By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
ALLEGANY — Even at this stage of the campaign thus far, there were some humongous Sectional points sitting at the table for the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg. On a Monday night occupying the confines of Fred Handler Park at St. Bonaventure University, the Olean Huskies awaited.
Looking to claim them all for themselves, they would have to work against a strong start from the Huskies in the first inning. Down by a pair, the Wolverines would not be deterred by the deficit whatsoever.
Instead, Trey Buchholz would then proceed to put a clinic on full display, as the Bolivar-Richburg senior silenced Olean’s bats across the next five innings of play on the hill, handing out 11 chairs and walking just three before Landon Barkley came on to slam the door in the seventh to scavenge an 11-7 victory.
“It’s not always pretty, but we will take it any way it comes,” Wolverines coach Dustin Allen said. “Trey got off to a rocky start in the first, but he really settled in after that. Aydin Sisson continues to play some phenomenal baseball for us behind the plate as his catcher, and that is huge in itself. Caden (Allen) and Trey both hit the ball really well, and Charlie (Militello) put the ball in play when we needed it. They were all patient at the plate, and that’s good to see, especially when we have five games coming up this week.”
After some early baserunning allowed the Wolverines (4-0) to work their way across the plate first, Olean’s response was tripled off some key baserunning of their own to go back on top with a 3-1 advantage in hand.
But the newly-founded lead was short-lived for the hosts in red and yellow, as Bolivar-Richburg scratched across a quintet of runs to claim the lead once again, ultimately for the foreseeable future ahead.
The Wolverines would add two more runs through the middle frames of play before plating three final runs in the top of the seventh to put away the game for good — two of them off a big smack into the outfield by Buchholz, far enough for a double to break open the floodgates with an 11-3 lead.
Olean would not go away easily though, as they turned up the pressure against Landon Barkley in relief by providing a four-run final stand in the seventh to close the gap to four. But the defense behind him was able to help him ward off the Huskies in the end, as the Wolverines advanced forward to remain undefeated with their fourth straight win.
Although Bolivar-Richburg posted 11 runs, the offense came together for just four hits, as they used a series of special teams plays to ignite the offense in any way they could, capitalizing on eight walks and five Olean errors to reach base.
At the plate, Caden Allen paved the path with two of the hits, including a triple, and an RBI. Charlie Militello added a hit, while Brayden Zilker, Reiss Gaines and Aydin Sisson all chipped in with an RBI.
The busy week for the Wolverines journeys forward into tonight, where they head back home for a 5 p.m. first pitch against Andover/Whitesville.
Bolivar-Richburg 150 101 3 – 11 4 3
Olean 300 000 4 – 7 7 5
B-R – Trey Buchholz (WP) (11K, 3BB), Landon Barkley (7) and Aydin Sisson.
OLE – Ryan Isenberg (LP) (K, 4BB), Austin Miles (3) (2K, BB), Chase Vogtli (5) (4K, BB), Landon Johnson (7) (2BB) and Caine Degolier.
Fillmore 14, Hinsdale 1 (F-5)
FILLMORE — Freshman starting pitcher Malcolm Nusbickle, along with eighth grade hurlers Avery Potter and Wade DeRock, all converged to assemble one sublime performance on the rubber across all five innings for Fillmore at the Town Park on Monday, as the three Eagles limited visiting Hinsdale to just one hit across eight combined strikeouts while the offense set the tone early in what was a 14-1 five-inning win.
The hosts in green electrified the bats right out of the starting gate early against the Bobcats, with 10 of their 14 runs coming across in the frame to set the tone. Fillmore (2-1) totaled nine hits at the plate, led by Brayden Hennard and his 2-for-3 evening consisting of a pair of doubles and three total RBI.
Nolan Krzeminski and Jude Beardsley each had two hits and drove in a pair, while James Hillman had a hit and drove in two to further the cause.
On the mound, Nusbickle was credited with the victory — the first of his Varsity career, as he fanned four and walked one across three innings of work. In relief, Potter and DeRock aided in keeping the door shut against Hinsdale (0-2), combining for four more strikeouts and a walk to complete the one-hit performance.
As for the Bobcats, Henry Schwartz went the first two innings on the rubber, fanning four and walking six. At the plate, Cody Hand had the team’s lone hit in the top of the fourth inning, posting an RBI single to break up Fillmore’s combined no-hit bid.
Both teams will have Genesee Valley/Belfast up next on their schedules in the days to come, with the Eagles getting first crack in a quick turnaround tonight at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast, partaking in a 7 p.m. first pitch.
Hinsdale will head back home and play host the next night, if weather permits, on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Hinsdale 0 00 10 – 1 1 2
Fillmore (10)04 0X – 14 9 1
HIN – Henry Schwartz (LP) (4K, 6BB), Cody Hand (3) (3K, 3BB) and Peyton Keller.
FIL – Malcolm Nusbickle (WP) (4K, BB), Avery Potter (4) (3K, BB), Wade DeRock (5) (K) and Nolan Krzeminski.
Cuba-Rushford 28, Friendship/Scio 1 (F-5)
FRIENDSHIP — Behind a solid start and even bigger bat provided by Braeden Wight for the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, the visitors of gray and blue were able to lay down the foundation over the road in Friendship on Monday with a six-run top of the first inning that they never looked back on, flooring it towards a 28-1 five-inning victory over host Friendship/Scio.
Out of the eight hits at the plate to aid the Cuba-Rushford (2-1) offense, Wight collected three of them, including a double to left field, to lead the way. Following behind were Dean Frank and Kadin Pierce, each collecting two hits. On the mound, Wight countered his big bat with a solid five-strikeout, one-walk start across two innings of work to pick up the victory.
Wight, along with Lucas Haskins and Adam Roe, combined to hold Friendship/Scio (0-3) to just two hits at the plate. On the mound for the hosts in gold and black, Matt Donohue struck out four and walked five in his two-inning start.
Both teams mark their return to the diamond Wednesday night, if weather permits, as Cuba-Rushford continues their road swing into Andover for a 6 p.m. start against Andover/Whitesville, while Friendship/Scio hops right back onto Wellman Field in Friendship to host Bolivar-Richburg at 5 p.m.
Cuba-Rushford 6 (12) 5 23 – 28 8 0
Friendship/Scio 0 0 1 00 – 1 2 5
C-R – Braeden Wight (WP) (5K, BB), Lucas Haskins (3) (3K, BB), Adam Roe (5) (2K) and Dean Frank, Adam Shaffer (5).
F/S – Matt Donohue (LP) (4K, 5BB), Cooper Greenman (3) (4K, 4BB), Nick Sortore (5) (3K, BB) and Sortore, Greenman (5).
Friendship/Scio 6, Cuba-Rushford 1
FRIENDSHIP — The Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford gave everything the Class D State Finalists could handle on Monday, as they would remain within reach astride in the heat of battle.
But after exploding with a pair of triples at the plate to go with a powerful 19-strikeout performance from within her command center on the mound, Nevaeh Ross was able to keep Cuba-Rushford in the rearview mirror, as she tossed six shutout innings while the offense broke the ice in the opening stages of battle to aid in establishing a 6-1 home win in Friendship.
Sandwiched in between a pair of 1-2-3 innings delivered with the arm of Ross, Friendship/Scio (4-2) constructed a 1-0 lead after the first inning and added more to it with some big bats during their second tenure at the plate. Headlining the entourage of offense for the hosts was the second of Ross’ triples, going straight into the outfield to scratch across one before Grace Drumm chipped in with a prevalent bat of her own at the bottom of the order, collecting a two-run double to aid with an extension to their lead to four.
While the defense continued to keep the Lady Rebels (1-1) off the board, Friendship/Scio was granted more damage to provide onto the board with two more runs coming in to score in the bottom of the fifth off clutch baserunning, ultimately allowing them to load up the bases behind Sydney Howard in the circle for the visitors in gray and blue.
Cuba-Rushford was able to put a halt on Ross’ shutout bid in the top of the seventh, utilizing a pair of errors in the field to their advantage to score their lone run. After the Lady Rebels put their first run on the board, Ross went back to work and struck out the next three batters she faced to close out the game on the most positive of notes for the hosts.
Friendship/Scio collected six runs off six hits at the plate, with Ross’ two triples paving the way. Morghyn Ross and Emily Lamberson each had a hit to chip in.
As for Cuba-Rushford, the Lady Rebels scored both of their hits off the bat of Lizzie Kocsis, both singles. In the circle, Howard went the distance with nine strikeouts and three walks.
Both teams hop back onto the field Wednesday night with 5 p.m. first pitches on the docket, if weather permits, as Friendship/Scio remains at home to play host to Bolivar-Richburg, while Cuba-Rushford heads to Whitesville to square off with Andover/Whitesville.
Cuba-Rushford 000 000 1 – 1 2 1
Friendship/Scio 130 020 X – 6 6 5
C-R – Sydney Howard (LP) (CG, 9K, 3BB) and Arlah Shaffer.
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 19K) and Morghyn Ross.
Warsaw takes two from Lady Eagles in Fillmore
FILLMORE — Across a gorgeous day to play two on the turf in Fillmore, Warsaw’s Maddie Schurr provided two outstanding pitching performances to keep the host Lady Eagles at bay on Monday.
After the bats clicked in the early-going of game one to set up the first victory, the Lady Tigers followed up in game two with a rebounding effort despite falling behind Fillmore, as they broke loose on a fifth inning scoring bonanza to propel ahead into the lead. That, all while Schurr remained in command of her post in the circle, combining to record 20 strikeouts to put the ribbon on top of a twinbill sweep of the Lady Eagles by 8-2 and 15-6 counts.
In game one, both teams were aided by a defensive stand that saw them trade a pair of scoreless innings before the offenses caught fire beginning in the third inning. The Lady Tigers were the first to strike while the flame was hot, as they posted five big runs to garner an advantage against the Lady Eagles that remained intact.
But Fillmore managed to counter in the bottom half with their two lone scores to cut the deficit down to three, framed by a solo bomb off the bat of Mattie McCumiskey — her second of the season. Following the exchange of three more scoreless barbs, Warsaw would then find their rhythm at the plate one final time to post three massive pieces of insurance to secure the victory.
Fillmore collected just three hits at the plate in the midst of Schurr’s night-opening performance in the circle. Opposite of her for the Lady Eagles, Mylee Miller went all seven innings, fanning four and walking five.
A different story would formulate in game two to close out the night, as Fillmore worked their way out ahead of Warsaw in the opening sequences. The Lady Tigers remained hot on their trail however, as they closed the gap twice — the latter of the two outbursts seeing them overtake Fillmore in the driver’s seat in permanent fashion, bringing the bats all together for a seven-run collection on offense to jet ahead towards what was a 15-6 win to sweep the Lady Eagles.
“In the first game, that third inning was the deal-breaker. They played small ball in that inning, along with some excellent base-running. They capitalized on our mistakes,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “In the second game, we were playing very solid until the fifth, when we got to two outs and we couldn’t find the third. It took the wind out of our sails, but in the end, we learn, grow and move on. We know we aren’t going to be perfect, but our goal is to be mentally strong in every situation so we don’t give big innings to our opponent. We hit much better this game, but Warsaw did a lot of the little things right. I was impressed with their play.”
Both teams posted 10 hits at the plate to fuel their offense, with the Lady Eagles (2-3) jumping ahead in the top of the second inning with their largest frame consisting of three runs to claim a 3-1 lead on Warsaw early on. The Lady Tigers however, provided a response of their own with two runs in the bottom half to create level playing ground going into the middle frames of play.
In the midst of a back-and-forth tilting of the balance, Fillmore uncovered one last lead change to use against their visiting opposition with a run in the top of the fourth before the Lady Tigers switched the fuse completely with 12 unanswered runs across the next two stanzas — seven of them coming in the bottom of the fifth inning that allowed them to reclaim the advantage once and for all, while adding five additional runs in the sixth to cement the victory.
The Lady Eagles saw a pair of hitters each record two hits, with Oakley Frazier leading the way with a 2-for-4 outing and two RBI. Tenlee Miller chipped in with two hits of her own and scored twice, while Preslee Miller had a double. In the circle, Emalyn Mucher went all seven innings for the hosts in black and green, striking out four and walking seven.
Fillmore will hop back onto the field tonight with a 7 p.m. visit down the road to the Rich Sullivan Complex to take on host Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Game 1
Warsaw 005 000 3 – 8 7 2
Fillmore 002 000 0 – 2 3 6
WAR – Maddie Schurr (WP) (CG, 11K, 7BB) and Tanzie Keough.
FIL – Mylee Miller (LP) (CG, 4K, 5BB) and Oakley Frazier.
Game 2
Fillmore 030 100 2 – 6 10 3
Warsaw 120 075 X – 15 10 3
FIL – Emalyn Mucher (LP) (CG, 4K, 7BB) and Oakley Frazier.
WAR – Maddie Schurr (WP) (CG, 9K, 2BB) and Tanzie Keough.
Bolivar-Richburg 18, Andover/Whitesville 3 (F-6)
RICHBURG — The Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines were a five-alarm inferno from start to finish at the plate, Monday night at Stan Harris Field, as they posted 18 runs off 23 total hits against visiting Andover/Whitesville.
Amongst the bats, both Kylee and Rylee Whiting turned in a divine 5-for-5 outing at the plate to aid the team’s 18-3 victory after six complete innings.
It was a tight opening frame that was shared by both teams right away, as Andover/Whitesville and Bolivar-Richburg countered one another with corresponding stands of offense to knot the game at three, with the visitors using an RBI single from Makaila Brewster, along with some key baserunning to claim a 3-0 lead first.
The Lady Wolverines (2-1) followed with their game-tying three-run response with off special teams play of their own in between the first of three Rylee Whiting doubles.
From the second inning onward, the remainder of the game fell into the command of the hosts in black and red, as they went on to post 15 straight runs to take the lead in insurmountable fashion, beginning with a two-run second inning paced by an RBI double from Kylee Whiting, and an RBI single from Jayna Thomas on the next at-bat.
When it was all said and done, the Whiting siblings combined for a 10-for-10 outing at the plate, each garnering five hits, five combined doubles, four total RBI and seven runs scored.
In addition, the Lady Wolverines saw contributions from the bats of Thomas and Sydney Faulkner, each scoring three hits of their own and driving in a pair of runs. Danika Loucks chipped in with a three-run triple from within the team’s six-run bottom of the fourth — her lone hit in the game.
In the circle, Kylee Whiting was in full command by holding Andover/Whitesville (0-2) to just three hits across 13 strikeouts and a walk to pick up the win.
As for the visitors, Brewster fanned two and walked two across her complete game in the circle. On offense, Lilly Ordway and Peyton Graham each posted a hit.
Both teams will have 5 p.m. first pitches coming up on Wednesday, weather permitting, as Bolivar-Richburg hits the road to visit defending Class D State Finalist Friendship/Scio in Friendship, while Andover/Whitesville heads home to welcome in Cuba-Rushford for battle in Whitesville.
Andover/Whitesville 300 000 – 3 3 2
Bolivar-Richburg 320 661 – 18 23 3
A/W – Makaila Brewster (LP) (CG, 2K, 2BB) and Reece Waters.
B-R – Kylee Whiting (WP) (CG, 13K, BB) and Sydney Faulkner.
Fillmore 4, Alfred-Almond 1
HOUGHTON — Aside from a second doubles forfeit awarded to visiting Alfred-Almond, the Eagles of Fillmore were at the very apex of their game across all fronts to begin a brand new week of tennis Monday night at Houghton University, as they nearly came away with shutouts in all four of their victories to lay claim on a 4-1 match win.
“We were a bit short-handed today with illness and we had to adjust our doubles pairing at first. It was fun to see Kallan and Carson (Sanasith) play together and earn Kal’s first Varsity win. Hopefully, we can get healthy and get ready for another battle tomorrow night.” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch.
All three singles matches were swept by Fillmore (2-0) with the aid of Eben Schilke, Isaiah Sisson and Marcus Wolfer in pro-set action, with the three Eagles collecting 10-0 wins over Alfred-Almond’s Patrick Power at first singles, Liam Carstens at second singles and Noah Heffley at third singles, respectively to set up shop for a dominant performance on the court.
To finish off the victory, the first doubles team of Carson and Kallan Sanasith took care of business with a 10-1 victory of their own, racing past Alfred-Almond’s Aedon O’Connor and Vincent Craft.
The visiting soar of Eagles garnered their lone victory from the second doubles pairing of Miguel Carranzo and Jaxon Heffley, via forfeit.
Fillmore is back on the court tonight, this time over the road, visiting Cuba-Rushford in a 5 p.m. first serve.
Singles
1. Eben Schilke (FIL) def. Patrick Power (A-A), 10-0.
2. Isaiah Sisson (FIL) def. Liam Carstens (A-A), 10-0.
3. Marcus Wolfer (FIL) def. Noah Heffley (A-A), 10-0.
Doubles
1. Carson Sanasith/Kallan Sanasith (FIL) def. Aedon O’Connor/Vincent Craft (A-A), 10-1.
2. Miguel Carranzo/Jaxon Heffley (A-A) by for.
Bolivar-Richburg 3, Andover/Whitesville 2
ALMOND — The action was as close as advertised on the court at Alfred-Almond on Monday, as Bolivar-Richburg and host Andover/Whitesville were neck-and-neck on their approach to the finish line.
But when the book closed as soon as the final point was recorded, the visiting Wolverines were able to come away victorious by a slim 3-2 edge, taking all three of their wins over Andover/Whitesville across straight sets.
The Wolverines (1-0) were able to lay claim victory on two of the three singles matches that took center stage, with Anthony Densmore and Trevor Whitsell coming away triumphant in their respective matches, with Densmore overcoming a tough first set battle with Andover/Whitesville’s Elden Terhune to pick up a 6-3, 6-1 win, while Whitsell set the tone with a strong first set shutout against Allison Schweigart to take a 6-0, 6-2 win.
To cement their first win of the campaign, the second doubles team of Starlyn Kisel and Jamie Werner finished a straight-set win strong in shutout fashion to record a 6-3, 6-0 win over Gracie Murray and Janiah Gillam.
Andover/Whitesville (0-2) collected a win in each field of competition on the court, both in three sets, with Tristan Meehan fighting his way through a back-and-forth duel with Bolivar-Richburg’s Dustin Murray from start to finish, fighting back after a second set defeat to record the 7-5, 1-6, 6-0 win.
At first doubles, the duo of Izzy Potter and Jizel Kyoseva provided a 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 win of their own over Alex Parker and Nebula Wilson-Smith.
Both teams will mark their return to the court in the upcoming days, with Bolivar-Richburg heading back out on the road for a 5 p.m. visit to Allegany-Limestone on Wednesday, while Andover/Whitesville ships out to Houghton University on Friday to visit the Eagles of Fillmore in a 5 p.m. first serve of their own.
Singles
1. Anthony Densmore (B-R) def. Elden Terhune (A/W), 6-3, 6-1.
2. Tristan Meehan (A/W) def. Dustin Murray (B-R), 7-5, 1-6, 6-0.
3. Trevor Whitsell (B-R) def. Allison Schweigart (A/W), 6-0, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Izzy Potter/Jizel Kyoseva (A/W) def. Alex Parker/Nebula Wilson-Smith (B-R), 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
2. Starlyn Kisel/Jamie Werner (B-R) def. Gracie Murray/Janiah Gillam (A/W), 6-3, 6-0.
