By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
PRATTSBURGH — All that Avoca/Prattsburgh needed to get their game off on the right foot, was a quick knockout punch in their first at-bats, as they went on to score a 9-0 lead against Friendship/Scio that they never looked back from to roll towards their eighth win in the last nine by a 21-2 count on Monday, in Prattsburgh.
While the bats collected 21 runs off 12 total hits at the plate, Haden Abbott held Friendship/Scio (5-9) in check for most of the game, keeping them at bay with just five hits behind 12 strikeouts and two walks in a complete game for the hosts.
Friendship/Scio was able to find their way onto the board for the first and only time in the top half of the third, as Ethan Davenport provided one of his team-leading three hits with a two-run single. He would finish 3-for-3 at the plate.
“He’s the best looking eighth grader I’ve seen all year,” Avoca/Prattsburgh coach Dennis Miles said of Davenport. “He is really good, and he is certainly someone that you can build a team around for the future. I was a little disappointed in the sloppy play on our part, but we’re still putting things together, especially on the mound. But it seems to all be coming together at the right time.”
Leading the bats for Avoca/Prattsburgh (10-4) was Macoy Putnam, who went 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Pacey Hopkins, Jamel Crowder and Josiah Stilson all had two hits each to pitch in, with Hopkins and Stilson each recording a double. The hosts will travel to Hammondsport in a 5 p.m. first pitch tonight.
A-P baseball is at Hammondsport tonight, at Campbell-Savona Thursday and hosts Canisteo-Greenwood/J-T on Saturday.
Friendship/Scio 002 00 – 2 5 4
Avoca/Prattsburgh 907 5X – 21 12 3
SOFTBALL
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, Avoca/Prattsburgh 1
BELMONT — Avoca/Prattsburgh’s Annabella Putnam and Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Hannah Southwick-Powers were both on a mission for their respective teams on Monday. To start the new week of action, the two hurlers were docking outs left and right until there were no more to be had.
The defensive battle between the two clubs began to sink in fairly quickly in the beginning of their battle in Belmont, but then the offense began to pick up.
Fortunately enough, the Lady JagDogs were the team that struck first, as they scored the game’s first four runs – two coming across in both the fourth and fifth innings to crack the ice large enough to remain in front of Avoca/Prattsburgh permanently, going on to take the 4-1 victory for themselves in the dead heat.
“I tip my hat to both girls, they were hanging outs left and right tonight,” said GV/Belfast coach Mark Sullivan. “We had to manufacture some sort of offense, and we had to be aggressive at the same time. The defenses were good, and the pitching was good, it was just a matter of whoever was going to score first would wind up winning the game. Fortunately, we were able to do that and this gives the girls a great confidence builder as we continue to play much better. This is the time to get rolling.”
After three shutout innings were issued by both Putnam and Southwick-Powers through the first three innings of play, Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-7) cranked their offense into gear in the home half of the fourth with back-to-back singles from Southwick-Powers and Sondra Guilford starting it off.
From there, special teams would fuel both runs they would scratch across, with Southwick-Powers scoring first off a sacrifice from Jenna Hillbefore Guilford used her legs to make her way home on a passed ball to extend their lead to a pair.
Avoca/Prattsburgh would find their way onto the board a short time later though, cutting their deficit right down the middle with their first and only run of the game. But in the clutch, the Lady JagDogs went on to shell out some insurance as their response – a two-run fifth led by an RBI single off the bat of Lexi Burrows to extend their lead to three, for good.
Southwick-Powers would be the one that came away victorious over Putnam at the end of their pitcher’s duel, as the Genesee Valley/Belfast hurler struck out nine and walked one in her tossed two-hit victory.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will get right back to work tonight over the road once again, as they visit the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford in a 5 p.m. contest.
Avoca/Prattsburgh 000 010 0 – 1 2
Genesee Valley/Belfast 000 220 X – 4 3
A/P – Annabella Putnam (LP) (CG, 9K, 2BB), and Riley Stowe.
GVB – Hannah Southwick-Powers (WP) (CG, 9K, BB), and Harley Proctor.
