel homers, Dunbar twirls gem in No. 7 Lions’ massive upset of No. 2 North Rose-Wolcott
By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesport.com
BASEBALL
Class B2 Quarterfinals
No. 7 Wellsville 21, No. 2 North Rose-Wolcott 4
CANANDAIGUA — The number five appeared on the scoreboard a grand total of four times in Canandaigua. All of which occupied the visiting half, which belonged to No. 7 Wellsville. Five times four, you do the math.
In simplification, the Lions offense was absolutely relentless.
Wellsville scorched right out of the first inning with the first five-run frame to break the ice. With No. 2 North Rose-Wolcott slowly attempting to chip away at the deficit, the Lions picked it right back up again and sped off once and for all, as they went on to score the next 16 runs in a row to eclipse the 20-run mark, steamrolling their way into the Class B2 Semifinal round with a massive 21-4 upset win over the Cougars.
“We’ve been struggling in a number of games this year, but through everything that we’ve faced, we kept believing in ourselves,” Lions coach Tom Delahunt said. “Despite being the seven seed, we knew we were a much better team than that. We got another strong pitching performance from our senior Logan (Dunbar), and our bats were on fire. We hit against a really good pitcher from North Rose-Wolcott, and he’s one that averaged two strikeouts an inning. We knocked him out of the game, and moved onto the next pitcher. All in all, this is a great start for us.”
The Lions (10-11) unleashed a 19-hit barrage against North Rose-Wolcott, one that began right away in their opening at-bat sequence with the first of four five-run frames, led by a two-run homer blasted by Ty Vogel — one of three hits he would have in the game, along with being one of five different Lions to record at least a pair altogether at the plate.
After Wellsville was able to scratch their way into the lead first, the Cougars began to chip bit by bit, getting to within three after the first three innings were completed off runs being scored in the first and third frames. But that would be as close as the No. 2 seeds would get. Soon after, the Lions began to roar.
From the fourth inning onward, the No. 7 seeds silenced North Rose-Wolcott with an uncontrollable eruption at the plate, scoring the next 16 unanswered runs, pulling away fast and furiously towards a massive upset victory to work their way into the Semifinal conversation.
Along with Vogel, Alex Green, Logan Dunbar and Aidan Riley all had three hits each to chip in, with Green and Dunbar each pitching in with a double in the midst of their outings. Matt Ritter had two more hits of his own, driving in four runs. On the mound, Dunbar provided yet another outstanding performance across all seven innings, striking out nine and walking out to serve up the victory with his arm.
The Lions will now hit the road for Class B2 Semifinal action beginning on Wednesday, as they prepare to visit No. 3 Bath-Haverling — Class B2’s defending champion, in a 5 p.m. first pitch for a chance to clinch a spot in the Finals this weekend.
Wellsville 500 555 1 – 21 19 7
North Rose-Wolcott 101 000 2 – 4 6 4
WLSV – Logan Dunbar (WP) (CG, 9K, BB) and Alex Green.
NRW – Logan Caves (LP) (7K, 5BB), Axton Paul (4) (2BB), Lukas Crane (5) (5K, 2BB) and Nicholas Gilbert.
SOFTBALL:
Class B2 Quarterfinals
No. 1 Wellsville 14, No. 9 Aquinas 0
LIVONIA — Think the Lady Lions of Wellsville are ready for a title defense?
On Monday, they proved in full why they are Class B2’s top seed, as they used a fast start against No. 9 Aquinas and built on it later on over time, while Makenzie Cowburn delivered a four-hit shutout in return from within the circle to help finish off what was a 14-0 shutout of the Lady Lil’ Irish in Livonia.
A three-run first inning was the icebreaker that the Lady Lions (18-1) used to construct a lead they would never lose to Aquinas, as Makenna Dunbar pitched in the efforts with a big bat — a two-run double to the outfield to assist in laying claim to the early advantage. After two scoreless innings were traded with Aquinas, the State’s No. 2-ranked squad went back to work adding to their lead, recording a run in the bottom of the fourth before the avalanche followed shortly after.
In the bottom of the fifth, it was solidified for good with a six-run frame ignited by a two-run shot from Cowburn — one of two hits she would have, as she was one of several Lady Lions to record at least two hits at the plate in the midst of their 16-hit outburst.
Wellsville would finish off the win with their last four runs coming during their final at-bats of the game in the sixth, as they eased their way towards a Semifinals berth at the end of the night.
Averee Palmatier led all the bats for the Lady Lions with a perfect 3-for-3 outing that included a double. Emma Dunaway and Brazen Beckwith each chipped in with two hits and combined to drive in three runs, while Sawyer Burke had two more hits of her own to add in.
In the circle, Cowburn was dominant against the Lady Lil’ Irish, as she held the No. 9 seeds to just four hits while handing out 14 chairs, and walking just one to preserve the shutout.
Up next, a return to the Class B2 Semifinal round back home, as they welcome No. 4 Penn Yan to Tullar Field for what will be their final game on their home field this year, at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Aquinas 000 000 0 – 0 4 2
Wellsville 300 164 X – 14 16 1
AQU – McKenna Verhagen (LP) (CG, 4K, BB) and Riley Madigan.
WLSV – Makenzie Cowburn (WP) (CG, 14K, BB) and Brazen Beckwith.
BOYS TENNIS
Class B2 First Round
No. 7 Wellsville 5, No. 10 Dansville 0
WELLSVILLE — There was no better way to open up the run towards Sectional glory for the Lions of Wellsville than with a hard-fought battle ending in perfection, as the No. 7 seeds on the tennis court took care of business against visiting No. 10 Dansville on Monday with a 5-0 sweep of the action to claim a spot in the Quarterfinal round the next day.
Hua Qui Zhang helped lead off a sweep of the singles matches for the Lions (6-9) with a strong finish after a back-and-forth first set duel with Dansville’s Gabe Doe, as he settled on a 6-4, 6-1 win. Gavan Dickerson also engaged in a back-and-forth first set in his match at second singles, as he fought his way through and towards a second set shutout to record the 6-4, 6-0 victory. At third singles, Adam Iantorno battled tough with Arryl Gerber in a first set tiebreak that ultimately saw him come away victorious with the 7-5, 6-1 decision.
Following in the doubles department was a straight-set win for Shane Davidson and Jayden Acker at first doubles, as the Wellsville duo warded off a second-set tiebreak push from Dansville’s Wyatt Swift and Ethan Frazier to record the 6-1, 7-5 decision. To finish off the match sweep, Joel Janssen and Jeremiah Pensyl netted the 6-0, 6-0 straight-set shutout at second doubles.
The Lions are now into the Quarterfinal round, which kicks off today in a 4 p.m. first serve, where they will visit No. 2 LeRoy.
Singles
1. Hua Qui Zhang (WLSV) def. Gabe Doe (DAN), 6-4, 6-1.
2. Gavan Dickerson (WLSV) def. Zachary Heiman (DAN), 6-4, 6-0.
3. Adam Iantorno (WLSV) def. Arryl Gerber (DAN), 7-5, 6-1.
Doubles
1. Shane Davidson/Jayden Acker (WLSV) def. Wyatt Swift/Ethan Frazier (DAN), 6-1, 7-5.
2. Joel Janssen/Jeremiah Pensyl (WLSV) def. Kaitlyn Lee/Adryanna Arriaga (DAN), 6-0, 6-0.
Cuba-Rushford softball just misses upset of Bolivar-Richburg
RICHBURG — In both meetings earlier this season, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford had not found their way past their elite rival Bolivar-Richburg on offense, as the Lady Wolverines recorded shutout victories on both occasions to record the regular season-series sweep. Monday provided a chance to make that a thing of the past.
The No. 9 seeds were able to break the ice against the defending back-to-back Class C2 champions with a lead they held onto for much of the early sequences, as Sydney Howard and Haley Mascho engaged in a teeter-totter pitcher’s duel all throughout the night at Stan Harris Field in Richburg with a spot in Wednesday’s Semifinals on the line.
A bulk of the chances to break through would come on behalf of the Lady Wolverines, but while they continued to knock on the door, they found a way to pry it open off two clutch special teams chances in the middle frames to take the lead away from Cuba-Rushford, holding it up until a final 1-2-3 line of defense was secured in the seventh to pull off a hard-fought challenge from their opposition with a narrow 2-1 edge.
Almost immediately off the hop in the opening frame, the first of two hits they would garner in the frame would begin with Taylor Searle and her lead-off single. Two at-bats later, the ice would be broken by Aubrey Williams and her laserbeam lined into center field to plate Searle for a 1-0 lead to control in the time ahead.
Despite falling behind early on, Bolivar-Richburg (20-2) would come back with some near-responses of their own, including a bomb from McKinlee Harris that hit the base of the left field fence. But after some solid defense by the Lady Rebels in the field, they were able to work their way off and leave her on base to end the stand.
After another situation where the Lady Wolverines had runners in scoring position, they would ultimately find their way across in the bottom of the fourth off the first of two clutch special teams connections down the stretch, with the first stemming off the bat of Madison Carney, as she laid down a bunt right next to the third base line to score Rylee Whiting from third to tie the game at one on each side.
The momentum remained with the hosts in black and red, as they took the lead away from the Lady Rebels (10-9) with McKinlee Harris scoring from third on a Madigan Harris shot over to the left side of the infield in the bottom of the fifth. Each team would remain frozen across the sixth before Mascho was able to put the finishing touches on the resilient finish for the Lady Wolverines with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to McKinlee Harris at third to set up a game-ending 1-2-3 on defense, sealing their trip to the Semifinal round.
The Lady Wolverines totaled a pair of runs off eight hits, with McKinlee Harris, Haley Mascho and Jayna Thomas all recording a pair of hits each. Allie Zilker and Madigan Harris both had a hit to chip in, rounding off the offensive efforts. On the mound, Mascho was outstanding, holding Cuba-Rushford to just three hits while fanning six batters to secure the win.
As for the Lady Rebels, Sydney Howard went the distance behind three strikeouts and a walk from within the circle. On offense, Taylor Searle led the bats with two of the team’s three hits, alongside Williams and her RBI single in the first inning. The season is over for Cuba-Rushford, as they put a bow on a 10-9 season that will see them bid adieu to three seniors at the end of the school year next month, in Searle, Laney Murphy and Destiny Darrin.
Up next is a revisitation to Stan Harris Field for what will be their final home game of the season, as they prepare to welcome in No. 4 Byron-Bergen for a 5 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday to battle it out at a chance to defend their throne in the Class C2 Finals this weekend.
Cuba-Rushford 100 000 0 – 1 3 2
Bolivar-Richburg 000 110 X – 2 8 2
C-R – Sydney Howard (LP) (CG, 3K, BB) and Riley Keller.
B-R – Haley Mascho (WP) (CG, 6K) and Madigan Harris.
More stories after this Chris Brooks photo gallery:
BASEBALL:
Class C2 Quarterfinals
No. 3 Bolivar-Richburg 1, No. 6 Red Jacket 0
NUNDA — Sometimes, one is all you really need.
With No. 3 Bolivar-Richburg deadlocked in a logjam against No. 6 Red Jacket and their ace, Aiden Reed, they would need to create the smallest of openings to garner the room they would have to muster in order to claim their spot in the Semifinal round. It was a battle that saw multiple chances to strike on both sides formulate, but after five scoreless innings, that one lone run would be discovered.
At the most opportune of times.
In the bottom of the sixth, the four-peat Wolverines struck gold on a massive special teams play from James Margeson, who reached base off an even bigger at-bat to put himself into scoring position, where he would ultimately work his way home on a Red Jacket miscue. From there, the Wolverines defense was able to shut the door on the Indians to close out the game at Keshequa, recording the 1-0 shutout to move onto the Class C2 Semifinals.
“Red Jacket’s pitcher was on. I was very impressed with him,” said Wolverines coach Dustin Allen. “Our guys didn’t lose their composure. Caden (Allen) threw a nice game for us in return, and the defense behind him was excellent. We got a little sloppy late in the game, but Trey (Buchholz) was able to close the door. It was nice to see us hold our own to win a tight game in the end.”
For much of the battle, the Wolverines (18-4) offense was held in check by a masterful 10-strikeout performance from Reed on the mound for Red Jacket, holding the No. 3 seeds to just a trio of hits along the way. One of them came in the bottom of the sixth by Margeson, who led off with a double. He would ultimately use some clutch baserunning to work his way around to third before crossing the plate on a Red Jacket error to score Bolivar-Richburg’s lone run.
In the seventh, after a strong start from Caden Allen on the hill, the door was Trey Buchholz’s to slam shut, as he held the Indians at bay to secure one of their closest victories of the season in survive-and-advance fashion.
Aside from Margeson, Buchholz and Landon Barkley each chipped in with a hit to round off the offensive efforts for the Wolverines. On the mound, Allen picked up the win across six shutout innings, fanning four and walking two.
Bolivar-Richburg is now off to the Class C2 Semifinal round, where they now get the chance to host their last home game of the season on Wednesday, welcoming in No. 7 York — a team that defeated No. 2 Warsaw in upset fashion to move on themselves, in a 5 p.m. first pitch with a spot in this weekend’s Finals on the line.
Red Jacket 000 000 0 – 0 4 3
Bolivar-Richburg 000 001 X – 1 3 3
RJ – Aiden Reed (LP) (CG, 10K, BB) and Jack McHugh.
B-R – Caden Allen (WP) (4K, 2BB), Trey Buchholz (7) and Aydin Sisson.
Class D1 Quarterfinals
No. 3 Naples 3, No. 6 Genesee Valley/Belfast 2 (F-8)
NAPLES — No. 6 Genesee Valley/Belfast threw everything they had, including the kitchen sink, at third-seeded Naples. With an opportunity to cash in on redemption from last year’s Quarterfinal battle against the Big Green, they would make the most of it with the game’s first lead in hand, Monday night.
But through it all, the Big Green once again showed resilience and poise despite the early obstacle and delivered a fantastic finish that required one more extra frame to decide it. In the bottom of the eighth, with the game-winning run standing 90 feet away, Charlie Grove delivered the knockout blow on a short squib into the infield, deep enough for the run to come home in walk-off fashion, scoring a 3-2 win for Naples to send Genesee Valley/Belfast home packing.
“It was a tough, hard-fought game. It was right there for us. We gave them what we had, but the bats came back to bite us,” said GV/Belfast coach Kevin Scott. “It’s been the story of our season. We had a great chance with the middle of the order to take the lead back, and we couldn’t get it. Had we, we would have never seen the eighth inning. But these guys came to play, and they caught Naples off guard. The young kids have some promise and talent coming up through, and tonight’s game was a big builder for that.”
Despite the defeat, Carter Stout was able to keep Naples off balance with one of his best performances of the season on the rubber for Genesee Valley/Belfast (8-11), holding the Big Green to just a single hit all game long while handing out nine strikeouts and issuing just two walks in his masterful complete game.
That included goose eggs in each of the first four offensive series for Naples at the plate, which would allow Genesee Valley/Belfast to strike first in the top of the fourth in the midst of the scoreless array, as Matt Cater destroyed a long ball that found its way out of the park for a game-breaking two-run shot, unlocking the game’s first lead.
But it would not take much longer for Naples to provide a response to the massive firecracker, as Cade Rathbun broke the scoreless drought in the bottom of the fifth inning by tying the game at two for the foreseeable future ahead, lifting a blooper into the shallow outfield far enough for a pair of runners to score on the play.
The score would remain as such after regulation play hit the books. Just one more extra frame was needed to determine the game, as Naples used a key situation in the bottom of the eighth to their advantage, as Grove connected on a big base hit to score the game-winning run from third base to give the Big Green the comeback victory in walk-off fashion.
When it was all said and done, Genesee Valley/Belfast produced five hits at the plate, with Stout leading the charge with his pair of hits — a triple and double, scoring one of the team’s two runs along the way.
The 2023 season is over for Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they put a wrap on an 8-11 campaign. The team will graduate seven seniors in total just over a month from now, in Stout, Thai Norasethaporn, Garrett Miller, Elden Aquila, Max Wedge, Tyler Ralyea and Ethan Bigelow.
“The seniors were great all year long. They’re huge pieces of this team that I will never forget having the opportunity to coach,” Scott said. “I’m going to miss every one of them. Carter is our big piece, he’s pitched lights out these past couple of weeks, Thai led us in batting even after playing through injuries. The other seniors, Elden, Tyler, Max, Ethan. They’re going to be missed, but I wish them all well. They will always be a part of this team.”
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 200 00 – 2 5 4
Naples 000 020 01 – 3 1 2
GVB – Carter Stout (LP) (CG, 9K, 2BB) and Evan Turybury.
NAP – Charlie Grove (7K, 3BB), Grady Grove (WP, 8) (K, BB) and Donivan Todd.
No. 1 Fillmore 12, No. 9 Keshequa 0
FILLMORE — After trading some early defensive circulation with No. 9 Keshequa to start the night, top-seeded Fillmore settled right in and delivered a big right hook with a five-run frame serving as the foundation for what came to be, as the defending Class D1 champions were able to navigate their way back into the Semifinal round behind a 12-0 shutout of the Indians on Monday at the Town Park.
The Eagles (16-1) served up a strong Sectional debut in front of their home crowd to ensure a second and final home game of the season later on in the week behind a one-hit shutout of Keshequa. One that both Brent Zubikowski and Damon Potter combined to earn on the mound, with Zubikowski shelling out five strikeouts and four walks across his five-inning tenure, while Potter helped close the door in relief with one more fan and two walks.
The damage began after both teams exchanged scoreless pleasantries in the first two innings of play, as Fillmore reached the board with the first of two five-spots against the Indians in the bottom of the third, paced by another massive homer off the bat of Mitch Ward — a two-run blast to help break it open, scoring Potter who led off originally with a triple to the outfield.
With firm control of the lead over Keshequa, Fillmore resumed building onto their third inning foundation, scoring seven more runs down the stretch, including their final five-spot in the bottom of the sixth to solidify their victory once and for all behind a 12-run, 11-hit effort at the plate.
Nolan Krzeminski and Luke Colombo helped further the offensive cause with two hits of their own, while Zubikowski compiled a pair of RBI.
The Eagles now soar into the Class D1 Semifinal, where they now move one step closer towards defending their crown, as they get set to welcome in No. 4 Arkport/Canaseraga for their third and final clash this season. First pitch is slated for a 5 p.m. start on Wednesday at the Town Park with a chance to punch a weekend ticket to Dwyer Stadium in Batavia on the line.
Keshequa 000 000 0 – 0 1 2
Fillmore 005 025 X – 12 11 1
KES – Aiden Upright (LP) (6K, 2BB), Grey Miller (6) (K, BB) and Pike.
FIL – Brent Zubikowski (WP) (5K, 4BB), Damon Potter (6) (K, 2BB) and Nolan Krzeminski.
Class D2 Quarterfinals
No. 2 Lima Christian 7, No. 7 Friendship/Scio 0
NUNDA — No. 2 Lima Christian was able to reap the rewards with the best of both worlds in the nightcap at the Rymer Complex at Keshequa, as the offense capitalized on all fronts while the defense held No. 7 Friendship/Scio scoreless across the board to end their 2023 campaign with a berth into the Class D2 Semifinal round, garnering the 7-0 shutout on Monday.
Stats and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.
Friendship/Scio’s season closes with a record of 5-13 overall. The team will graduate just two seniors next month, in Hunter Hill and John Otero.
No. 5 Elba 14, No. 4 Hinsdale 1
HINSDALE — No. 5 Elba was relentless on the attack all night long, while the defense in the field held No. 4 Hinsdale to just a pair of hits, as the Lancers coasted their way into the Class D2 Semifinal round with ease after a massive 14-1 road win over the Bobcats on Monday to end their season.
Stats and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.
The 2023 campaign is in the books for the Bobcats, as they finish up with a record of 7-12 overall. The team will say goodbye to six of their seniors in Xander Pascucci, Damion Brown, Landen Wyant, Steven Hayman, Joey Neubert and Noah Randall.
No. 9 Bolivar-Richburg vs No. 8 Pembroke – No report.
Class B4 First Round
No. 6 Houghton Academy 3, No. 11 Andover/Whitesville 2
HOUGHTON — Aside from a second doubles forfeit awarded to No. 11 Andover/Whitesville, the sixth-seeded Panthers of Houghton Academy were able to capture three victories out of four in action on the court Monday night, as they worked their way towards victory and a spot on the Class B4 Quarterfinal round with a 3-2 victory at Houghton University.
The victories by the Panthers (8-5) were propelled by a pair of 6-0, 6-0 straight-set shutouts from both Caleb Hilshire and Sam Winkens at first and second singles, respectively, to take care of business against Andover/Whitesville’s Trey Kent and Elden Terhune.
The match win was finished off from within the doubles department by the first doubles team of Yuelin Qi and James Adenuga, as they fought tooth and nail against Taegan McCrea and Kori Carlin across both sets to come away victorious with a narrow 7-5, 6-4 decision.
Andover/Whitesville’s lone win in competition came at third singles from Zoe Baert, as she navigated through a hard-fought first set against Houghton Academy’s Christian Valentin, and came through triumphant in the end with a 7-5, 6-2 decision. The 2023 campaign for Andover/Whitesville has reached its conclusion, as they finish with a 4-8 record.
Houghton Academy now fills in a vacancy in the Class B4 Quarterfinal round, where they will hit the road today to take on No. 3 Wheatland-Chili in a 4 p.m. first serve.
Singles
1. Caleb Hilshire (HA) def. Trey Kent (A/W), 6-0, 6-0.
2. Sam Winkens (HA) def. Elden Terhune (A/W), 6-0, 6-0.
3. Zoe Baert (A/W) def. Christian Valentin (HA), 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Yuelin Qi/James Adenuga (HA) def. Taegan McCrea/Kori Carlin (A/W), 7-5, 6-4.
2. A/W by for.
