Evan Campbell celebrates a RBI double in the semi-final victory for Avoca-Prattsburgh over Naples. Cyndie Abbott photo.
The No. 1 Fillmore Eagles baseball team earned a spot in the Section V Class D finals today as they take on No. 2 Avoca-Prattsburgh at 5 p.m. in Keshequa.
Fillmore (15-3) earned the player of the year in Class D with catcher Alex Ellsworth. Ellsworth is the only catcher to be named MVP of Section V this season.
Fillmore’s Bill Nolan was named Section V Class D coach of the year. He guided Fillmore to the top seed this year in a combined D class. In his 14th year, Nolan was won two Allegany County League titles and took Fillmore to the finals in 2018.
Fillmore has had elite pitching, good defense and hitting all season. The deep pitching staff is led by lefty Zach Sisson, Brett Zubikowski, Damon Potter, Luke Columbo and Graham Cahill.
In the quarterfinals, Fillmore downed No. 9 Lima Christian, 13-5 as Luke Columbo struck out three in three innings of work and Damon Potter entered in the third and struck out 10. Brett Zubikowski had two hits and a two-RBI double while Columbo and Jude Beardsley each had two hits.
Fillmore then defeated a tough C.G. Finney team, 2-1 in the semi-finals as Zubikowski once again had the big hit, a 2-RBI single. Pitcher Graham Cahill pitched a complete-game masterpiece for the win.
Avoca-Prattsburgh downed No. 7 Arkport-Canaseraga, 2-1, in the first round. In the semi-finals, Avoca-Prattsburgh had 20 hits during a 15-2 win over Naples.
Pitchers Jamel Crowder, Pacey Hopkins, Haden Abbott and Chris Abbott combined to strike out seven batters, allowed one walk and three hits.
At the plate, Hopkins went 4-for-5 with three doubles and 5 RBI’s, Crowder had three hits and a double and 3 RBI’s, Sam Patterson (RBI), Evan Campbell (double) and Chris Abbott (two hits, RBI) had key hits.
Ashston McMahon had two hits and a 2-RBI double while Sawyer Devoe had three hits and 3 RBI’s and Macoy Putnam had two hits.
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