Story and photos by CHRIS BROOKS
HORNELL — To reach the Finals, it’s almost an automatic for the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg given their prestigious and decorated pedigree in Section V’s main event. It’s the main goal year in and year out, and during their trips there, they have built a collection of memories they will not forget anytime soon.
Especially when the title is decided at a place like Maple City Park in Hornell — a venue that has been kind to the Wolverines in years past.
The last time they were there, Parker Cole put on the performance of a lifetime against Honeoye when the team participated in the Class D1 Finals that season, as he blasted through the Bulldogs one after another for a 15-strikeout no-hitter to capture the championship block back in 2018.
A bit further before that, a masterful and dominant performance from phenom Reston Pettit back in 2014, as he held Geneseo to just two hits to aid Bolivar-Richburg in championship glory with a 1-0 victory.
That game 10 years ago, was also the last time the Wolverines had faced the Blue Devils at Maple City Park in Sectional play.
What a better day for those stars to realign once again, than on Sunday.
The general feeling in the dugout upon their arrival to the park was eagerness, mixed with excitement and of course, some nerves. Despite all the various whirlwinds of emotion, one thing was certain: The Wolverines were chomping at the bit. They were ready to go.
In a game of this caliber and against such a high-tier opponent like the Blue Devils, there was little room for error. With two of the tournament’s best pitchers — Trey Buchholz and Phillip Dotterweich still standing entering the colossal clash, there was also a chance that hits and runs were going to be limited between each team.
Talk about making the most of the opportunity.
Right from the start, Geneseo and Bolivar-Richburg engaged in a game of chess, with the pendulum shifting between the two teams as the battle raged on. Every time one team provided a punch, the other was there to give it right back. But fortunately enough, Buchholz saved his best stuff for the very end.
Another divine piece of art was hung into Bolivar-Richburg’s Championship-winning gallery.
With Charlie Militello helping spearhead the offense by accounting for three of the team’s four total runs, the Bolivar-Richburg senior held his ground in the middle of a duel with Dotterweich from start to finish, as he won the battle of the arms behind his 10-strikeout, two-walk performance while holding the No. 3 seeds to just four hits along the way.
As a direct result, the glory would find the Wolverines once again, as the baseball dynasty wrote its newest chapter — their eighth Section V title in the last 11 years, dating back to the 2013 season, as they rode their high horse past Geneseo with a 4-2 victory.
“It was just an incredible day. We knew that (Phillip) Dotterweich is one of the best pitchers around, and he was exactly as advertised. Geneseo is a solid program that we have had a lot of history with, and this was another one of those kinds of games today. The winning feeling never gets old. It just never gets old, and it’s a tribute to my coaches, the players that put in the work outside of the season, and these fans. It’s crazy to see how many fans come out and support us away from home. It’s incredible. The commitment from everyone all the way up through the ladder, everyone is committed. They bought into our system and what we believe in. They will go anywhere and do anything for us.”
It was a position that Bolivar-Richburg (22-2) found themselves in early — behind the eight-ball. An unfamiliar situation that allowed Geneseo to strike while the iron was hot, as they capitalized on an error in the infield to place a runner in scoring position. Then, a missile out into center field from Phillip Dotterweich that sailed straight over the head of Reiss Gaines and to the fence, arriving safely at third base with an RBI triple to break the ice.
They were in the hole by a run, and despite not providing a response in the bottom half of the first, there was no panic. Allen looked to his seniors to take control of the situation.
“We have some amazing senior leadership,” he said. “We have seven of them, and the seniors kept everyone composed. We knew after the hiccups in the first inning, that there was still plenty of game left to play. I told them to not let any little thing bother you or get you down. They just had to keep working away and good things will happen.”
And good things did happen. Charlie Militello made sure of that.
The designated hitter batting eighth in the lineup had himself a day for the Wolverines, as he accounted for both of the team’s go-ahead runs in the bottom of the second to garner their first lead of the Blue Devils, tying the game on an RBI single into right field to score Tavyn MacDonell before coming home himself on a beautifully placed bunt by Brayden Zilker to double-up the No. 3 seeds with a 2-1 advantage.
Geneseo and Bolivar-Richburg were left at a standstill at the dish across the third inning before the chess match resumed in the fourth, with the Blue Devils making their first move to tie the game again on a shot from Preston Granger that hit Buchholz directly on the mound and then redirected into center field for a base hit, scoring a run.
The Wolverines would fire a quick jab right back at the Blue Devils in their next term at the plate, with Reiss Gaines and Trey Buchholz issuing back-to-back singles — the latter of the pair garnering an RBI to finish off the frame. Nothing for either team came across in the fifth, but when it inched closer to determination time, Militello came through the clutch one more time for the top seeds, making a full boar run to the plate to take a one-run lead and double it again.
It was a spot that Allen felt more comfortable with, especially with No. 22 still rocking and firing on the mound.
“With Trey on the mound, we knew we were in a good spot, especially after Charlie scored that big piece of insurance,” he said. “With a two-run lead, I felt a bit better about things. It was a little nerve-racking in the end, but we were able to finish it off. Trey was outstanding, and he got stronger as the day went on. We all had the jitters early, but our energy picked up, from the bats to the dugout, when we got the lead back again.”
That would essentially be the last chapter of the story that Bolivar-Richburg would author in their newest addition into their series of championships, as they avoided one final stand from the Blue Devils to lay claim on their eighth Section V title since the 2013 season.
The complete game from Buchholz was a masterful one, as he held Geneseo to just four hits in the midst of his biggest victory of the season, handing out 10 chairs and issuing just a couple of walks. With Buchholz going all seven innings in this game, and the extra day of preparation along with it, it now paints a pretty intoxicating picture for their next clash on the docket — the Class C State Qualifier, Tuesday night.
Allen will now have a bit more freedom with his pitching arsenal, when the Wolverines get ready to square off with Class C1 champion Letchworth.
“That’s huge for us, Trey giving us the complete game today,” he noted. “That was something that we really needed to happen, because that keeps everyone open for us to use on Tuesday, which is perfect after this game was shifted a day later. Everything fell into place, so we’ll enjoy this one tonight, get back to work tomorrow night and get ready for a good Letchworth team at Houghton.”
First pitch between Letchworth and Bolivar-Richburg is set for a 5 p.m. start at Houghton University.
The winner will go on to face Section VI, Class C champion Wilson up in Grand Island this Friday night, in the Far West Regional.
Geneseo 100 100 0 – 2 4 5
Bolivar-Richburg 020 101 X – 4 4 2
GEN – Phillip Dotterweich (LP) (CG, 9K, 5BB) and Samuel Chanler.
B-R – Trey Buchholz (WP) (CG, 10K, 2BB) and Aydin Sisson.
