Oakfield-Alabama earned a spot in the Section V Class C2 semifinals Tuesday with an 8-2 win over Alexander.
Piper Hyde went 4-for-4 with a triple to lead the Lady Hornets at the plate. Raine Denny drove in four runs, including a triple, while Chloe Lamb added three hits and two RBIs. Allison Harkness finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Ysa Schrauger and Allie Williams each added a hit.
Savannah Durham pitched a complete game, allowing three hits and no earned runs while striking out five.
“We played well defensively and cashed in our runners when we got them into scoring position,” OA coach Jeff Schlagenhauf said. “This is a great opportunity for these girls to move on to the semifinals.”
The Alexander Lady Trojans surged to a 24-5 victory over Clyde-Savannah in the opening round of sectionals Saturday in Livonia.
Alexander’s offense produced 16 hits, led by Melissa Sawyer, who went 3-for-5 with a triple, a three-run home run, and six RBI.
Emily Pietrzykowski added two home runs and three RBI, finishing 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. Faith Goodenbury contributed a 3-for-5 day with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored.
The Trojans jumped ahead 3-1 in the first inning, then broke the game open with nine runs in the second and seven more in the third.
Melanie Bump went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs, while Paige Morton was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI, three runs, a walk, and two stolen bases. Ava Yax reached base five times, going 1-for-1 with five runs, an RBI, four walks, and a stolen base.
On the mound, Pietrzykowski threw a five-inning no-hitter, striking out 14 and walking 11. Despite not allowing a hit, Clyde-Savannah scored five runs, taking advantage of walks and defensive miscues.
Coach John Goodenbury said, “This was a strong opening round for our girls in sectionals. Emily threw an impressive five-inning no-hitter despite challenging conditions with wind, rain, and cold temperatures affecting her control. She battled through walks early on while trying to stay warm and find her rhythm.
"Sawyer is continuing to heat up nicely after overcoming a midseason slump, and Goodenbury is right there with her, swinging the bat well.
With today’s harsh conditions, steady rain, wind, and a real feel of just 37 degrees, we’re glad to advance and now fully shift our focus to Oakfield for Tuesday’s quarterfinal matchup. Oakfield, the second seed, has been dominant and well-coached all season, so we know it’ll be tough, but the weather looks better for Tuesday, and we will see what happens.”
Alexander advances to face No. 2 seed Oakfield in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Eight local students graduated on Wednesday, May 14, from the Genesee County Youth Bureau’s Youth Lead Program. This eight-month-long program focuses on developing leadership skills through hands-on experiences.
Congratulations to the following Genesee County Youth for completing the program:
Elle Bentley, a Freshman from Elba
Preslee Blecha, a Freshman from Alexander
Jenavieve Gang, a Freshman from Oakfield-Alabama
Lyla Jones, a Freshman from Le Roy
Kennedy Lear, a Freshman from Alexander
Lucia Longoria, a Sophomore from Elba
Zachary Thorne, a Freshman from Alexander
Carolyn Wujcik, a Freshman from Le Roy
These eight students met monthly to learn more about their community, how to be leaders, and the needs and challenges found in Genesee County.
Areas of topic this year included Leadership, Business, Community Service, Criminal Justice, Arts & Culture, and Health & Emergency Preparedness. A few highlights of this year included a tour of The Chamber of Commerce, creating holiday cards for the elderly in Genesee County, a tour of the new Genesee County Jail, a history of Jamaican Culture by Jackie Swaby at GOART!, and a fire extinguisher demonstration by Gary Patnode of Genesee County Office of Emergency Management.
Congratulations to these future leaders!
Applications for Youth Lead are open for the 2025-2026 school year. Interested Genesee County high school students, grades 9-12, are encouraged to apply. Applications are due September 1, 2025. For additional information or to apply, visit https://shorturl.at/t6qPr.
Arianna Almekinder strikes out 14 and picks up win on the mound at Batavia High School Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia defeated Alexander 9-4 on Wednesday, improving to 8-11 on the season. Alexander dropped to 8-10.
Arianna Almekinder earned the win for Batavia, striking out 14 batters. Almekinder followed up Monday’s 20-strikeout performance against Brockport with another strong outing in the circle.
Kyleigh Kabel went 2-for-3 at the plate. Libby Grazeoplene hit a three-run home run. Hannah Carney delivered a two-RBI double. Drew Stevens and Gabby Smith each added RBI singles.
Batavia scored two runs in the first inning, five in the fourth, and two in the fifth. Alexander scored one run in the first, one in the fifth, and two in the seventh. Batavia will play in the first round of sectionals on Friday.
Faith Goodenbury and Emily Pietrzykowski powered Alexander to a 12-7 win over Attica on Friday.
Goodenbury went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBIs. Pietrzykowski finished 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
“We needed this kind of team effort after a tough, close loss yesterday to Pembroke,” Alexander coach John Goodenbury said.
Alexander jumped ahead in the first with a Goodenbury double. Attica answered with three runs in the bottom half, including a two-RBI single from Haley Mills.
The Trojans responded with six runs in the second, highlighted by Pietrzykowski’s two-RBI double.
“We’re focused on staying sharp and getting ourselves ready for sectionals,” Goodenbury said.
Alexander collected 11 hits. Goodenbury and Pietrzykowski had three each. Ava Yax, Melissa Sawyer, Melanie Bump, Lilly Szymkowiak and Paige Morton each added a hit.
Paige Morton started and allowed four hits and five unearned runs over three innings. Pietrzykowski earned the win in relief, tossing four innings with one hit, three strikeouts and one earned run.
Mills pitched all seven innings for Attica, striking out six and walking four. She also went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Cius, Jackson and Scripp each had a hit for the Blue Devils.
Alexander plays Batavia on Saturday at the Chris Martin Field of Dreams. First pitch is 2 p.m.
Alexander beat Attica on the day of the Trojans' Senior Game on Tuesday, 10-5.
The Trojans answered a late rally by Attica, scoring four runs and tying the game, with six runs in the sixth inning.
Emily Pietrzykowski tripled, scoring two runs, Melanie Bump laid down a sacrifice bunt, scoring one run, and Felski tripled, scoring three runs. Sophomore Ella Felski led the Trojans at the plate and provided clutch hitting that put the game out of reach for Attica.
Pietrzykowski earned the win for Alexander. The righty surrendered five hits and four runs over seven innings, striking out eight and walking six.
Sophomore Haley Mills took the loss for Attica. The starter went six innings, giving up 10 runs (six earned) on 10 hits, striking out three and walking four. Piorun led Attica with two runs batted in. The outfielder went 3-for-4 on the day.
Alexander piled up 10 hits in the game. Melissa Sawyer, Yax, and Pietrzykowski each collected multiple hits for Alexander.
Hitting:
Ella Felski went 3-for-4 with a triple, 4 RBIs, 2 runs, stolen base
Melissa Sawyer went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, run, walk
Ava Yax went 2-for-3 with an RBI, 2 runs, walk, stolen base
Emili Pietrzykowski went 2-for-4 with a Triple, 2 RBIs, and a run scored
"This was senior night for our girls, and the way it played out felt like a movie script," said Coach John Goodenbury. "After giving up four runs in the top of the sixth, I told them in the dugout, 'This is your script to write, go out and write it.' They went out there, fought for it, and made it happen. It was a great moment for their families to see them respond that way on an emotional senior night. We needed this win to stay in contention to win the GR (Division 1).
"I also want to give credit to Attica’s pitcher Haley Mills; she’s a developing pitcher and is going to be a force for Attica over the next couple of years. She’s poised, she battles, and I had the pleasure of having her fill in with our travel team last summer. I know she’s only going to keep rising to the top, and she won’t be easy next year."
The Trojan offense piled up 10 hits and eight walks during Thursday’s chilly matchup against Byron-Bergen.
Faith Goodenbury led the Trojans at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs, and two runs scored.
Melissa Sawyer added in the box going 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs, 2 runs, a walk and a stolen base. Ava Yax finished the day going 1-for-1 with a double, 2 walks, 3 runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. Morgan Boyce went 1-for-3, driving in three runs with a run scored and a walk. Lilly Szymkowiak went 1-for-2 with a double, 2 runs, a walk and a stolen base. Emily Pietrzykowski and Melanie each added a hit apiece to round out the Alexander offensive attack. Bump's hit was a 2-RBI double.
Emily Pietrzykowski controlled the circle as the senior struck out 11 batters, limiting the Byron-Bergen offense. Pietrzykowski only allowed two hits and two runs (1 earned) over five innings while walking five.
Next up for Alexander is a doubleheader at Holley on Friday starting at 3:45pm.
Coach’s Comments: "This was a solid win for us as we work to build momentum, picking up our second straight," said Coach John Goodenbury. "It's great to see our bats coming alive more each day. One of the best feelings as a coach is watching good hitters break out of slumps. We've had players making solid contact lately, just hitting it right at fielders. Today, we found the gaps and gained some confidence. We're ready for a packed final stretch and prepared to finish strong."
Emily Pietrzykowski led the Trojans to a hard-fought 6-5 victory over the Fighting Irish on Tuesday, going 3-for-4 at the plate. The senior tripled in the second inning, singled in both the first and fifth innings, drove in three runs, scored twice, and added two stolen bases.
Ava Yax also had a strong showing for Alexander, collecting two hits in three at-bats, scoring two runs, and stealing four bases. Seniors Lilly Szymkowiak and Faith Goodenbury matched each other’s performance, each tallying a hit, a walk, and a run scored.
The game’s biggest hit came in the second inning when Pietrzykowski tripled to center field, driving in two runs and extending Alexander’s lead to 4-1.
Despite trailing by five runs, Notre Dame mounted a late comeback, scoring two runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to narrow the gap. However, Alexander’s defense held strong behind Pietrzykowski's pitching in the final inning to secure the win.
Pietrzykowski earned the win in the circle, pitching a complete game. She allowed four hits and five runs (four earned), striking out five and walking five.
Mia Treleaven took the loss for the Fighting Irish, striking out 11 and walking two over five innings while giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits.
Notre Dame’s offense was led by Amelia Sorochty, Sofia Falleti, Gianna Falleti, and Riley Hare, who each contributed a hit. Falleti finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs to pace the Irish.
"We really needed this win," said Coach John Goodenbury. "This game came down to the wire today, and Otis does a great job, so we knew it would be tough. We've faced some tough competition this spring and had stretches of sloppy play against other teams we have played that we felt we could have beaten, but tonight we did a better job focusing on the little things. With all the weather challenges, we’re just trying to stay consistent, survive the spring monsoon season, and get ourselves ready for sectionals. We’re heading in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done. One final note, hats off to Otis and the Notre Dame crew for busting their tails to get the field playable today."
Alexander returns to action Thursday at home against Byron-Bergen.
Brian Farnsworth, town of Alexander highway Superintendent. Photo by Howard Owens.
On Tuesday, for the fourth time in 2025, the Tonawanda Creek overflowed and flooded areas throughout the town of Alexander, including Peaviner Road.
This is an inconvenience to motorists, damages roads, takes farm fields out of production, and costs taxpayers money.
Brian Farnsworth, Alexander's highway superintendent, says the problem would be solved with an annual cleanup of the creek further upstream, where trees fall into the creek, creating a natural dam that eventually overflows, sending a rush of water north that causes flooding.
"If we could get in there somehow or another and clean all the trees that are down, I think it would open it up where this water would run," Farnsworth said. "We wouldn't have, like down here on Peaviner, water that runs off from the creek. We wouldn't have that. It would slow the overflow."
Farnsworth said he's hoping to secure grants for the creek cleanup. Clearly, the log jams probably need to occur on an annual basis, he said, because erosion keeps knocking big trees into the creek.
"It puts a burden on the taxpayers in Alexander because we have to keep going back to Old Creek Road and Cookson Road, and we have to keep going back and fixing the roads," Farnsworth said. "They're all dirt roads, but it just washes them out, and then we've got the material and the labor to take care of it, plus it's a major inconvenience, because a lot of people go down this road."
There is also a danger to motorists and first responders because some people do, in fact, try to drive through the floodwaters.
"If somebody comes down here and they do get stuck, it puts a burden on the sheriff's department and our first responders," Farnsworth said."They have to go in there and rescue them."
As for the farmers, he said, they get wiped out, he said.
"The various fields, they get wiped out. They can't plant. They can't do anything because of the water runoff."
Peaviner Road is now (on Wednesday) clear, and Cookson Road should clear by early afternoon.
Fourteen seniors were presented one-thousand dollar scholarships at the annual Batavia Business and Professional Womens Club awards banquet at Batavia Country Club Thursday evening. Photo by Steve Ognibene
President Danielle Torcello, along with committee chair Vicki Wolak and her team of Susan Boyle, Brenda Bennion and Diane Fioentino, awarded 13 scholarships to Genesee County students from various high schools. Each student was presented with an award certificate and received a thousand-dollar scholarship. They are:
Allison Pullybank, LeRoy, Nursing
Ava Anderson, Batavia, Journalism/Marketing
Emily Yager, Pembroke, Music Education
Emily Pietrzykowski, Alexander, Nursing
Grace Nickerson, LeRoy, English / Psychology
Kaitlin Kratz, Notre Dame, Nursing
Kelsey Kirkwood, Batavia, Biology
Lillian Szymkowiak, Alexander, Biology
Molly Osterman, LeRoy, Law/Political Science
Norah Manurung, Pavilion, Social Media Marketing
Piper Hyde, Oakfield-Alabama, Nursing
Rose Wilson, Byron Bergen, Nursing
Anna Panepento, Notre-Dame, Biomedical Engineering
Sue Sherman, All Babies Cherished
Jennifer Schaffer, Crossroads House
Frances McNaulty, Genesee Senior Living and Office of the Aging
Susan Maniace, Liv Luv Breathe
Carl Hyde Jr., Western New York Cemetery Honor Guard
Alex Doty, LeRoy, Business Management, was presented the Jill Spence Memorial Scholarship Fund award.
Vicki Wolak, committee chair, and her team of Susan Boyle, Brenda Bennion and Diane Fioentino presented service awards to the following non-profit organizations in Genesee County. Each received a check for $400.
Joy Hume received the 2024 Woman of the Year award.
Oakfield-Alabama beat Alexander in softball on Saturday, 8-0.
The winning pitcher was Savannah Durham, who went all seven innings, scattering five hits while striking out eight and walking one.
Offense:
Allie Williams, 2-4, 2 RBIs
Emma Moeller, 1-3, 2 RBIs
Chloe Lamb, 1-1, triple
Tori Davis, 1-1, RBI
Allison Harkness, 1-4, RBI
Piper Hyde, 1-3
Raine Denny, 1-4, double, 3 runs scored
Ysa Schrauger, 1-3
"I'm very proud of our team's defense today," said Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "We got a well-pitched game from Savannah, and we were solid defensively against a very good Alexander team. We got timely hits when we needed them."
Ella Felski drove in five runs on two hits to help lead the Alexander Trojans past Elba 13-5 on Thursday. Felski tripled in the fifth inning, scoring two runs, and singled in the seventh inning, scoring two.
Alexander changed the game in the top of the third, scoring five runs on four hits to take the lead 5-3. The biggest blow in the inning was a single by Paige Morton that drove in two.
Morton earned the win on the bump for Alexander. The hurler allowed 10 hits and five runs (two earned) over seven innings, striking out two and walking one. Smith took the loss for Elba. The pitcher went seven innings, surrendering 13 runs (eight earned) on 18 hits, striking out five and walking two.
Alexander piled up 18 hits in the game. Lillian Szymkowiak, Melissa Sawyer, and Melanie Bump each collected three hits for Alexander. Morgan Boyce, Emily Pietrzykowski, and Morton each collected multiple hits for the Trojans.
Elba High School amassed 10 hits in the game. Jaco and Ball were a force together in the lineup, as they each collected two hits for Elba while hitting back-to-back. Marks, Ball, Totten, and Camelo each drove in one run for Elba.
The Trojans welcome Oakfield-Alabama on Friday for their next game at 5 p.m.
Pitching: Paige Mortin allowed 10 hits and five runs (two earned) over seven innings, striking out two and walking one.
"We needed this one, after facing big schools in Myrtle Beach and then coming out flat yesterday against Kendall, we just wanted to move in the right direction today, and the girls did that," said Coach John Goodenbury. "Felski and Morton had 9 RBIs between the two of them, and when girls can deliver with runners in scoring position, that’s huge. Paige Morton pitched great; she tossed a complete game win for her first-ever varsity start. The defense played very well behind her. We know we are in for a challenge against Oakfield tomorrow, and we will show up ready for a true test. We still try to get things going this year."
Emily Pietrzykowski was dominant in the circle, as the starting pitcher rang up 14 strikeouts in Alexander’s 12-1 victory over Byron-Bergen on Monday.
Pietrzykowski surrendered five hits and one run over seven innings while walking three.
At the plate for Alexander, Pietrzykowski went 2-for-3 with a towering home run to left, 2 RBIs, 2 runs, a walk and a stolen bag. Ava Yax went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, and a run scored. Faith Goodenbury went 1-for-2 with 2 walks, 2 runs, 1 RBI and 1 steal. While Melissa Sawyer and Lilly Szymkowiak matched each other both going 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a walk each, Sawyer also added an RBI on the day.
For Byron-Bergen, Lily Stalica took the loss on the mound. The hurler went six and two-thirds innings, surrendering four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out six and walking two. Lauren Gartz started in the circle for Byron-Bergen.
Stalica led Byron-Bergen with one run batted in. The outfielder went 1-for-2 on the day. Kendall Chase, Stalica, Ava Gray, Rylee Burch, and Gartz each collected one hit for Byron-Bergen. Gartz stole two bases.
"It was a cold day for softball, that’s for sure," said Coach John Goodenbury. "Hats off to both Athletic Directors for finding a way to get this one in today. The weather is making it difficult to play games this year. For her first outing of the season and cold temps, Emily had great command today and pitched a fantastic game. The defense didn’t commit a single error, and our bats had a lot of life today. Steve is also doing a great job at Byron Bergen, and his plauyers are fighters."
Next up for the lady Trojans is a game at Barker next Tuesday.
