Sports

A four-run third inning capped by Austin Saeva’s two-run single and solid pitching from Kyler Lacarte and Kenny Saunders powered the Le Roy Oatkan Knights to a 5-3 victory over Batavia in a Class B regional qualifying high school game tonight at Dwyer Stadium.

The victory – played before a crowd estimated at 1,100 -- avenges an 8-0 defeat at the hands of the Blue Devils in the title game of the Batavia Rotary Tournament last month and, more importantly, propels the Knights into regional competition on Saturday against Section 6 Class B champion Medina.

Saturday’s game will be played at Lockport High School and is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Le Roy put runners in scoring position against Batavia starter Taiyo Iburi-Bethel in the first two innings but failed to score while Batavia had two on and one out in the second but was unable to cash in as well.

The Knights broke through in the third, however, scoring four times on a pair of hits with two walks and two hit batsmen sandwiched in between.

Shortstop Giovanni Caccamise led off with a single and advanced on a stolen base and passed ball before first baseman Reece Tresco was hit by an Iburi-Bethel pitch. After designated hitter Tim McMullen was intentionally walked to load the bases, Batavia Coach Rick Saunders pulled Iburi-Bethel, moving second baseman Alex Hale to the mound.

Kenny Saunders worked a walk after fouling off three straight 3-2 pitches and Caccamise pranced home with the first run. Hale then hit Tommy Saunders with a pitch to load the bases again and a wild pitch made it 2-0 in Le Roy’s favor.

That was it for Hale and center fielder Andrew Francis came in to pitch. Saeva greeted Francis with a hard shot between third and short, past the drawn-in infield, and the Knights had a 4-0 lead.

Francis then struck out the next two batters and held Le Roy in check until a two-out triple to the gap in right-center by Tresco (who went 2-for-4) plated Tyler Slaven to give the Knights a 5-2 edge.

The Blue Devils scored a run in the bottom of the third as Francis singled, moved to second on an error and scored on Sam Sallome’s sharp single. Lacarte regrouped, however, to retire the next three batters.

Batavia had an excellent chance to cut into the lead in the fourth as Hale singled and advanced on Josh Weis’ infield hit. Francis then hit into a fielder’s choice, putting runners on the corners, before Trevor Zewan drew a walk to load the bases.

Lacarte escaped the jam by retiring what would be the last batter he faced, Sallome, on a first pitch foul pop to Tresco.

Kenny Saunders took the mound for Le Roy in the fifth and, after getting the first batter, gave up an infield hit to Iburi-Bethel, who went to second on an errant throw on the play. He was on third when, with two outs, Hale drilled an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.

Trailing 5-2 in the sixth, Batavia got one-out hits from Francis and Zewan, with another Le Roy error – the Knights’ fourth of the game – putting runners at first and third. Sallome then hit a fly ball to center, scoring Francis, but Zewan was called out for failing to retouch second base on his way back to first after the ball was caught.

Francis set the Knights down in order in the seventh, setting the stage for an exciting finish, despite Batavia’s first two batters going down by a fly out and strike out.

Kenny Saunders had been mixing his fastball and change-up effectively, but lost his control as he walked Jake Humes and Hale.

Pinch-runner Zach Anderson and Hale then executed a double-steal on a 1-1 count to pinch-hitter Nate Ryan. With the tying run at second, Ryan fouled back a 2-2 pitch before popping one up near the third base line. Pitcher Saunders ran over, caught the ball with just the glove hand and then threw the ball and mitt in the air, touching off the victory celebration for the LeRoyans and their fans.

Le Roy improves to 17-4 while Batavia, which outhit the Knights, 9-6, and committed just one error, ends its first-ever Section 5 championship season under Coach Saunders at 14-8.

Story by Mike Pettinella.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Le Roy beat Wellsville 7-1 on Sunday to win the Class B2 Section V Championship.

Video and photo by Tim McArdle.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Pembroke Dragons 10U Baseball Team/Cal Ripkin Division won the Abbott Memorial Championship in Perry on Sunday.

The team was one of 15 teams invited to play in the two-day tournament, playing five games total.

Over the two-day tournament, the team scored a total of 50 runs, only allowing five against.

They defeated Letchworth in the semi-final game 7-1, and then defeated Nunda in the championship game 9-0.

Pitchers PJ Reeves, Zachary Hartz and Brayden Lang helped keep the runs to only five scored against the Dragons.

Home runs by Madden Perry and PJ Reeves, bit hits by Austin Post, Jacob DiPalma, along with great fielding by Ryan Zika, Owen Schultz, Leo Lang and the rest of the Dragons helped seal the deal to bring the championship home.

The Batavia Blue Devils beat Geneva 9-0 behind an Alex Hale one-hitter at Wayland-Cohocton today to win the school's first sectional title in baseball since 1998.

Submitted photo.

Four people were inducted into the Genesee Region United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame earlier this month at a ceremony held at Batavia Downs.

Three recipients are in the photo above, from left, Robert Hughson, of Medina, Achievement; Al Vlietstra, of Warsaw, Veterans Achievement; and James Foss, of Medina, Achievement. Eunice Englert, of Nunda, also was enshrined for Meritorious Service to the sport of bowling.

Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Jim Beverly, a hunting retriever trainer from Oakfield, hosted his second annual Companion Retriever Hunting Challenge at Godfrey's Pond in Byron on Saturday. The challenge is primarily for retrieving-trained dogs who are more often pets than hunting companions.

For the second year, Tri-County Youth Flag Football is offering boys and girls ages 5 to 14 the chance to play NFL-Flag Non-Contact Football.

Games are 5 on 5, fun and filled with a ton of action. Everyone will get to play and learn good sportsmanship and teamwork. Players can sharpen their football skills and learn new ones.

Practices will be one hour on Wednesday nights, with games of two 15-minute halves played on Sunday morning.

Register as an individual or with a friend.

Volunteer parents are requested for youth ages.

Teams consist of five to eight co-ed players. Age groups are: 5 to 7 / 8 & 9 / 10 &11 / 12 to 14.

You must register in person. Cost is $65.

Registration will be at T.F. Brown's restaurant in Batavia (214 E. Main St.) on the dates and times below:

• 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- May 25 AND June 1
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. -- June 22 AND June 29

For questions and more information, please contact Otis Thomas at (585) 993-0244 or Kevin Rogers at (716) 860-4551.

At 10 a.m., Saturday, Godfrey's Pond on Griswold Road, Stafford, hosts the Companion Retriever Hunting Challenge. The event is open to the public.

The event is geared toward "every day" retrievers, dogs who are pets and companions and hunt with their masters as a hobby. All sporting breeds are invited to participate but only retrieving breeds will be scored. Dogs that hold field trial titles and hunt test titles may also participate but these dogs will not be scored.

Jim Beverly has been training retrievers for almost 55 years. 

Andy Merkel was interviewed for the video. His dog Roy won the 2017 and 2018 Scenes Challenge and this year his daughter and her 9-month-old puppy will participate.

The registration fee is $35 with proceeds going to benefit the Geneses County chapter of ducks.org

It may still be possible to register. Call Beverly at (716) 474-4661.

Press release:

The Batavia Girls Fastpitch Softball organization, with sponsorship from the Batavia Lions Club, is hosting a 12U six-team Memorial Day Weekend Tournament this Saturday, May 25.

Teams include Batavia Stingers Black, Batavia Stingers Yellow, Le Roy, Lyndonville, Perry and Oakfield-Alabama.

Games will take place at fields at John Kennedy School, Batavia Middle School, and Lions Park.

Start time for the first round of games is 8:45 a.m., with the second set of games getting underway at 11 a.m.

Semifinal action begins at 2 p.m. with the Championship game being played at 5:15 p.m. at Lions Park. It is located at 11 Wallace St. in Batavia.

The City of Batavia Fire Department, sponsor of Stingers Softball 12U Yellow team, will be at John Kennedy field presenting our nation’s flag during the playing of the National Anthem prior to the start of the first round of games.

The Batavia Stingers 10U Yellow team will also be on hand to show support for the older age division.

Rain date will be this Sunday (May 26) in the event that games must be suspended on Saturday.

The Batavia Girls Fastpitch Softball, a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2017, would to thank the Batavia Lions Club for their generous support of this event.

Press release:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is hosting the 28th annual Youth Fishing Derby from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 1.

The derby is held during National Fishing and Boating Week at Ringneck Marsh on Iroquois NWR. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m.

Rods and reels will be available for children to borrow if needed and worms will be provided as bait.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Inc., which will be providing door prizes and trophies for the anglers with the three biggest fish in each age group (under 7, 8-12, and 13-17).

NEW THIS YEAR: there will also be trophies and prizes for the most persistent angler (total length of all fishes caught in any age group) and the angler who catches the most species (any age group).

It’s sure to be a fun fishy day! The fishing derby and all activities are free to the public.

Please contact Refuge staff at 585.948.5445, ext. 7037, or visit our website here for further information.

Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

To get to Ringneck Marsh, take Route 63 over the county line into Orleans County, Town of Shelby, and turn east onto Oak Orchard Ridge Road. In less than 0.5 miles, you may park in the Ringneck Marsh Overlook Parking Lot.

Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact the Refuge at (585) 948-5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Press release:

Batavia High School Coach Buddy Brasky will hold Basketball Training Camp at the Batavia City Schools this summer.

This is a six-week program that will emphasize offensive skill development.

The program is open to anyone, male or female, from grades seven to college. Cost for the program is $350.

Brasky will be joined by: skills instructor Tim Sullivan; Tom Redband -- Girls Varsity coach at Elba High School; Matt Shay -- Boys Varsity coach at Pembroke High School; Billy Truitt -- former Division 1 and professional basketball player; and Bill Pitcher -- longtime area basketball player and coach.

Basketball Training Camp will be held from July 8th to Aug. 9^th. There will be two sessions:

1. Monday/Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for boys in grades nine to college.
2. Tuesday/Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. for boys in grades seven and eight, and girls in grades seven to college.

For an application call or text Buddy Brasky at 585-356-4050 or email: mbrasky@bataviacsd.org

Ryan Davis, a standout with the Alexander Trojan's basketball team, signed a letter of intent yesterday to attend college and play basketball at Division III D'Youville College.

Davis will major in Business Management.

Photo: Tricia Davis, Ryan Davis, Mike Davis, and Alexander Head Coach Wayne Hanley.

Submitted photo and information.

Submitted Write-up and photos 

This past weekend hundreds of runners, with a large contingent from Genesee County, took part in the 10th annual Sehgahunda Trail Marathon at Letchworth State Park. 

The course, which is comprised of 26.3 miles, starts at the Mount Morris Dam Visitor Center, and runs along the Finger Lakes Trail, ending in Portageville. There are between 3,000 and 4,000 feet of climbing and has been described as one of the hardest trail marathons on the East Coast. The race is organized by YellowJacket Racing of Rochester. 

The wet spring made this year’s course extremely muddy and much more difficult. Three years ago, the race was extended to a two-day event, with the second day being comprised of an additional 5K, 10K, and 15K. For those who dare to attempt to complete both days and succeed, they complete a grueling 72 kilometers in two days, known as the “Sehgahunda 72."

Miranda Betances (top photo) of Batavia was the first female to cross the finish line on Saturday, completing the Trail Marathon in 4:51:19.

Chad Minuto and Stephen Konieczny, of Batavia, were two of 26 competitors who successfully finished both days of racing, becoming Sehgahunda 72ers. 

Gabriel Abdella, of Batavia, who was diagnosed with brain cancer last year, successfully completed the trail marathon on Saturday in a time of 6:48:43, and also completed the 15K (9.3 miles) on Sunday. Abdella is an Adirondack 46er, and he and his wife, Michelle, recently hiked Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. 

Full results and more information about the race can be found at yellowjacketracing.com.

This photo and one above it, Gabriel Abdella.

Stephen Koneiczny & Chad Minuto

Finishers of Sehgahunda 72    

Press release:

In a rematch of the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse National Championship game, #3 Onondaga Community College and #1 Nassau Community College Lions needed overtime to settle the 2019 edition.

In the end, Offensive Most Valuable Player Percy Booth scored the game-winning goal with 17 seconds remaining, to give Onondaga their third-consecutive National Championship, defeating Nassau 7-6 on Sunday afternoon at Genesee Community College.

In a game that went back and forth throughout its entirety, the two teams played in a defensive match with goaltenders. Frank Delia (Onondaga CC) and both Gunnar Luckoski and Anthony Kennin (Nassau CC) played outstandingly well throughout the National Championship game.

Percy Booth from Onondaga had a hat trick on the day, including scoring the game-winner in the overtime period. Kyle Worsley scored two goals and added an assist for the Lazers. Karl Flinter also scored for Onondaga. Frank Delia made 19 saves between the pipes for Onondaga.

Liam Muldoon led the way offensively for Nassau scoring a pair of goals. Justin Roderka also scored two goals. Dan Rooney scored one goal and tallied three assists and Matt Russo also scored for the Lions.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM members include:

• Jackson Kranzy – Howard CC
• Tim Russell – Howard CC
• Jack Watsic – Howard CC
• Eli Doyle – Harford CC
• Tyler Wagoner – Harford CC
• Moriah Yousefi – Harford CC
• Liam Muldoon – Nassau CC
• John Ehlers – Nassau CC
• Justin Rodereka – Nassau CC
• Gavin Kesserling – Onondaga CC
• Phil Barilla – Onondaga CC
• Eli Dandelaught – Onondaga CC  
• Offensive Most Valuable Player – Percy Booth (Onondaga CC)
• Defensive Most Valuable Player – Frank Delia (Onondaga CC)
• National Coach of the Tournament – Eric Miccio (Onondaga CC)

The Batavia Blue Devils Youth Football Camp will be held on Monday and Tuesday, July 15-16, behind Batavia High School, located at 260 State St. in the City of Batavia.

Time is 9 to 11:30 a.m. both days.

Cost is $45. Cash or check (payable to: Blue Devils Touchdown Club).

It is for students entering grades one through eight in the fall.

Hosted by Head Coach Brennan Briggs and the BHS Football staff.

Bring shorts, T-shirt, cleats and water bottle.

Mail payment and the following information to Brennan Briggs, 103 Oak St., Batavia  NY 14020 OR  to: Batavia Middle School, 96 Ross St., Batavia NY 14020, ATTEN: Brennan Briggs.

• Name of Camper
• Camper is entering Grade ___
• Emergency Contact Name and Phone Number
• T-shirt Size: ADULT ___ or YOUTH ___

Register by July 5 to guarantee correct T-shirt size.

The camp will feature relay races, flag football games at the end of each day; current BHS football players, as well as alumni will speak and work with campers; T-shirts distributed and pizza after Tuesday's camp.

Here's the breakdown of what will be taught for each position; all drills will be modified for age groups:

• Quarterbacks -- Hand placement, 3-step, 5-step, footwork drills, throwing mechanics, and ball-handling drills;
• Wide Receivers -- Stance, start, footwork drills, hand drills, route running;
• Running Backs -- Stance, start, footwork drills, run blocking, pass blocking;
• Offensive Line -- Stance, start, run-blocking drills, pass-blocking drills;
• Linebackers -- Stance, start, footwork drills, tackling-form drills, run stopping, pass defending;
• Defensive Backs -- Stance, start, footwork drills, man coverage, zone coverage, pass defending;
• Defensive Line -- Stance, start, 1 v. 1 drills, speed and quickness off the ball.

The Batavia Blue Devils are the 2018 Far West Champions and 2018 State Finalists.​ They have been Section V Champions four out of the last five seasons.

From Batavia Muckdogs:

BATAVIA – The Batavia Muckdogs are looking for the area’s best singers to perform the "Star-spangled Banner" prior to first pitch at Dwyer Stadium during our historic 80th season of professional baseball in Batavia.

The Muckdogs will hold open auditions at Dwyer Stadium from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23rd. The team encourages individuals and groups to visit and give their best performance for the opportunity perform before the crowd during one of our 38 home games.

Those wishing to tryout must keep their performance under 90 seconds while using a traditional style with minimal creative variation. Vocalists must be a cappella, although instrumental auditions are welcome.

Individuals and groups wishing to audition must fill out an application form upon arrival at Dwyer Stadium prior to the audition. Singers and their immediate families will receive complementary game tickets on the date of their performance. For questions, please contact the Muckdogs at 585-483- 3647.

About the Muckdogs

Recognized as the birthplace of the New-York Penn League and one of it’s founding franchises, 2019marks the 80th season of professional baseball in Batavia, NY. Operated by Batavia Muckdogs Inc., the Muckdogs are the Class A Short Season Affiliate of the Miami Marlins and the only professional sports franchise in Genesee County.