Sports

Batavia Muckdogs played a doubleheader this afternoon and split the wins with West Virginia, losing the first game 6-4 and winning the second game 4-1.

Muckdogs led 3-1 after the fifth inning until the eighth when the Black Bears had two men on base. Then Deon Stafford gave West Virginia a 5-4 lead and capped a three-run inning for the team. They added another run in the ninth to finish the game that was suspended yesterday.

In the second game, during the first inning both teams scored a run and remained tied. Bottom of the ninth bases loaded for Batavia, Marcos Rivera hit a walk-off three-run homer as the Batavia Muckdogs beat the West Virginia Black Bears 4-1.

Muckdogs' record improves to 4-3 and they are in a three-way tie for second place in the Pinckney Division with Mahoney and State College.

Next game is tomorrow night to finish the series with West Virginia, game time is 7:05 at Dwyer Stadium. There is a pre-game chicken wing eating contest sponsored by Batavia’s Original Pizza. Email Travis Sick at tsick@muckdogs.com before 4 p.m.

A reader sent in this picture from this afternoon suggesting the cloud looked pretty ominous with a ball game scheduled. 

The Muckdogs did get the game underway, but it was later suspended and will be resumed on Sunday. 

At 5:55 pm the line to get into Dwyer Stadium was out to the street and down the block. The gates to the park opened at 6 pm for the Muckdogs season opener. The fans were excited for the game and festivities to begin. I am sure they were not disappointed. 

The Auburn Doubledays scored first with a single run in the third. The Muckdogs answered that run with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 3^rd and were in control for the rest for the game. It was an action packed game with some good hits, a squeeze play and some impressive field work from this young team. The final score was Auburn 2 Batavia 8

John Kennedy Intermediate School 3^rd and 4^th graders sung the national anthem before the game with the Viet Nam War Veterans Color Guard presenting the Flag.

Western NY Skydiving put on a show by dropping in with the game ball. 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is pleased to announce passage of a bill which will authorize Orleans County and Genesee County residents to hunt big game from Nov. 15 till Dec. 7. The bill allows residents to hunt using pistols, shotguns, muzzle-loaded firearms, long bows, crossbows or rifles.

“Hunting is an important part of our history, it is how our forefathers survived and provided for their families,” Hawley said. “As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I am proud to announce that citizens of Orleans and Genesee counties will be able to continue this centuries-old tradition that is such a huge part of our Western New York culture.

"As a proud outdoorsman myself, I will continue to work tirelessly to protect our constitutional rights from special interests attempting to restrict them. The passage of this bill is a step in the right direction toward maintaining our freedom and right to own firearms.”

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs announced today that skydivers from Western New York Skydiving will deliver and throw the Ceremonial First Pitch on Opening Day, Monday, June 19th.

Prior to throwing out the first pitch, an elite group from Western New York Skydiving will perform an aerial show, including banners and smoke, before landing in centerfield. The jump and demonstration are weather dependent and Western New York Skydiving reserves the right to cancel the event if they feel conditions are unsafe for both the jumpers and spectators.

The game between the Muckdogs and Auburn Doubledays will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Opening Day tickets, as well as all season tickets and ticket packages, are all on sale now at the Dwyer Stadium box office, on Muckdogs.com or by calling 585-343-5454.

More than a dozen members of local law enforcement carried the Special Olympics torch on a run from Elba to Batavia this morning, starting at the Arc of Genesee Orleans center in Elba to the facility on Walnut Street, with a stop at the Arc Community Center on Woodrow Road.

Pembroke senior Kilian Lewis, captain of the track and field team, earned third place in the Class D2 state championship this past Friday with a discus throw of 159' 8". The finish earned him a spot in the Federation Games on Saturday, and he earned third, among all schools, large and small, with a throw of 161'.

Lewis, who holds the school record with a throw of 164' 6.5", will compete for St. John Fisher College next year.

Photos and info submitted by Aaron Burch.

With a jump of 6' 8", Byron-Bergen's Brandon Burke became the New York State Class D2 champion in the high jump today. Burke also took second place in the triple jump and the long jump. 

Photo and info submitted by Patrick McGee.

Batavia is sending eight athletes to the New York State Championships this weekend at Union-Endicott High School near Binghamton. 

Junior Anthony Ray Qualified for States in the Shot Put by winning at the State Qualifier meet last Friday night. His best throw of the season is a 54' 3 1/2" which is the school record. He is seeded third heading into the meet and is looking to improve upon his fifth-place finish at States from last year.

The girls 4x400 relay team (right to left) consisting of sophomore Caitlin Kingston, junior Claire Zickl, sophomore Regan Henrici and junior Kiaya Franklin will compete on Friday and is also seeded third. Their best time is a 4:00.70, which was from the State Qualifier Meet. Alternates pictured from right to left is sophmore Elizabeth Cohen and freshman Camryn Buck

Kiaya Franklin will also compete in the 400m and the 200m for the second year in a row. She heads to the State Meet seeded fifth in the 400m and 6th in the 200m. 

Finally, Junior Eric Davis will run in the 110 Hurdles after running a 14.78 at State Qualifiers which was the winning performance. This will be his first time competing at the New York State Championships and he is seeded second.

All of the Batavia track athletes have an excellent opportunity to medal this weekend and have continued to improve all spring. Good luck Blue Devils representing Batavia at the New York State Championships.

Senior Brad Misiak from Notre Dame will compete in the 200-meter dash this weekend. He broke the school record this year at the Class D Section V championships last Friday with a time of 22.84, which he took first place in. This is his first time competing at the New York State championships.

Information submitted by Batavia Head Coach Nick Burk and Notre Dame Head Coach Eric Geitner.

Press release:

Would you like to live with the next Matt Carpenter, Ryan Howard or Chase Utley? 

The Batavia Muckdogs are again seeking local families to assist in housing players during the 2017 baseball season.

Anyone can help provide lodging for this year's Muckdogs by either providing space or renting a room, apartment, or home. While many host families come back year after year, the team is always looking to add to their list of availabilities for the players.   

Host Families play a crucial role in helping young players feel comfortable in a new environment. Many who have hosted players in the past have had incredibly wonderful experiences. However, with players coming and going throughout the season, we have constant needs as far as housing.

The 2017 season runs from June 17 until Sept. 5 and players typically range from 18-23 years of age. Because of the players' schedule, they typically spend about 40 nights in their Host Family home. Host families are not required to provide meals or transportation for players. 

Anyone in need of more information on becoming a Host Family is invited to contact the Muckdogs’ office at (585) 343-5454 or tsick@muckdogs.com. You can also call our housing coordinator Shirley Fanara directly at (585) 356-3411.

The Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic is underway at Terry Hills today after Kelly delivered welcoming remarks and shared the rules of the tournament.

The annual tournament benefits the Kelly for Kids Foundation, which provides grants to area nonprofits that assist children.

Press release:

The Section V Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for longtime Batavia High School Baseball Coach Pep Johnson will take place before the Rochester Red Wings game at Frontier Field on Sunday, June 25. The game itself starts at 1:35 p.m. and a special induction ceremony will take place beforehand.

Here's the schedule for the day, provided by organizer Pat Mee.

The stadium gates will be open at 11:15 a.m. for admittance of the inductees, their guests, friends and supporters. There will be a table set up at the stadium entrance where these attendees can pick up their reserved tickets.

The program will begin in The Nest, which is beyond right field at 11:45 a.m. All of the inductees or their representatives will by introduced, and each will have a short time to speak if they would like to. Honorees will get a plaque permanently placed on a wall at Frontier Field, and a plaque will be given to each honoree to keep.

 At 12:45 p.m., the group will proceed to the baseball field. The on-field ceremony will take place at 1:10. Dan Mason will read each inductee’s bio, and will present them with their plaque, once again, on the field. Each inductee will be throwing out a ceremonial first pitch.

After the ceremony, the honorees and their guests will return to The Nest for lunch. Members of this group are free to proceed to their seat and the Wings game at any time. Hopefully attendees will enjoy a Red Wing win!

Honorees and their invited guests will be the guests of the Section V Baseball Hall of Fame Committee for the afternoon. The cost for others who would like to attend the induction ceremony at The Nest will be $30 per person. Children under 4 are free and ages 5-12 are $18. This will include hot dogs, hamburgers, salad, soda, and a game ticket.

Please contact Pat Mee to make your reservations for the afternoon.

You can contact Pat by phoning (585) 704-3214, emailing to:  omee@rochester.rr.com, or mailing to: Pat Mee, 295 Peck Road, Hilton, NY 14468

The committee would appreciate reservations by Saturday, June 10^st. Checks should be made payable to Section V Baseball Hall of Fame and sent to the above address.

The committee is looking forward to honoring Pep Johnson for his extraordinary contributions to baseball. It will surely be a great afternoon!

Sincerely,

Ory Mee

The Section V Baseball of Hall of Fame Committee

Questions? Email: omee@rochester.rr.com

The Batavia Jr. Blue Devil Summer Basketball Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 14-18 at the John Kennedy School gymnasium.

The camp is open to boys and girls entering grades 3 through 8 in the fall. Cost is $65 and includes a camp T-shirt.

Campers are asked to bring their own basketball and put their name on it.

The camp will feature Coach Jim Fazio, the Batavia Jr. Blue Devil youth director, and youth coaches and current and former Blue Devil players.

The focus will be on the offensive fundamentals of the game, including shooting, passing, dribbling, and ball handling, with a major emphasis on shooting. There will be daily contests with full court and half court games.

Please note that Batavia City School District is not responsbile for any injury that may happen during camp.

Checks should be made payable to:  Batavia Boys Basketball Boosters; mail to Jim Fazio, 5190 Ellicott Street Road, Batavia, NY 14020.

To contact Coach Fazio, call 356-0901 or email  jfazio@gvboces.org

With payment, please provide the following information and include a parent's or guardian's signature:

• Camper's name
• Address
• City
• Age
• Grade child will enter in the fall
• School
• Phone number
• Medical concerns
• T-shirt size (specify youth -- small through extra large, or adult -- small through extra large)

John Kennedy School is located at 166 Vine St. in the City of Batavia.