Stories and photo gallery by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
HOUGHTON — The site was Houghton University. The occasion? — A long-awaited rematch of last season’s Class D Finals. The consensus? — Another incredible battle to the finish.
Class D1’s top two teams in Avoca/Prattsburgh and Fillmore came together for their first and only bout of the regular season on Friday. Although the week-long stretch of abysmal weather had finally subsided in favor of a sunny, blue sky and cool temperatures, it was a showcase where both teams had to weather a perfect storm all throughout.
For the Eagles, they were coming off one of their biggest wins of the season back home at the Town Park in walk-off fashion over Arkport/Canaseraga last weekend. That was also the last time they took the field before the rain made its week-long presence known up until now.
Similar to last year’s clash for the Class D title, runs were difficult to come by, especially in a heated pitcher’s duel between both Jamel Crowder and Brent Zubikowski. With the Titans able to connect on an early lead, it was up to the Eagles to work their way from behind.
Fortunately enough, they had their ace in the hole — Aiden Wagner.
After Fillmore trimmed down their deficit to a single run off special teams in the fourth, the momentum carried over two innings later at perhaps the most crucial of times, as the senior laid down a perfectly-placed bunt with two runners on. With it, an attempt to catch the out at first was made, ultimately resulting in the throw going wide, allowing both runners to score to account for what would wind up standing as Wagner’s second straight game-winning sequence for the Eagles in what was a 5-3 edging.
“Two great hits against solid opponents like Arkport/Canaseraga, and now here against Avoca/Prattsburgh. It’s good for him, and it’s good for the team,” Eagles coach Bill Nolan said. “He hits the ball really well, and I’m thinking with two runners on and no out, he’s going to try and hit the ball. He puts down that bunt, and that changed the game completely. They’re going to feel a bit better and they know they’re a great team. It can go any way in the tournament, but tonight gives them the belief that they are capable of great things. It’s a great bonus and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Before the late stage fireworks came into full fruition for the Eagles (10-1), they would have to overcome an early 2-0 deficit to the hands of Avoca/Prattsburgh, who used the top of the second to their fullest of advantages behind the guidance of Dan Stilson, who rocked a two-run triple past James Hillman in right field and straight to the fence.
The Titans (11-3) looked to add more with a pair of runners on base in the third threatening. But the special teams play would come into enormous use with a pair of throwdowns, including one off a strikeout down to first base from Nolan Krzeminski to finish the inning-ending double play. Avoca/Prattsburgh in turn would hold Fillmore scoreless to halt the momentum boost despite the bases being loaded, garnering an out on a steal home and a strikeout from Crowder to Mitch Ward to close out the stand.
But it would not be long after until the Eagles found their way onto the board, as Zubikowski led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. He proceeded to use his legs to work his way around the bases after evading infield traffic in the midst of a rundown between first and second, scoring on a passed ball behind third base and into left field to cut the deficit in half.
In the sixth inning, the Eagles would perhaps put together a frame of shape-shifting proportions, as they used a strong 1-2-3 from Zubikowski on the mound to fuel what would be their final appearance at the plate, as Ward and Zubikowski both reached with nobody out. In the No. 5 spot in the lineup, Wagner would once again come through with a game-changing moment at the plate, laying a perfect bunt down the third baseline while using his speed to reach.
After a throw by Haden Abbott went wide of first base, allowing both Ward and Zubikowski to be signaled home to take their first lead of the game over the Titans.
“We get two on and Aiden Wagner comes up to hit, and he lays down a bunt. That absolutely floored me. I didn’t call that, Coach (Kaiden) Bowers called that and I was glad that he did,” said Nolan. “It was a beautiful bunt, and then the ball goes away from first base and we take the lead off of it. Nolan had another shot to add into center, and that really kept the wind blowing into our sails to break it open.”
To add even more damage, Fillmore went all the way back up to the top of their lineup with Nolan Krzeminski, who provided an insurance-ensuring detonation to center field with the bases loaded, driving in two on his laser beam to extend their lead to three.
Despite moving into the passenger’s seat for the first time in the battle, Avoca/Prattsburgh would provide one final stand to use against Fillmore, as they loaded up the bases behind Zubikowski with two outs. With a change on the mound to Ward to help seal the game, it took just four pitches to Crowder at the plate to leave every Titans runner on base to end a game that Nolan admits was quite nervous about coming in.
“If this kind of game doesn’t make you nervous one bit, there’s something wrong. That’s part of the fun,” he said. “It was close right from the start with that lead in the second. We came back and it was one of those games where runs were going to be hard to come by. It was a fun game, and we couldn’t have done it without Brent on the mound, he was outstanding. He was smart, he mixed his pitches. He gave us a great game.”
Zubikowski would record the win on the mound with five strikeouts and a walk across his start that elongated into the final at-bat in the seventh. As for the bats, the Eagles recorded seven hits in all, with Ward leading with a pair.
As for the Titans, Crowder and Dan Stilson each had two hits to fuel a six-hit effort at the plate. On the mound, Crowder fanned four and walked one across his five-inning start.
Fillmore is back on the field Thursday night with another colossal matchup, this time with Allegany County League implications, as they visit the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines in a 5 p.m. first pitch.
Avoca/Prattsburgh 020 000 1 – 3 6 1
Fillmore 000 104 X – 5 7 2
A/P – Jamel Crowder (4K, BB), Haden Abbott (LP, 6) (2K, 3BB) and Macoy Putnam.
FIL – Brent Zubikowski (WP) (5K, BB), Mitch Ward (7) and Nolan Krzeminski.
More stories after the photo gallery:
SOFTBALL: Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg 10, Cuba-Rushford 9
CUBA — A fast start for the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford against Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg morphed into a back-and-forth gauntlet down the stretch Saturday morning.
Both teams would use special teams to drive in a massive bulk of the runs, but when it mattered most, the visitors had the final response.
Immediately after the Lady Rebels took the lead back in the sixth, the biggest answer came a short time later in the top of the seventh when Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg pushed all their chips to the center of the table in their final stand at the plate, scoring five go-ahead runs for a second time in the battle while the defense held the fort down in the bottom half of the frame to lock up a 10-9 comeback victory.
The start could not have gone any better for the Lady Rebels (7-5), as they posted over half of their runs in the first three innings of play. Amongst the scoring was a three-run bottom half of the first to break the ice, as they added two more pieces along the way to continue the cracking.
But it was Canisteo-Greenwood/Jasper-Troupsburg’s turn to provide cracking of their own, as they rebounded with the first of two five-inning frames in the top of the fourth to tie the game at five for the foreseeable future. That was until the bottom of the sixth when time became a premium to hold possession of, as the Lady Rebels dug deep and delivered with a go-ahead four run stand of offense to claim a 9-5 lead.
But the rally back was short lived, as the visitors responded with their biggest five-run outing of the day in the top of the seventh, capitalizing on a multitude of miscues by the Cuba-Rushford defense to take the one-run lead going forward, securing it for good in the bottom half to close out the afternoon.
Just five hits were collected at the plate for the Lady Rebels, with Taylor Searle recording two of them. On the mound, Sydney Howard struck out four and walked one in her five inning start.
On the other side, the win belonged to Sidney Drouin, who fanned five and walked seven across her complete game. On offense, she along with Amylia Stewart each had two hits.
Cuba-Rushford will hit the road Tuesday night for a 5 p.m. visit to Friendship, as they take on host Friendship/Scio.
CGJT 000 500 5 – 10 6 2
Cuba-Rushford 311 004 0 – 9 5 11
CGJT – Sidney Drouin (WP) (CG, 5K, 7BB) and Ashley Allen.
C-R – Sydney Howard (4K, BB), Jordyn Radomski (LP, 5) (2K) and Aubrey Williams.
GOLF
Addison claims top honor in tri-match with Hinsdale, Wellsville
WELLSVILLE — With a phenomenal medalist round of 35 from Ryan Thompson paving the way for huge success, the undefeated Knights of Addison were untouchable at the top of the leaderboard on Friday at the Wellsville Country Club, scoring a match-low score of 177 to take care of business against both the host Lions and the Hinsdale Bobcats.
Wellsville (5-7) took the pleasure of placing second overall with a score of 215, with Ethan Bailey working his way to the top of the Lions scorecard once more, firing a team-low round of 43 to lead the way. Noah Brogan chipped in with his round of 55. Jackson Shoughrue provided a 58, while Fletcher Kaye was not far behind with his score of 59.
For the Bobcats, Caden Miller charged up a round of 42.
Both Wellsville and Hinsdale will resume regular season play on Thursday, hitting the road for 4 p.m. tee times with the Lions heading for Allegheny Hills to meet host Cuba-Rushford, while Hinsdale heads for the Bolivar Golf Club to battle the host Wolverines.
