BOYS TENNIS
Avoca-Prattsburgh 4, Wellsville 1
WELLSVILLE — Going to battle twice in a 24-hour span can always pose a difficult challenge. Going into Thursday fresh off a strong 4-1 victory over Allegany-Limestone over the road, the Lions of Wellsville returned home looking to utilize all the momentum they gained from their visit to the Swamp.
The challenge ahead next, in their second game of a four-game, four-day set, was a Section V perennial on the tennis court: the Avoca-Prattsburgh Titans.
On Thursday, the tennis stalwarts showed every reason why they remain amongst the Section’s elite, as they brought out the brooms across all three singles matches to capture the match victory in the Lion’s Den, rolling towards what was a 4-1 match victory.
Elias Putnam, Gavin Mills and Joshua Dabby were all responsible in aiding the Titans towards glory in the singles department, with Putnam, the reigning Section V, Class B4 runner-up, taking control of the action early at first singles, as he cruised along to capture a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Wellsville’s Wheeler Dahlgren at first singles.
Behind him, Mills chipped in with a 6-0, 6-1 win of his own over Michael Bidzerkowny at second singles, while Dabby outlasted Jeremiah Pensyl at third singles with a 6-2, 6-2 win to finish off the match win.
The Lions (3-2) were able to score their first win on the docket from the first doubles team of Keenen O’Connor and Liam Smith, as the two competitors were taken the distance in the first set of action, but showed a tremendous amount of resilience to keep the momentum holstered in their favor against Avoca-Prattsburgh’s Braelynn Dowdle and PJ Nichols, as they went towards a 6-4, 6-0 win.
Avoca-Prattsburgh witnessed the second doubles team of Landon White and Gracyn Rumsey survive a first-set tiebreak, using every bit of the momentum for a second-set shutout of Wellsville’s Jonah MacCartney and Carter Newman, as they posted the 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 win.
Wellsville is right back on their home court tonight with a 5 p.m. first serve against the incoming Addison Knights.
Singles
1. Elias Putnam (A-P) def. Wheeler Dahlgren (WLSV), 6-0, 6-1.
2. Gavin Mills (A-P) def. Michael Bidzerkowny (WLSV), 6-0, 6-1.
3. Joshua Dabby (A-P) def. Jeremiah Pensyl (WLSV), 6-2, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Keenen O’Connor/Liam Smith (WLSV) def. Braelynn Dowdle/PJ Nichols (A-P), 6-4, 6-0.
2. Landon White/Gracyn Rumsey (A-P) def. Jonah MacCartney/Carter Newman (WLSV), 7-6 (7-3), 6-0.
Softball from Thursday and Friday after photos:
SOFTBALL
Cuba-Rushford 4, Bolivar-Richburg 3 (F-8)
CUBA — Not only did the baseball game go the extra mile at Cuba-Rushford on Thursday, but across the way at the softball field, Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford needed more time to settle the score once and for all, after a late and magnificent comeback was staged by the host Lady Rebels.
After a first inning advantage by the Lady Wolverines was foiled by the hosts in gray and blue immediately down the stretch, the race to the finish line was on between both teams to try and close out the action.
With both teams proceeding to trade back-and-forth barbs in the last two innings of play, the last of the bunch was the most damaging.
That belonged to Cuba-Rushford, who needed only the first three at-bats to put an end to the game in walk-off fashion. With Aubrey Williams and Emma Bunk both reaching base, they were brought across in a big way, with the latter of the runs stemming off an error by the Bolivar-Richburg infield during Claire Moyer’s at-bat to help walk it off for the Lady Rebels, as they squeezed ever so tightly past the Lady Wolverines to get back on track with a 4-3 eight-inning victory.
It was a 1-0 lead for the Lady Wolverines that was held straight from the start, utilizing some key base-running to unlock the door for the driver’s seat. With the key now in the ignition, the two foes went on to trade four straight scoreless innings leading up to a bottom of the sixth inning that saw the momentum tilt in Cuba-Rushford’s (2-4) favor, using special teams of their own to drag two runs across to double their lead.
Immediately after the go-ahead spurt, Bolivar-Richburg (3-3) reapplied the deadlock in the top of the seventh inning with little room for error, as Danika Loucks blasted a base hit to score Sydney Faulkner and tie the game at two, ultimately forcing extras along the way.
The momentum stayed with the Lady Wolverines going into the eighth inning behind the guidance of Cassidy Stives, who drove in a run off her single into the outfield to propel the team ahead with a 3-2 advantage.
But in the bottom half, the Lady Rebels were not far behind with a response of their own, doubling up the Lady Wolverines once again with a game-winning special teams sequence that saw Moyer drive in the team’s lone run on error.
The Lady Rebels assembled four runs off three hits at the plate, with Kate Radomski, Arlah Shaffer and Emma Bunk all posting a hit each. On the mound, Lizzy Cocsis had two strikeouts and a walk during her complete game win.
For the Lady Wolverines, Kylee Whiting was absolutely superb in the circle, as she handed out 13 chairs to Cuba-Rushford and had just two walks. At the plate, the team garnered only four hits, with Stives leading the pack with two of them. Whiting had the team’s fourth and final hit alongside Loucks’ strike in the sixth inning.
Both teams are back to action Saturday afternoon, with the Lady Wolverines traveling up to Waterloo for their annual Strike-Out Cancer Tournament, while Cuba-Rushford remains local, hitting the road for a 1 p.m. visit to Canisteo-Greenwood.
Bolivar-Richburg 100 000 11 – 3 4 1
Cuba-Rushford 000 002 02– 4 3 1
B-R – Kylee Whiting (LP) (CG, 13K, 2BB) and Sydney Faulkner.
C-R – Lizzy Kocsis (WP) (CG, 2K, BB) and Arlah Shaffer.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 6, Fillmore 3
BELFAST — For much of the evening at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast, Fillmore’s Mylee Miller and Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Hannah Powers locked horns from within the circle.
The two hurlers were outstanding from start to finish in their complete game tenures on Thursday, as they combined to hand out 21 strikeouts to try and keep their respective oppositions quiet at the plate.
Although the pitchers were at the top of their game, an early start from the Lady Eagles served as the difference across a good portion of battle heading down the stretch. But later on however, the balance of power shifted hands, and now it was occupied by the hosts.
Entering the fourth inning, Genesee Valley/Belfast turned up the heat, changing the complexion of the game in one foul swoop with a ravenous outing of attack that gave them the lead for good, as they sidled past Fillmore with a 6-3 victory.
Before Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-2) put the gas pedal straight down to the floor, they had to overcome a very rapid response out of the gate from the Lady Eagles in the opening frame, as they took control of a 2-0 lead early on off a massive RBI triple from Mattie McCumiskey to score Tenlee Miller and, an at-bat later, an RBI double from Mylee Miller to provide the second game-opening crack in the ice.
The two foes would trade back-and-forth close frames that kept the offenses frozen at the plate, leading up to the bottom of the fourth where it all broke loose. For Genesee Valley/Belfast, it was a big-time rally, as they loaded the bases on their first three at-bats, with Jenna Hill, Addison Bradt and Keanna Sands all posting singles. A short time later, a walk and hit-by-pitch to the next two hitters in the frame allowed two of the team’s five runs to come in.
Fillmore (5-2) would attempt one final rally in the top of the seventh, posting a single run before the curtain ultimately fell down, as Genesee Valley/Belfast hung on for dear life to secure the win.
The home team supplied six runs off eight hits at the plate, with Jenna Hill and Madison Yackeren each leading the efforts with two of the hits. On the mound, Hannah Powers scooped up the win in style, striking out 12 and walking five.
For the Lady Eagles, the ball was given to Mylee Miller, who was also outstanding through the course of battle, as she struck out nine and walked three. At the plate, Mattie McCumiskey finished with two hits, driving in a run.
Coming up on Monday, both teams are back on the field in a pair of 5 p.m. contests over the road in Steuben County, as Genesee Valley/Belfast heads for the Canisteo Valley to meet the host Lady Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood, while Fillmore travels to visit Arkport-Canaseraga.
Fillmore 200 000 1 – 3 5 0
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 501 X – 6 8 1
FIL – Mylee Miller (LP) (CG, 9K, 3BB) and Morghyn Ross.
GVB – Hannah Powers (WP) (CG, 12K, 5BB) and Jenna Hill.
Andover/Whitesville 16, Friendship/Scio 15 (F-8)
WHITESVILLE — It was an absolutely anarchic and topsy-turvy evening in Whitesville on Thursday.
From start to finish, Friendship/Scio and host Andover/Whitesville’s battle on the softball field was of epic proportions, as the two foes combined to record 31 total runs off 26 hits at the plate. The first two innings saw quite the offensive explosion before the visitors tied the game late to force extra innings.
When it came down to brass tax to try and close out the long evening, Andover/Whitesville put their stamp on the victory with some clutch small ball. With the winning run just feet away, Lilly Ordway served as the team’s hero at the plate, laying down the sacrifice bunt to bring in the game-winning run to end the game in walk-off fashion, as they edged their way past Friendship/Scio with a 16-15 victory in eight innings.
“You wouldn’t think a 16-15 game could be called a good game, but this one was a lot of fun,” Andover/Whitesville coach Al Barber said. “I am happy for our girls who fought back from way down after some sloppy play early on to hold Friendship/Scio at bay when they needed to. Lilly Harrington came on in relief and did a wonderful job, and she jump-started our bats with hers before a little small ball took care of business later on. I am very proud of those Friendship/Scio girls who showed absolutely no let-up, ever. They are a very good, young team.”
Both teams made an overexuberant amount of noise through the first two innings at the plate, beginning with a monstrous first outing from Friendship/Scio, who wreaked havoc with a giant seven-run first inning that was partially generated by a big two-run single off the bat of Alexiss Herring to coast ahead first.
The Friendship/Scio lead would ultimately reach eight runs entering the second inning, but Andover/Whitesville (3-3) provided a massive haymaker of their own a short time later.
In the bottom of the second, the hosts exploded onto the scene with a big inning of their own, taking a 9-1 deficit and flipping it upside down with a nine-run spurt off a plethora of special teams plays, along with two RBI doubles off the bats of Brynna Gaylord and Naudia Pierson to seize a 10-9 advantage.
After Andover/Whitesville branched their lead out to a pair after three innings, Friendship/Scio (0-5) once again took matters into their own hands by taking the lead back, scratching across five fourth inning runs after nearly going two times through their lineup to take a 14-11 lead.
The rest of the scoring ahead was done by Andover/Whitesville, who strung together four more runs across the next three innings of play to even the score and pull ahead leading up to another game-tying run in the seventh to force extra innings.
With the score all tied up at 15 and the visitors coming away empty-handed in the top of the eighth, the ball was now in Andover/Whitesville’s court to finish off a tremendous high octane battle. The hosts proceeded to do just that with some small ball in the infield, as Lilly Ordway drove home the game-winning run on an excellent bunt to send the Andover/Whitesville dugout into a frenzy.
Andover/Whitesville finished with 16 runs off 16 total hits, with Brynn Gaylord and her 4-for-6 outing at the dish propelling the efforts, as she recorded two doubles and scored twice. Avery Hoffman had three hits, while Lilly Harrington had three hits of her own, including a triple, and scored three times.
In the circle, the win was Harrington’s to claim, as she assembled a stellar outing of relief behind two strikeouts and a walk.
On the other side, Friendship/Scio pasted together a 15-run effort off 10 hits, with Morgan Holcomb leading the way with three hits. Kaydence Sadler and Alexiss Herring each had two hits to chip in. On the mound, Emily Lamberson assembled a sterling outing of relief, striking out seven and walking four beginning in the second until the very end.
The team will return to action back home in Friendship on Saturday, weather permitting, for a 12 p.m. first pitch against Lima Christian.
Andover/Whitesville is now off until Wednesday night for a road trip to Stan Harris Field in Richburg, as they face-off against the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Friendship/Scio 720 500 10 – 15 10 0
Andover/Whitesville 191 121 01 – 16 16 2
F/S – Addy Sekoll (K, 5BB), Emily Lamberson (LP, 2) (7K, 4BB), and Jadyn Wonderling.
A/W – Olivia Waters (4K, 4BB), Lilly Harrington (WP, 5) (2K, BB) and Reece Winters.
Ellicottville 12, Hinsdale 0 (F-5)
HINSDALE — The tone was set right in the first three innings of play for the Ellicottville Lady Eagles, as they capitalized on all fronts by using all the special teams possible against host Hinsdale on Thursday, propelling towards an eventual 12-0 shutout after six complete innings of play.
Two different pitchers for the visiting Lady Eagles combined to hold Hinsdale (1-6) to just three hits at the plate, as they scored at least a run across the first four innings to set up shop for their advantage, using a combination of 11 walks and five errors to aid their special teams cause.
Ellicottville in turn produced only four hits against Lily Bushnell in the circle for the Lady Bobcats, who went the distance with 10 strikeouts to pair with her walks.
As for the Lady Bobcats, they assembled a three-hit offense also led by Bushnell and her double. Karissa Keller and Avery Briggs each had a hit to chip in.
Hinsdale will look to rebound on Saturday, hosting Hammondsport at 11 a.m. if the weather permits.
Ellicottville 123 204 – 12 4 1
Hinsdale 000 000 – 0 3 5
ELL – Katie Lafferty (WP) (3K), Ande Northrup (4) (7K, 2BB) and Riley Whitmer.
HIN – Lily Bushnell (LP) (CG, 10K, 11BB) and Karissa Keller.
