Sports

Press Release:

The West Division Champion Batavia Muckdogs are happy to welcome the newest members of the team for the upcoming 2023 season! Among the many newcomers joining the reigning champs are Outfielder Anthony Calabro, and First Baseman/Outfielder Henry Daniels, both coming from the University of West Georgia. 

Calabro, a 6’0 185 pound junior, comes from St. John’s, Florida. A Division II player of the year candidate, Calabro had an excellent season batting .418 and mashing 14 home runs on his way to a 1.225 OPS while also swiping 17 stolen bases along the way.

Daniels, a 6’5 220-pound junior, is from Norman Park, Georgia. Daniels, the first base/outfield hybrid, mashed 15 home runs with a .634 slugging percentage.

Along with these new assets, many familiar faces are returning for another year of Muckdogs’ baseball. Among these include Alex Hale, Trey Bacon, Julian Pichardo, Josh Leadem, Caleb Rodriguez, Brice Mortillaro, Ryan Kinney, and Tyler Henshaw.

Standing at 5’11 and weighing 180 pounds, Alex Hale is a junior pitcher from Niagara County Community College. Hale, who throws an 86-mile-per-hour fastball, has been limited this season, striking out three in three innings with no runs allowed.

Standing at 5’11 and weighing 160 pounds, Trey Bacon is a junior utility player and pitcher from Saint Pete College. Bacon recently averaged eight strikeouts per nine innings at Santa Fe Community College. Last summer for Batavia, Trey performed at a high level with a 1.59 ERA. 

Standing at 6’5 and weighing 225 pounds, Julian Pichardo is a senior pitcher from the University of Fort Lauderdale. Pichardo will be returning for his third stint with the Muckdogs. His first year with Batavia saw him clock in with a 2.45 ERA in 55 innings pitched, along with 42 strikeouts. Last year Pichardo pitched a 3.20 ERA while striking out 17 batters in 19 innings.
Julian also won a championship playoff game last year for the Muckdogs.

Standing at 6’2 and weighing 190 pounds, Josh Leadem is a senior outfielder from the University of Rochester. Leadem is making his return to the team after playing this year for the University of Rochester, where across three seasons there, he’s accumulated a career .334 average and 61 stolen bases. Leadem hit a walk-off grand slam in this year's liberty league tournament against RIT.

Standing at 5’10 and weighing 170 pounds, Caleb Rodriguez is a senior middle infielder from Kean University. Rodriguez will be making his return to Batavia after bumping up his batting average from .252 his sophomore season to .331 his junior season at Kean University. This year he also finished with a .434 on-base percentage and 23 RBIs.

Standing at 6’0 and weighing 187 pounds, Brice Mortillaro is a sophomore catcher from Georgia Southwestern University. After a year off from the Muckdogs, Mortillaro will be returning to the team. Brice, in his 2022 campaign at Georgia Southwestern University, posted a .432 on-base percentage and .745 OPS, and in his entire collegiate career, has never made an error.

Standing at 6’5 and weighing 190 pounds, Ryan Kinney is a senior pitcher from Xavier University of Louisiana. Kinney will make his way back to Batavia this year. This past season saw Ryan continue to perform well, pitching in 19 innings along with 24 strikeouts.

Standing at 5’9 and weighing 165, Tyler Henshaw is a sophomore pitcher from Potomac State. Henshaw has been dominant this season with Potomac State, averaging 10.15 strikeouts per game while holding opponents to only a .242 batting average while he’s on the bump.

The entire Batavia team will begin their quest to repeat as West Division champions with their home opener at Dwyer Stadium against the Elmira Pioneers on Saturday, June 3rd. Following the opener will be a fireworks display for all to enjoy. For both individual and season tickets, as well
as keeping up with future games and promotional nights, please check out our website https://www.canusamuckdogs.com/ or call 585-524-2260!

Submitted photos

Brayden Smith pitched a complete-game, five-inning shutout on Monday to help lead Oakfield -Alabama over Pembroke 10-0.

Pembroke managed only three hits.

Smith struck out 10 hitters and walked two.

Bodie Hyde was 2-2 with five RBIs.  Cole Kornow had two hits, scored twice, and drove in a pair of runs. Seth Gibson walked three times and scored three runs.

Photo by Kristin Smith.

The Hornets improved to 12-2 on the season with a 16-6 win over Alexander on Thursday.

Kyle Porter got the win, splitting the workload with Colton Yasses.  Porter went three innings and give up four runs on one hit and struck out eight. Yasses gave up two hits and two runs (one earned).

Brayden Smith went 3-4, driving in three runs and scoring twice. Aiden Warner, Brodie Hyde, and David Schnuafer also had two hits each. Warner also had three RBIs.

Mason Bump was 1-1 with a walk for Alexander, scoring twice and knocking in a run.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Another big score and a big win for Alexander in Girls Softball on Thursday, with the Trojans cruising to its fifth consecutive win 19-7.

Melissa Sawyer hits for the cycle going 5-5 at the plate. Sawyer had a home run, a  triple, a double, two singles, five RBIs and four runs scored. 

Senior MaKenna Boyce went 4-4 with three RBIs and three stolen bases. Sister Madison Boyce crushed a three-run homer to center, while Faith Goodenbury and Brianna Neyman both had Multiple hits on the day.

Briann Neyman pitched part of the first, allowing one hit, three walks and five runs with a strikeout. Emily Pietrzykowski tossed five innings, allowing five hits, no runs, no walks and eight punchouts. Melissa Sawyer pitched the last frame, giving up one hit, two runs and getting two strikeouts.
Alexander improved to 11-5 and heads to Barker on Monday.

Submitted photos information.

Notre Dame beat Lyndonville 9-6 in Girls Softball on Thursday in a game played at GCC.

The Irish collected 14 hits, but coach Otis Thomas said pitching and defense were key.

Loretta Sorochty went the distance, pitching seven innings, giving up six hits, six runs (three earned) and striking out eight batters.  

Offensively, for Notre Dame, Katie Landers and Sorchty each had three hits to pace the offense.  Landers finished with two doubles, a single, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI, while Sorochty had three singles and two runs scored.  

Mia Treleaven, Kaydence Stehlar and Anna Panepento each had two hits for the Lady Irish. 

"This is a big win for us, and I am proud of the effort given by the ladies this evening," Thomas said. "It got a little shaky in the seventh giving up the 4 runs, but we settled down and got that last out.  As big as this one was, we need to put it behind us and continue our run to Sectionals." 

Submitted photo info.

It took eight innings for Oakfield-Alabama to pick up its 11 win of the season Wednesday, finally beating Attica, 7-4.

The Hornets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, and scored its fourth run in the fifth, but Attica pulled even after scoring two in the first and two more in the fifth.  O-A (11-2) secured its win in the seventh with three runs.

Brodie Hyde had three hits, scored twice and an RBI. Brayden Smith was 2-3 with two RBIs. David Schaufer also drove in two runs.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Alexander won its fourth straight game and 10th overall on Tuesday, beating Pembroke 10-6.

Emily Pietrzykowski went 4-4 with three doubles, three RBIs, and one run scored to lead Alexander.  

Faith Goodenbury went 3-3 on the day, while Madison Boyce, Melissa Sawyer and Melanie Bump all chipped in with multi-hit games.

Madison Boyce and Emily Pietrzykowski combined for the win. Boyce went five innings allowing nine hits, five runs, four walks and striking out seven.  Pietrzykowski went two innings, allowing one hit, one run, and striking out four.

For Pembroke, Aleena Maynard went 4-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored

Submitted photos and info.

Oakfield-Alabama beat Holley in a five-inning baseball game on Monday, 25-0.

Colton Yasses, Aiden Warner, Brayden Smith, Kyle Porter, and Shaun Alexander all had multi-hit games.

Smith slammed a homer, and Yasses and Warner each had three RBIs.

David Schnaufer gave up only one hit over five innings and struck out 11 to pick up the win.

The Hornets are now 10-2 on the season. Their only two losses came against Notre Dame.

Photos by Kristin Smith.

Press release:

Stafford Country Club played host on Monday to the Genesee Region League Individual Sectional Qualifier.  

The sun shined just about as bright as the golfers on a near-perfect weather day.  

Elba/OA senior Brayden Smith was able to capture medalist honors with a 7-over round of 79 (39-40).  

After a close front-9 saw Byron Bergen's Ryan Muscarella just 2 strokes behind Smith, the defending Class C Individual Sectional Champion was able to pull away to finish 6 strokes ahead of the second-place Muscarella, who finished with an 85 (41-44).  

Elba/OA senior Jake Walczak fired a consistent 43-44 to finish third place with a round of 87, while freshman teammate Eli Loysen was the only other golfer to break 90, firing a fourth-place round of 89 (45-44).  

Rounding out the top 6 golfers, who will all qualify in their respective classifications for the Individual Section V Championship, were Attica's Ethan Harmon (51-42) and Byron-Bergen's Brendan Pimm (45-48), who tied for the final two spots with a round of 93.  

The Genesee Region will be well represented in this Saturday's Individual Boys Section V Championship at Clifton Springs Country Club.  

Press release:

Batavia native Patric Donaghue, soon to be inducted into the New York State Bowling Hall of Fame, will be the guest speaker at the Genesee Region USBC Annual Banquet on May 20 at Batavia Downs Gaming on Park Road.

The banquet is set for 6 p.m. Tournament winners and association league leaders will be honored.

Donaghue, a longtime Rochester area resident, began his youth bowling career at the former Moose Lanes in Batavia, before participating in the junior program at Mancuso Lanes (now Mancuso Bowling Center). He went on to become a standout bowler in various leagues in Batavia, including the classic league.

He has won numerous tournaments, most notably as a member of the Morehead State University team in the 1977 Mountaineer Classic in West Virginia (finishing first in team, singles and all-events) and at the 1999 Empire State Games (placing first in the trio, team and mixed doubles divisions).

A member of the Professional Bowlers Association, Donaghue has achieved two top-four finishes on the PBA Senior Tour. One of his 14 300 games came in a PBA event. He also has four 800 series.

Inducted into the Rochester NY USBC Hall of Fame in 2008, Donaghue has three Rochester Senior Masters titles and is a former champion of the Brockmyre scratch singles tournament in Newark. He also placed first in a NYS USBC Senior tournament in 2018.

This season, he placed first in the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour event at Mancuso Bowling Center and just competed in his 25^th USBC National Tournament (where he holds a 201 average on the challenging lane conditions).

Donaghue is scheduled to be inducted into the NYS Hall of Fame on June 3 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona.

The reservation deadline for the banquet is May 12. For reservations, call 585-343-3736 or send an email to mikep@bowlgr.com. 

Pitching dominated in Saturday's nightcap of the annual Batavia Rotary Club Baseball Tournament at Dwyer Stadium, with Notre Dame beating Batavia 3-2 to claim the championship.

Bryceton Berry, the tournament MVP, picked up the win, going seven innings, striking out nine Blue Devils, and surrendering eight hits and two runs.

Batavia's Shawn Kimball took the loss despite giving up only three runs and three hits over six innings.  He struck out six hitters.

Kimball was also the only hitter in the game to pick up two hits.

Earlier in the day, Notre Dame beat Oakfield-Alabama 5-2, and Batavia beat Attica 12-1.

Photos by Kristin Smith except where noted.

Alexander Girls Softball cleaned up over the weekend, getting three wins over two days, including a muddy mess of a win over Kendall on Sunday evening.

Coach John Goodenbury called it a slip-and-slide contest.

The Trojans won 8-5.

Emily Pietrzykowski picked up the win for Alexander, pitching 7 innings allowing five hits, six free passes and notching eight whiffs.

Senior Olivia Delelys led Alexanders' offensive, going 3-3 with a double and 2 RBIs.  Melissa Sawyer went 2-2 with an RBI.  

“We were not sure we would get this game in today because of the forecast," Goodenbury said. "At game time, the weather didn’t seem like the rain was too heavy or that it would last long, but we were wrong.  Kendall’s head coach Jeff Parizek and I just wanted to play this game, so we rolled with mother nature’s punches and played on.  Looking back at the game, I think both teams had a blast, the girls got the chance to be like little kids again as they were sliding around the bases and getting covered in mud.  To see the girls with big smiles playing a game, I am sure they will always remember, is worth the extra laundry detergent to me.”

With the win, Alexander is now 9-5 on the season.

Two of those nine wins came on Saturday when Alexander beat Byron-Bergen and Barker.

In game one, the Trojans shut out the Bees 6-0.

Madison Boyce tossed a 4-hit shutout. Boyce pitched 7 innings, allowing four hits, eight walks and recording 

Emily Pietrzykowski was 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, while Lilly Szymkowiak was 2-3 with a double and 1 run scored. 

In game two, Alexander beat Barker 11-6.

Alexander racked up 13 hits during the contest. 

Makenna Boyce, Olivia Delelys and Melissa Sawyer all collected multiple hits for Alexander. Senior Makenna Boyce led Alexander going 3-4 with a triple and 2 RBIs, and a stolen base.  Emily Pietrzykowski, Madison Boyce and Melissa Sawyer combined pitching efforts for the win, surrendering four hits while striking out 9.

“The past week was a tough week for the entire GR with bad weather that forced many cancellations and that resulted in us stacking a doubleheader today," Goodenbury said. "A scheduling conflict had us play both games today back-to-back with no break in between games, so our girls had to dig deep today.  They made it work and came out on top of both contests.  Maddison Boyce has been pitching outstanding for us, and today she completed her third shutout of the season and reached 60 strikeouts after 33.2 innings on the bump so far.  It was Senior Day for us, and both of our seniors, Makenna Boyce and Olivia Delelys, played great to make it a special day for Alexander.”

Story based on submitted information.  Submitted photos.

Press release:

For the second straight year, the sun shined bright as the ladies of varsity Genesee Region Golf took to Batavia Country Club on Saturday. The event gave the young ladies an opportunity to face off against ladies only, as for the rest of their season, they have to play alongside the boys and from the men’s tees. This year’s individual champion was Lily Tobin, a senior from Kendall. Last year's champion, Elba/OA freshman Jada Fite finished in the runner-up position. Rounding out the top four were Elba/OA sophomore Aerianna Cintorino and Elba/OA Senior Taimi Pike.

Submitted photos.

Press Release:

On Sunday, April 30 th the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association celebrated their end-of-the-year awards ceremony, held at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena. The teams of Squirt, Pee Wee, Bantam, Midget MOHL and Midgets were celebrated. The Beginners had their year-end Beginner Jamboree on Saturday, March 18 th and the Mite Division held their year-end celebration on April 22 at St. James Episcopal Church. A great time was had by all of the players. 

The theme of this year’s event was “Out with the Old, in with the New.” About 225 members of the GAHA family joined to celebrate GAHA’s new logo, new facility name – The David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, and new management – Operating Manager Matt Gray, General Manager Kati Murray and her Rink staff, and the efforts of the “Friends of the Rink”.

GAHA President Dale Hutchins welcomed all of the players and their families, and Erik Triftshauser served as Master of Ceremonies for the event. The group enjoyed a catered breakfast served by D and R Depot of Le Roy, who did a terrific presentation. Thank you, Sean and company.

The GAHA graduating seniors were recognized as they leave the Association and moved toward their selected futures. Those seniors were Gino Falleti, Bryce Feldmann, Ronin Hofmaster, Ryan Hamilton, Cooper Hamilton, Noah Hudson as well as Alex Johnson.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of the yearly awards handed out by GAHA. The first award was the Matthew Mondi Memorial Award which was presented to Mite Player Abram Lopez; the Danny D Tribute Player Award went to Mite Player Wesley Lasher and Bantam player Justin Gabehart; the Pam Borden Memorial Award was presented to Bantam player – Alex Wyder; and the David McCarthy Leadership Award was presented to Carter Fix. These awards are in the form of scholarships toward next year’s fees. The Sharon Valyear Dedication Award was presented to Sharon’s granddaughter – Lilly Gray. is 

The last award of the evening was the Tom Scott Volunteer of the Year Award, which is presented to the GAHA volunteer who has dedicated countless hours to the betterment of the organization and exemplifies the ideals of GAHA as well as USA Hockey. This year’s award was presented to Coach Fred Hamilton, who is lovingly referred to as the Pied Piper of all hockey players. Fred has been instrumental in the success of the Beginner Program and many of the other divisions within GAHA and also a huge asset to the USA Hockey Try Hockey for Free event that GAHA hosts twice a year. He has the patience of a saint with all of the little ones with his even falling down on the ice when they take a spill. There aren’t very many players within the association that haven’t been touched in the heart by Coach Fred in the “Yellow Helmet.”

The afternoon ended with all those present showing their gratitude to all of the Team Coaches (who did a presentation for their respective teams), Assistant Coaches, Team Managers and also to all of the Association Goalies who play an essential role in each and every game.

 Photos submitted by Sharon Gray.

The Batavia Lady Devils Flag football team picked up a big win at home last evening at Van Detta Stadium with a 16-6 victory over Eastridge to remain undefeated at 3-0 in its inaugural season.

Eastridge scored early in the opening half to lead 6-0.  Batavia answered back late in the half when quarterback Julia Clark passed to Nicole Doeringer for a 14-yard touchdown.  Clark scored the extra point on a 3-yard run.

From that point on, the Blue Devils' defense was stout.

"That was the first time all year that a team came out in the opening drive and scored on us," said Defensive Coordinator Aaron Fix. "We haven't been in that position before. And I was really proud of how all the girls stayed composed. They got after it after that, and I thought our aggressiveness, upfront with our two girls that we brought a lot of pressure with, they did a phenomenal job. And our safeties did a great job staying back playing that pass. So it was really a great defensive team effort tonight."

At halftime, Batavia led 7-6. 

After a mistake by Eastridge, when an offense was flagged for holding in the end zone, Batavia added two points on the safety, making it 9-6.

"That was a huge play for us," Head Coach Ben Bucholtz said. "When you get those defensive points, it's a bonus. Our girls were relentless on the defensive side of the ball. That was just an effort play (The player who committed the penalty) had no choice but to hold her or to give up a sack. So either way, it was gonna be a safety. It gave us a lot of confidence coming back out, being able to turn the football around and burn some clock and then punch another one in to seal the win."

Senior Tiarah Banks picked off a pass with three minutes left in the game.  

On the next play, Julia Clark scored on a 39-yard touchdown run, and the extra point attempt was good.  

And the 16-6 score held the rest of the game.

Sophomore Kylee Brennan led the team with nine tackles, and Jamin Macdonald had five tackles.  Julia Clark had 131 yards on the night in passing and running.

The team is 3-0 but there's still the rest of the season to play, Bucholtz noted.

"We have a ton of things to clean up. I mean, these girls are learning every day," Bucholtz said. "We made a lot of mistakes today. To come out on top is a testament to how hard they're working. We're still learning. They're learning, learning, learning. This is the first year of it, so these girls are put on their thinking caps when they get to practice, and they really, really enjoy it."

Batavia Lady Devils' next game is on May 16, at home versus Rochester Academy Charter School, game time 7 p.m.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Tournament Director Tom Turnbull is sticking to "23rd Annual" for the 2023 Rotary Baseball Tournament, even though there have only been 18 champs actually crowned over the two-plus decades since the first game.

Rainouts and two seasons lost to COVID-19 have kept a few names off the championship trophy -- which is new this year (see photo above) after the former trophy filled up with the plaques of previous winners.

Notre Dame's coach, Rick Rapone, at Tuesday's Rotary Club meeting in Batavia, called it the premier tournament in the area that every local baseball player is excited to compete in.

The first pitch Saturday is at 11 a.m. with the battle of the Blue Devils, Batavia vs. Attica.  Game 2 is at 2 p.m. when two hot teams face each other for the second time this season -- Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame.  Notre Dame is a pitching powerhouse, and the Hornets pack a lot of offensive punch. The last time these two teams met, Notre Dame prevailed.

The championship game is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday.  However, if Attica beats Batavia, the game will be played at 2 p.m. on Sunday because Attica has its senior prom on Saturday night.

Admission is $5 for an adult all-day pass and $3 for a student or senior all-day pass. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Press Release:

With a roster of 55 players and about a dozen sponsors in hand, the Genesee County Spartans organization is moving full speed ahead toward competing in the Northeastern Football Alliance this summer.

“We’re into the third week of training camp, preparing for an intrasquad scrimmage at 1 p.m. on May 7 at Kibbe Park (which is open to the public at no charge),” said Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “It’s a very competitive environment for starting positions on the team.”

The Spartans are practicing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at Farrall Park in preparation for a May 20 scrimmage at the Watertown Red and Black, which plays in the Gridiron Developmental Football League.

Rascoe’s squad is on the road for its first three NFA games – at Auburn on June 3 and at Lockport on June 10 – before hosting Ithaca on June 17.

The remainder of the schedule: June 24 vs. Broome County; July 15 at Broome County; July 22 vs. Lockport; Aug. 5 at Ithaca; Aug. 12 vs. Auburn.

Rascoe said the team is finalizing arrangements to play its home games at Genesee Community College.

Team sponsors include Iron Reps gym, R.A. Haitz, Dan’s Tire & Auto, The Brick Gym, Eli Fish, Batavia Downs Gaming, Liberty Pumps, Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant, Get Sealed and Village Restaurant.

For more information about the team, including how to become a sponsor, go to the team’s Genesee County Spartans Facebook page or contact Rascoe at rascoeh@yahoo.com.

Submitted photos.  Top photo: Head Coach Harry Rascoe, football in hand, calls out a play for the offensive line as the Genesee Spartans prepare for their season this summer.  Bottom photo: Assistant coach Craig Tiberio conducts a drill for defensive backs at a recent Genesee Spartans football practice.

Press Release:

The 23rd Annual Batavia Rotary Club High School Tournament will take place Saturday, May 5th, at Dwyer Stadium.

Attica will play Batavia in the first game at 11 a.m., followed by Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame at 2 p.m. 

The winners of those two contests will play in the championship game under the lights starting at 7 p.m.

Admission is $5 for an adult all-day pass and $3 for a student or senior all-day pass. All proceeds from the tournament will help benefit Batavia Rotary Club charities.

Photo: File photo by Howard Owens

 

After the scheduled opponent for Elba/Oakfield-Alabama on Saturday for a golf match failed to show up with enough players, the team played a round anyway.

It turned out to be a momentous day for EOA's Jake Walczak, who aced Hole 7, a 177-yard Par 3, for his first career hole-in-one.

It's the first hole-in-one for the team since 2016. 

Coach Mike Cintorino said, "Walczak felt as though he hit a great shot when it came off the face of his 7-iron. As it landed and went toward the hole, the excitement level in the group raised. The crescendo was hit when they all saw the ball disappear next to the flag. When the foursome of Walczak, Brayden Smith, Aiden Warner, and Eli Loysen walked up to the pin, their excitement was validated as Walczak reached down to pull his Titleist Pro-V1 out of the cup. This was Walczak’s first ever hole-in-one and quite a moment for the senior golfer who has been on the team since 7th grade."

The match against Keshequa will be rescheduled.

Photo by Kristin Smith.