Friday Roundup: Gaines completes 3-hit night with walk-off single to propel B-R to 7-0 start after 11-inning marathon with Port Allegany; GV/Belfast’s Cater, Herdman combine to no-hit And/Whi
By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
BOLIVAR — The Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg have instituted a dazzling inception to their campaign on the diamond, traveling in cruise control to the velocity of six straight victories. In the Land of the Deer and Derrick, they would open the window up for a back-to-back set that consists of two top-tier challenges — Port Allegany and Bloomfield.
The Class C powerhouses were tested right out of the gate by the visiting Gators, as they broke the ice immediately to set up shop. The two teams would then infuse a back-and-forth pace from the opening frame onwards, which would see them reconvene towards a sixth-inning deadlock that would ultimately freeze in place.
For the next five innings.
In what was the longest game this season has featured thus far, Port Allegany and Bolivar-Richburg put everything on the line in the ultimate high-wire act until the very end. With a 4-4 deadlock awaiting its final unlocking, something between the two foes has to most certainly give way.
After an array of zeroes were hung up all throughout extra innings, the engines started to roar in the bottom of the 11th inning. With it, the foot went down on the gas pedal and the brake was ignored.
Reiss Gaines was the hero for the Wolverines.
With two runners occupying both first and third behind the Port Allegany defense, the Bolivar-Richburg senior was knocked down to his final strike. A strike that separated both teams from entering the 12th inning.
Instead, Gaines prevented that with a gargantuan crack of the bat, sending the ball parallel down the left field line to score Brayden Zilker from third to finally put an exclamation point to the Friday night marathon in the Wolverines Den, as Bolivar-Richburg remained undefeated at 7-0 on the campaign with a hard-fought, intrepidacious and incredibly gutsy 5-4 victory over the Gators.
“It was actually really well played high school baseball tonight,” Wolverines coach Dustin Allen said. “All the pitchers threw strikes and then we were fortunate enough to get the timely hits when we needed them the most. We kept getting down, but we were able to find a way to bounce back. It’s a nice team victory against a really strong Port Allegany team. This is a good start we’re having here, and the schedule we’ve built for ourselves is to challenge them. This was one of them, and it’s all worked so far. But there’s more work to be done.”
Rewinding the tape all the way back to just after 6 p.m. local time when the first pitch was thrown, it began with Port Allegany wasting no time displaying a rapid amount of aggressiveness in their first approach at the plate with the aid of Tyler Fillhart and his airlifting of a ball to right field where a sliding Kingston Loucks could not make the play in the nick of time, as the Gators runner occupying third base strode in to put them ahead with a 1-0 lead.
But just as quick as the Gators got on the board, the Wolverines (7-0) were just as fast with their response.
The bottom half of the first inning would begin with a single pitch issued to Trey Buchholz, who delivered with just one swing: A stand-up double straight to the left field fence. On the next at-bat, Reiss Gaines would record his first of his team-leading three hits on a base hit to score him, recreating level playing ground again.
Caden Allen would follow up with some help of his own right, taking the first pitch he sees for an absolute ride to deep right center field, landing directly into the gap, taking a couple of bounces on its way to the fence and out underneath it to force a ground-rule double into effect. That would allow Gaines to score, propelling Bolivar-Richburg ahead with a 2-1 lead.
The advantage by the hosts in white and red was held across two scoreless innings, with Allen fanning the side in the top of the third inning. The scoring would return however in the next inning of play for the Gators, as they kicked the tires on another go-ahead stand of offense, settling for an RBI triple off the bat of Levi Howard.
On the following at-bat, Port Allegany broke the 2-2 deadlock with a grounder to the right side of the field, forcing another runner to score.
With the visitors in gray and orange now in control of a one-run lead, the action began to swirl around on the field, with Bolivar-Richburg coming back to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth, using a grounder from the bat of Allen and then a run to home plate off a passed ball by Aydin Sisson catapulted the Wolverines back up by a 4-3 count.
Immediately following, Port Allegany delivered another quick jab back at the hosts with what would be the final run in regulation play coming in the top of the sixth inning to force extra innings.
After four straight innings of scoreless baseball, both teams continued their search for the game-winning run.
That intensified over time, with the Wolverines being presented the best chance to jump ahead towards victory, as Zilker’s double helped lead off the frame. With a walk issued to Trey Buchholz, Zilker navigated his way towards third, where he would serve as the big run.
In the midst of his appearance at the plate, Reiss Gaines was all of a sudden knocked down to his final strike of the outing. With it, he would consume all the pressure that came with it by coming through with the walk-off single down the left field line to win the game for Bolivar-Richburg — their seventh in a row to open the campaign.
Gaines led all hitters with a 3-for-4 outing, two RBI and two runs scored. Behind him, seven different Wolverines all recorded a hit, including Allen, Buchholz and Zilker, all netting doubles.
On the mound, Allen went all seven innings in regulation, fanning seven Gators batters. The win, however, belonged to Trey Buchholz, who came on in the eighth inning and only allowed two more hits under his watch, fanning five and walking a pair.
The Wolverines will look to continue harvesting the momentum when they turn their attention to their latest road trip up north to Bloomfield this afternoon, beginning in an 11 a.m. first pitch.
Port Allegany 100 201 000 00 – 4 10 2
Bolivar-Richburg 200 020 000 01 – 5 10 2
PA – Nick Wilfong (6K, 3BB), Derek Smith (5) (4K, 3BB), Kellen Veilleux (LP, 10) (BB) and Aiden Bliss.
B-R – Caden Allen (7K), Trey Buchholz (WP, 8) (5K, 2BB) and Aydin Sisson.
More sports action from around the county after Chris Brooks photo gallery:
Genesee Valley/Belfast 10, Andover/Whitesville 0 (F-5)
BELFAST — Genesee Valley/Belfast’s dynamic duo of Matt Cater and Fisher Herdman both had an incredibly hot hand from start to finish of the mound.
The two aces advanced forward and headlined an outstanding pitching performance that resulted in a combined no-hitter of visiting Andover/Whitesville on Friday, as they rolled their way towards a 10-0 shutout after five complete innings at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast.
Under the guidance of Cater and Herdman on the mound, the Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-2) bats came alive right behind them, mustering 10 runs off 10 hits at the plate for an offensive stand that began with an early 2-0 lead after the opening frame of play.
Following a scoreless encounter in the second, the hosts in black turned up the heat and sprinted off with seven massive runs to further cushion their lead and hold it in their grasp for good.
Out of the 12 combined strikeouts each hurler for Genesee Valley/Belfast recorded, Cater had nine of them to go with a walk to garner the win after four innings of hard work on the mound. Herdman followed with a strong conclusion to the night in relief, fanning three more Andover/Whitesville (0-4) batters.
Cater also made his presence known on the attack, garnering a pair of hits. Ian McKenzie finished with a perfect 2-for-2 outing to couple with a trio of stolen bases on special teams. Zach Thomas and Ty Hutchison each provided a hit that scored two runs, with Hutchison recording a double.
For the visitors, Derek Perkins provided a solid outing of relief beginning in the second inning, fanning four and walking one. Andover/Whitesville will look to bounce back with an 11 a.m. first pitch back home in Andover this morning, hosting Friendship/Scio.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to carry the momentum over the road with them on Monday, as they pay a visit to the Cuba-Rushford Rebels for battle at 5 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville 000 00 – 0 0 2
Genesee Valley/Belfast 207 01 – 10 10 3
A/W – James Miller-Young (LP) (3BB), Derek Perkins (2) (4K, BB), Corbin Lowey-Baker (4) (2K, 6BB) and Colton Calladine.
GVB – Matt Cater (WP) (9K, BB), Fisher Herdman (5) (3K) and Evan Turybury.
Cuba-Rushford 17, Hinsdale 2 (F-5)
HINSDALE — When you hit the road for an entire week and come home victorious in each one of them, it can be a great feeling to have within your possession.
That specific kind of euphoria was encapsulated by the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford on Friday, when they finished off a three-game road trip in Hinsdale on the highest of notes, coasting past the host Bobcats with a 17-2 triumph after five complete innings of play.
The Rebels (4-1) were able to hold their opposition in check behind a complete game from the arm of Finn Ricketts, who compiled 10 strikeouts during his phenomenal one-hit wonder. With the momentum being built by the senior on the rubber, it was then translated to the offense, where they posted 17 runs off just six hits, using a slew of walks along with some key baserunning behind the Bobcats defense to aid their ascension to victory.
“It was a very good outing from Finn. He didn’t walk a batter and fanned 10. We struggled a bit defensively, but we were able to battle our way through it,” said Rebels coach Pat Wight. “We put together some patient bats at the plate in the fifth to really extend the lead. We had a nice 3-0 week on the road and got some very good pitching, so we’re happy with that heading into next week and some home games.”
Following a 2-1 lead after the opening frame, the Rebels went on to post six unanswered runs to maintain their lead in the driver’s seat before cementing the victory permanently with their final nine runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Braeden Wight helped the cause with a hit, three total RBI and three runs scored. Tanner Lewis chipped in with a hit of his own, driving in two and scoring twice. Dean Frank also pitched in a hit and scored three runs, while Ricketts, Landen Schappacher and Adam Shaffer each tallied a hit.
For Hinsdale (0-4), Jake Elliott went the first three innings of the mound, fanning six and walking eight. He also recorded the team’s lone hit, driving in a run in the process.
Both teams are back in action Monday night in a pair of 5 p.m. first pitches, with Cuba-Rushford heading back home down I-86 to welcome in Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Hinsdale hits the road for a visit to Andover/Whitesville, in Whitesville.
Cuba-Rushford 211 49 – 17 6 3
Hinsdale 100 10 – 2 1 2
C-R – Finn Ricketts (WP) (CG, 10K) and Dean Frank, Adam Shaffer (5).
HIN – Jake Elliott (LP) (6K, 8BB), Cody Hand (4) (K, 7BB), Tim Ribble (5) (2K, 3BB) and Peyton Keller.
Fillmore 23, Friendship/Scio 2 (F-5)
FILLMORE — After enduring a rapid first inning start that powered Canisteo-Greenwood’s victory the day before, the Eagles of Fillmore returned home to provide one of their own with Friendship/Scio in for a visit to the Town Park, as the offense fueled the gas tank with a 13-run opening sequence that allowed them to set the tone on their 23-2 victory on Friday.
Five different hitters for the Eagles (4-2) all posted at least a pair of hits to help generate a 15-hit outburst at the plate. Leading the charge was Brayden Hennard, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Nolan Krzeminski pitched in with three hits of his own to go with a double, three RBI and four runs scored.
Adding more fuel to the fire for the hosts in green was James Hillman, who had two hits including a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Damon Potter drove in five runs.
On the mound, Malcolm Nusbickle collected his second win of the season, going the first three innings behind four strikeouts, as he combined with Krzeminski, Hillman and Jude Beardsley to hold Friendship/Scio (0-5) to just two hits on offense — both of which were recorded by Cooper Greenman.
As for the visitors in gold, Aiden Golden came on in relief during the third inning of action, collecting a pair of strikeouts and handing out one walk. Friendship/Scio will have a quick turnaround back on the road this morning with an 11 a.m. visit to Andover/Whitesville, in Andover.
Fillmore will look to keep the ball rolling on the road themselves after the weekend, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg.
Friendship/Scio 1 00 01 – 2 2 3
Fillmore (13)24 4X – 23 15 0
F/S – Charlie Taylor (LP) (2BB), Deacon Brown (1) (2K, 7BB), Aiden Golden (3) (2K, BB) and Cooper Greenman.
FIL – Malcolm Nusbickle (WP) (4K), Nolan Krzeminski (4) (2K, 2BB), James Hillman (5) (BB), Jude Beardsley (5) (K) and Krzeminski, Ryan Vedder (4).
SOFTBALL
Genesee Valley/Belfast 9, Andover/Whitesville 1
BELMONT — The intensity level was through the roof when Makaila Brewster and Hannah Southwick-Powers conducted business all throughout the night in the Jungle on Friday in Belmont. The two aces combined to unload 20 strikeouts on their respective oppositions from the start until the very end of their tenures in the circle.
As a result, the runs that came with it, became a rare occurrence.
With Andover/Whitesville and Genesee Valley/Belfast standing fast in the midst of several scoreless exchanges on defense, they would travel down the same path and come together in a 1-1 tie after the first three innings of play.
Then, a rise in temperature, as the hosts in black and gray were starting to feel their groove. Soon after, it would morph into a complete hitting party.
After garnering the advantage for the first time in the previous inning, Genesee Valley/Belfast used the partial rumbling of momentum to create a devastating sixth inning fissure, as they struck gold on everything they uncovered at the plate to hang up seven big runs to widen their lead on Andover/Whitesville once and for all, finishing off what was a 9-1 victory — the fifth in their first six games.
“It was just a matter of shaking some rust off,” said GV/Belfast coach Mark Sullivan. “It was a tight game that had me holding my breath through most of it. The girls finally swung the bats and hit some big line drives. That was the big key. I thought both pitchers pitched really well. There weren’t many walks, there were a lot of strikes. The game moved right along. We made a couple of plays in the outfield behind Hannah, and that allowed her to settle down and take over when we got the lead. A 5-1 start is showing how hard the girls continue to work, and that’s good to have with another tough week coming up.”
Through the first three innings, the offenses remained quiet with just a run on each side reaching the plate, with Andover/Whitesville becoming the first team to strike with the lead in the top of the second inning. After a scoreless half of defense, Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-1) found their response in the bottom of the third to re-tie the game at one.
From the fourth inning onward, the momentum of the game would rest solely on which team would shift the balance of power again.
It would come in the bottom of the fifth with the home team’s go-ahead run, as they emphatically ensured it would remain in their direction by building a full head of steam to finish the night with a seven-run bonanza that started with three consecutive hits following an Andover/Whitesville error.
With the bases loaded, Jenna Hill knocked in two of those runs to get the pistons firing on all cylinders off her double to the outfield to aid in creating more than enough room to remain out front.
That, all stemming on the heels of Southwick-Powers’ back-to-back fannings of the side in the final two innings of play to put a bow on a four-hit victory with 13 strikeouts and four walks for Genesee Valley/Belfast.
In the midst of her performance, the junior would also eclipse the 300-career strikeout marker.
At the plate, Southwick-Powers joined Abby Sullivan at the front of the pack, as the two converged to record five of the team’s eight hits. Sullivan paced the bats with a 3-for-4 outing, while Southwick-Powers chipped in two of her own including a double.
For Andover/Whitesville (1-3), Makaila Brewster dealt out another phenomenal outing on the mound, striking out seven and walking just one. At the plate, Reece Winters scored a double to lead the way. They return to action this morning back home in Andover with an 11 a.m. visit from Friendship/Scio.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to remain red hot to open their campaign, as they hit the road themselves for a 5 p.m. visit to Cuba-Rushford on Monday.
Andover/Whitesville 010 000 0 – 1 4
Genesee Valley/Belfast 001 017 X – 9 8
A/W – Makaila Brewster (LP) (CG, 7K, BB) and Reece Winters.
GVB – Hannah Southwick-Powers (WP) (CG, 13K, 4BB) and Jenna Hill.
Friendship/Scio 9, Fillmore 1
FILLMORE — Friendship/Scio has been on an absolute tear since their return home from Myrtle Beach just a few weeks ago.
After collecting just one win in their three-game trip, they have returned home to Allegany County and have made a ton of noise ever since. On Friday, that was no different following a fast start out of the gate, paired along with another dominant outing from Nevaeh Ross, as it resonated across their road trip to Fillmore, flooring it straight towards a fifth consecutive win by a 9-1 count at the end of the night against the host Lady Eagles.
“From our standpoint, I felt we had some good plate appearances, but Nevaeh is good enough to turn them into strikeouts. We had a few costly errors and Mylee (Miller) only gave up three earned runs, but you have to be clean to stay close in a game like this,” said Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley. “Although we had some errors, I thought mentally, we never lost our focus or confidence. You have to find small victories, even in the losses. Friendship/Scio with a generational player like Nevaeh deserves a lot of credit, as does their whole team. They are a standard that others want to achieve. We have respect for them all the way around, and we will keep working to close the gap against teams like them.”
The visitors in black and gold were at the forefront of attack when they started out hot against the Lady Eagles, posting the game’s first five runs to break the ice. Following a scoreless exchange across the third, Friendship/Scio (6-2) was able to add onto their advantage later on with a humongous four-run extension to create a 9-0 lead that they would never look back on.
In all, Friendship/Scio recorded nine runs off 14 total hits at the plate, with four different hitters posting a pair of hits. Morghyn Ross paved the lane towards big success, going 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI. Nevaeh Ross added two more hits, including a double, while Joslyn Nickerson and Cece Davenport each had two hits to add in.
With the offense clicking furiously, Nevaeh Ross shelled out another dominant performance from within the circle, holding Fillmore (3-5) to just a single hit — a ground-rule double by Mattie McCumiskey in the bottom of the fourth inning, while handing out 16 strikeouts to record the victory.
The Lady Eagles were paced by Mylee Miller, who struck out seven and walked a pair in her complete game on the mound. On offense, they were permitted to end the shutout off a sacrifice bunt laid down by Oakley Frazier, which ultimately led to an advancement on home after a passed ball squirmed to the backstop a brief time later in the fourth inning.
Fillmore will return to the field Monday night over the road, visiting Bolivar-Richburg in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
As for Friendship/Scio, they will now go for their sixth straight win this morning in Andover, taking on host Andover/Whitesville in an 11 a.m. commencement.
Friendship/Scio 230 400 0 – 9 14 1
Fillmore 000 100 0 – 1 1 5
F/S – Nevaeh Ross (WP) (CG, 16K) and Morghyn Ross.
FIL – Mylee Miller (LP) (CG, 7K, 2BB) and Oakley Frazier.
Portville Tourney: Portville 15, Cuba-Rushford 9
PORTVILLE — In tournament action off to the west of Allegany County, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford found themselves in a wild fight with the host Portville Lady Panthers on Friday.
Between the two foes, 24 combined runs would come across the plate — 15 of those would belong in favor of the Section VI power, aiding them in their navigation towards a 15-9 victory.
Stats and a complete box score of the contest were not made available to report upon publication.
The Lady Rebels (1-3) will return to Portville to complete their tournament tenure today before returning home to host Genesee Valley/Belfast on Monday at 5 p.m.
BOYS TENNIS
Wellsville 3, Campbell-Savona 2
CAMPBELL — Despite host Campbell-Savona ripping a pair of big victories away from the reach of the Wellsville Lions, it did not halt them from repeating history that already happened a couple days prior — sweeping a department of action.
After splitting the match completely in half with Allegany-Limestone just 24 hours ago on their home court, the Lions would do it again on Friday, this time with a sweep of both doubles matches to go with a tough-as-nails victory from Wheeler Dahlgren at third singles. As a result, Wellsville would claim a 3-2 team win behind his grueling third singles battle, to scoot past the host Panthers in style.
Dahlgren hung right alongside Campbell-Savona’s Matt Dunmire from start to finish, as he fought his way tooth and nail through a straight-set victory that allowed him to claim it by a 6-4, 7-5 decision.
Down in the doubles department, the team of Michael Bidzerkowny and David Anderson were pushed out into a third set. But after maintaining discipline to overcome a first set defeat, Wellsville’s first doubles duo delivered with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win.
Following behind to put a bow on the match was the team of Caydon Grimes and Jonah MacCartney, both coming together to earn a forfeit win.
Wellsville is back inside the Den on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. visit from Bolivar-Richburg.
Singles
1. Sam Kephart (C-S) def. Adam Iantorno (WLSV), 6-0, 6-1.
2. Sage Brinkerhoff (C-S) def. Jeremiah Pensyl (WLSV), 6-0, 6-1.
3. Wheeler Dahlgren (WLSV) def. Matt Dunmire (C-S), 6-4, 7-5.
Doubles
1. Michael Bidzerkowny/David Anderson (WLSV) def. Lukas Carapella/Emma Allard (C-S), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0.
2. Caydon Grimes/Jonah MacCartney (WLSV) by for.
Fillmore remains unbeaten with doubleheader sweep vs. And/Whi, Avo-Pra
HOUGHTON — A 5-0 start was in the future for the Fillmore Eagles on the tennis court Friday night, as they closed out another solid week of tennis with two more wins to add onto their resume, as they provided sweeps of both Andover/Whitesville and Avoca-Prattsburgh to lay the foundation down and complete a perfect night of tennis with a pair of 5-0 victories at Houghton University.
In their night-opening match with Andover/Whitesville, the Eagles (5-0) garnered three 10-0 shutouts — two of them coming in singles competition to help set the tone, as Eben Schilke and Marcus Wolfer both delivered their a-game to collect the wins of Andover/Whitesville’s Elden Terhune and Allyson Schweigart, respectively.
Isaiah Sisson had the team’s remaining singles victory, at second singles, going past Tristan Meehan by a 10-1 count.
In the doubles department, Carson Sanasith and Ezra Knapp aided Fillmore in sticking to their guns with the final 10-0 shutout they shelled out, as they were victorious over Andover/Whitesville’s (0-2) Janiyah Gilliam and Gracey Murray. To round off the wins, the second doubles team of Grayson Cox and Kallan Sanasith fought hard against Onnolee Fry and Jizel Kyoseva, delivering the 10-4 win.
To follow up a divine 5-0 start to the evening, Fillmore came right back and scored another to take care of the night’s business with a pair of 5-0 shutout victories held firmly in their possession all match long, rolling towards the victory over Avoca-Prattsburgh in the second match of their Friday twinbill.
“I’ve been really proud of Kallan and Grayson picking up a big win at second doubles against Andover/Whitesville. They have come a long way in the weeks since first picking up a racquet. A-P is always solid, especially since we already had been on for an hour with the first match., The guys came out aggressively and took control early. Eben and Elias (Putnam) in match two, they had a great match, and have had some in the past. Tonight didn’t disappoint. Eben was a little anxious and lost in the first, but he settled in and took control to get a really nice win for his career.”
In addition to a Grayson Cox forfeit win at the No. 3 spot in the singles rotation, the Lions (4-2) were able to accumulate wins from both Schilke and Sisson again in action, with Schilke overcoming a strong first set from Avoca-Prattsburgh’s Elias Putnam to ignite an even more fiery bounce back of his own, claiming the 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win. Sisson followed up with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Gavin Mills himself at second singles to claim match victory.
In the doubles department, Carson Sanasith and Ezra Knapp collected their second win as a team in the match, as they came out unscathed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Landon White and Braelynn Dowdle. In the final doubles match, the team of Cox and Kallan Sanasith finished off the complete sweep with a 6-3, 6-2 win.
The Eagles are back on the court Monday night with a 5 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg, while Andover/Whitesville heads home to welcome in Cuba-Rushford on Wednesday in a 5 p.m. first serve themselves.
Andover/Whitesville 0, Fillmore 5
Singles
1. Eben Schilke (FIL) def. Elden Terhune (A/W), 10-0.
2. Isaiah Sisson (FIL) def. Tristan Meehan (A/W), 10-1.
3. Marcus Wolfer (FIL) def. Allyson Schweigart (A/W), 10-0.
Doubles
1. Carson Sanasith/Ezra Knapp (FIL) def. Janiyah Gilliam/Gracey Murray (A/W), 10-0.
2. Grayson Cox/Kallan Sanasith (FIL) def. Onnolee Fry/Jizel Kyoseva (A/W), 10-4.
Avoca-Prattsburgh 0, Fillmore 5
Singles
1. Eben Schilke (FIL) def. Elias Putnam (A-P), 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
2. Isaiah Sisson (FIL) def. Gavin Mills (A-P), 6-0, 6-4.
3. Grayson Cox (FIL) by for.
Doubles
1. Carson Sanasith/Ezra Knapp (FIL) def. Landon White/Braelynn Dowdle (A-P), 6-2, 6-2.
2. Marcus Wolfer/Kallan Sanasith (FIL) def. Parker Nichols/Ava Roy (A-P), 6-3, 6-2.
