By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
BELFAST — After taking the reins on the diamond at Avoca-Prattsburgh, claiming championship glory twice in four straight appearances in the Finals along the way, one of the most decorated baseball coaches in New York State has made his return back home to Allegany County.
This time, donning a new color pallette.
In exchange for the gold belonging to the Titans, the newest acquisition to couple with the same shade of black he donned in Steuben County was two new colors — Genesee Valley Jaguars green and Belfast Bulldog red, as New York State Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Miles officially ignited the ceremonial torch to a new era of baseball to the combined program on Tuesday at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast.
With a cloudy landscape and some early Spring chills setting the stage for Opening Day, the aim for game one of the Miles regime was to raise the temperature to an uncontrollable degree against the visiting Lakers of Hammondsport.
Right from the very first at-bat, Genesee Valley/Belfast’s offense began to click on all facets. With a weapons-grade detonation off the hop from Evan Turybury to the deep portion of the outfield, the pistons fired on all cylinders for an attack that accounted for at least a pair of runs in each of the first four innings of play.
All while freshman hurler Ben Cater kept the Lakers on their feet in his four-inning tenure on the rubber, handing out seven chairs and walking just one, as he combined with Fisher Herdman to toss a one-hit shutout of Hammondsport to open the 2024 season with a bang behind an 11-0 triumph.
“It was a good start, not knowing what we have out of the gate,” GV/Belfast coach Dennis Miles said. “The two pitchers pitched well, with it being the first game out. Ben Cater gave us a great start as a freshman. He had some composure issues early on, but he gave us a great game. Then, we were looking at Fisher in more of a closer role, because he throws hard. He came in and when that situation comes, you have to pound the zone, and he did that. They swung the bats well too, zeroing in on that fastball. This is what we needed. There were a lot of good things and there were some things we still need to iron out. For the most part, I was pleased.”
Before Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-0) was able to garner the fiery start in their opening at-bats, the defense would have to work their way out of an early jam against the Lakers with their lead-off hitter reaching on a walk. Despite the first of just two baserunners that would reach the infield the entire game, Cater would strike out the next three batters in consecutive fashion to leave the visitors in purple at a standstill.
That would construct a three-run bottom half of the first inning for the host to break the ice with, led by Turybury’s lead-off double to the outfield. After a lengthy at-bat for Kyle McCumiskey resulted in a walk to place him on base, they were both driven home on a drive into right center field from Matt Cater. The inning would conclude with one more run scratching across off a sacrifice back to the outfield from Ryan Daciw to make it a 3-0 lead for Genesee Valley/Belfast.
The momentum would keep on building steam entering the second after another scoreless frame dished out by the defense, as Matt Cater aided the efforts with two of the team’s three runs, bringing one in on a hit into right center before scoring himself on the very next at-bat on a wild pitch straight to the backstop to help provide further coagulation to their advantage outwards to six on Hammondsport.
Genesee Valley/Belfast went on to score five more runs across the next two innings of play to further cement their lead, forcing an early final tenure at the plate for the Lakers — one that Fisher Herdman came on and took full advantage of in the top of the fifth to close out an exceptional start to the season, fanning all three batters in order to encapsulate their one-hit shutout.
For game one back down in Allegany County, Miles says it was great to be back home.
“It’s kind of like coming back home again. It’s been good coming back down this way again. The driving is not what it nearly was, but it was a great experience at Avoca-Prattsburgh that I was honored to be a part of. We went to the Finals all four years I was there, and we won the title twice. It was a very good experience, but I certainly didn’t leave for any other reason than to be closer to home.”
The hosts gathered 11 runs off eight hits, with four different hitters all posting at least a pair of knocks. Leading the way was Matt Cater, who had a perfect 3-for-3 outing at the plate. Turybury, Ian McKenzie and Owen Heaney each had two hits.
Coming up on Thursday, if weather permits, Genesee Valley/Belfast will hit the road for an early-season test against the C.G. Finney Falcons beginning in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Hammondsport 000 00 – 0 1 1
Genesee Valley/Belfast 332 3X – 11 8 0
HAM – Silas Scofield (LP) (2K, 2BB), Hunter Farley (3) (2K, 3BB), JD Hoerder (4).
GVB – Ben Cater (WP) (7K, BB), Fisher Herdman (5) (3K) and Evan Turybury.
Photos by Chris Brooks, more stories after photos:
Allegany-Limestone 4, Fillmore 3
ALLEGANY — In a closely-knit affair across the board, Fillmore and Allegany-Limestone gave one another everything they had to open the 2024 campaign on Tuesday in the Swamp.
With the defenses settling in across the first six innings of play and a 1-1 deadlock on the board, the bats would come alive for an explosive and thrilling Opening Day finish.
With the Eagles garnering the seventh inning’s first word to break the tie, they would force the host Gators on their feet for their final at-bats. But the pressure that was built against them, Allegany-Limestone chomped every bit of it to amass a three-run final tenure to rip possession of the lead away from Fillmore and claim it as their own to record the 4-3 walk-off victory in front of their home crowd.
After both teams dealt a pair of scoreless frames on the field to start the action, the scoring soon scratched its way across the plate, beginning with a third inning breaking of the ice for Fillmore (0-1), as they provided the game’s first marker, holding the advantage straight into the sixth inning when the Gators navigated their way onto the board for the first time off a double from AJ Riordan.
With the game all deadlocked for the first time in the midst of battle, the Eagles would tilt the momentum back in their favor at the most crucial of times in the top of the seventh, plating a pair of scores to claim a 3-1 lead. The bats were led by James Hillman, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI, and Jude Beardsley’s two-RBI performance.
But with Allegany-Limestone now pinned against the wall, the Gators fought back and chomped at the deficit in resilient fashion, posting the next three runs in a row — one of them off a walk-off single delivered by Zane Gleason to end the game in heroic fashion.
Despite the defeat, the Eagles witnessed a fine first start of the season for Damon Potter on the hill, as he fanned seven and walked four in his five innings of work.
Fillmore will return to action after Spring Break, as they head home to welcome in Andover/Whitesville for their home opener at the Town Park on April 9 at 5 p.m.
Fillmore 001 000 2 – 3 4 1
Allegany-Limestone 000 001 3 – 4 3 1
FIL – Damon Potter (7K, 4BB), Kalen Beardsley (LP, 6) (K, 2BB), Jude Beardsley (7) and Nolan Krzeminski.
A-L – Caleb Strade (9K, 5BB), Evan Johnson (WP, 5) (2K, 2BB) and Zane Gleason.
