Sports

Press release:

Written by Mike Pettinella for the Genesee County Spartans

The Genesee County Spartans lost to the Buffalo Stampede, 18-17, on Saturday in a Northeastern Football Alliance AA Division season opener at Mulray Park in South Buffalo.

Stampede backup quarterback Anthony Davis found Kendrick Benson from 10 yards out with 54 seconds remaining to complete the host squad’s comeback from a 17-6 deficit.

The winning play was set up by a fumble recovery at the Spartans’ 20-yard line by Tyler Wilson with about three minutes to play.

After falling behind, the Spartans drove down to about the Stampede’s 30-yard line before a deep pass down the sideline was intercepted by Marcelus Tolivar to seal Buffalo’s victory.

Petry’s 30-yard field goal had given the Spartans a 17-6 lead in the third quarter before Buffalo rallied.

Wide receiver Deyonci Farley scored both of the Spartans’ touchdowns on passes from QB Corey Turpin – the first capping a 60-yard opening drive and the second late in the first quarter. Petry was successful on both extra point attempts.

Spartans’ Head Coach Harry Rascoe said the loss was a case of “taking our foot off the gas and committing a couple of costly turnovers.”

“We played probably our best first half ever and dominated the statistics,” he said. “We just didn’t finish it off.”

Rascoe said that tight end Logan Pike had a big day, with seven catches for 150-plus yards, while running back Will LaMar carried for about 70 yards.

On defense, Dontre Woods had an interception while defensive end Gunner Rapone, free safety Takhi West and linebackers Marley English and Martin Krayna each had multiple tackles.

The Spartans limited the Stampede to about 230 yards of total offense.

For the Stampede, Davis completed eight of 11 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns – the first was a 15-yarder to Kaleb Walker – while running back Auston Neal tallied the team’s other TD. Defensively, Amir Dubose led the way with five tackles and forced the fumble late in the game.

The Spartans’ home opener is set for 7 p.m. next Saturday (June 7th) at Van Detta Stadium in Batavia against the Watertown Red & Black.

The team’s schedule is as follows (game times to be determined):

• June 7 – Watertown Red & Black (Van Detta Stadium, Batavia), 7 p.m.
• June 14 – at Ithaca Warriors, 5 p.m.
• June 21 – Upstate Predators (Pembroke Town Park), 5 p.m.
• June 28 – at Lockport Wildcats (Outwater Park), 7 p.m.
• July 12 – Southern Tier Stallions (Pembroke Town Park), 5 p.m.
• July 19 – Lake Erie Power Pines (Pembroke Town Park), 5 p.m.
• Aug. 2 – TBA.

Genesee Spartans’ roster (uniform number, name, position):

0    Gunner Rapone       DE

1    Jzhon Henderson     DB

2    Alex Rood           LB
3    Jzon Richardson     WR
4    Kareem Pryor        RB
5    Deyonci Farley      WR
6    Nick Santos         WR
7    Brandon Robinson    LB
8    Ryley Elliott       DL
9    Marley English      LB
10   Corey Turpin        QB
11   Malkolm Taylor      LB/DB
13   Ben McMindes        WR
14   Aiden Pitts         WR
16   Martin Krayna       LB
17   Takhi West          FS
18   Devan Flanagan      WR
19   Jalen White         DL
20   Will Lamar          RB
21   Delonta Curry       LB
22   Cody Wenner         DB
23   Caleb Cudzillo      DB
24   Eric Snell          LB
25   Dontre Woods        DB
26   Emmanuel Fisher     RB
27   Jaysen Wylie        DB
28   Keith Neureuter     DB
32   Jayden Osborne      LB/DL
33   Robert Thurston Jr. TE
40   Julia Petry         K
51   Mekhi Rivera        LB/DL
54   Nick Mitchell       DL
55   Aaron Treleaven     G
60   Thomas Richmond     G
61   Alex Merica         C
70   Timothy King        T
78   Baylee Vercruysse   T
80   Tai Reffell         WR
89   Logan Pike          TE
97   Jack Fox-Salah      DL
99   Franklon Rice       DL

The Batavia Boys won the Class B Track and Field Sectional Championship on Friday night. 

They scored 226.5 points, with HFL finishing 2nd with 102 points.  

"This was an incredible performance by our Blue Devils team, earning their 9th sectional title, and this is Batavia track's 48th sectional championship, boys and girls for Indoor and Outdoor track," said Coach Nicholas Burk.

Winners for Batavia include:

• Cameron Garofalo - 3000 Steeple (10:38.38),
• 1600m (4:24:24), and the 800m (1:58.83)
• Sheldon Siverling - Shot Put (54-1) Disc (147-6)
• Cooper Konieczny - Pole Vault (13-0)
• Jamari Irvin - Pentathlon (2681 pts.)
• 4x800 Relay -  E'Nhazje Carter, Grant Gahagan, Nate Kinsey, Mason Bellamy (8:32.38)
• 4x100 Relay - Zailen Griffin, Isaac Varland, Keagan Calmes, Ja'Lon Richardson (45.08)

Oakfield-Alabama’s softball season ended Friday with a 5-0 loss to Bolivar-Richburg in the Section V Class C final.

Bolivar-Richburg scored single runs in the second and third innings, then added three in the fifth. Oakfield-Alabama managed four hits but could not push a run across.

Chloe Lamb led Oakfield-Alabama at the plate, going 2-for-3. Piper Hyde finished 1-for-3, and Allison Williams added a hit and a walk.

Savannah Durham pitched all seven innings for Oakfield-Alabama, allowing nine hits, two walks, and one earned run while striking out eight.

Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf said, “Tough day for us, especially defensively, but I can’t say enough about my team and the season they had. 16-3, GR Co-Champions and a sectional final. A great season for sure. This one will sting for a while, but hats off to BR. Their pitcher, Whiting, kept us off balance all day. We say goodbye and good luck to our four seniors, but with eight starters who are 9th or 10th graders, we will be back for sure. I am incredibly proud of this group.”

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski.

The Batavia Muckdogs (1-1) defeated the Elmira Pioneers 13-1 in their 2025 home opener Saturday night at Dwyer Stadium.

Batavia took the lead with two runs in the second inning and added two more in the third. The Muckdogs broke the game open with a seven-run fourth, then tacked on two in the fifth and one in the sixth. Elmira scored its only run in the top of the fourth.

Sean Mindas tripled and drove in two runs for Batavia. Tyler Castrataro finished with three RBIs. Justin Espinal and Jackson Inman each drove in two runs. Brian Fry, Braedon Reina, Blake Ewing, and Caleb Walker added RBIs. The Muckdogs collected 14 hits, stole three bases, and turned a double play.

Gavin Chandler started and earned the win, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing one run on seven hits. Jay Creighton and Garrett Beaver combined for 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.

A crowd of 2,681 attended the home opener. Fireworks followed the game, marking the first of four fireworks nights this season at Dwyer Stadium.

Batavia continues its homestand Sunday at Dwyer Stadium.

Photos by Nick Serrata.

Press release:

The Batavia Girls scored an incredible 267.5 points to run away with the Class B2 team title.  

The second-place finisher was Honeoye Falls/Lima with 138.5 points, and Wayne placed third with 71 points.

Team results:

• Karizma Wescott won three individual events, the 100m (12.4), 200m (25.6), 400m (57.89)
• Ella Shamp won two individual events, High Jump (5-0) and Long Jump (17-6.25)
• Campbell Riley won two individual events, 2000m steeple (7:04.86), and 800m (2:24.73)
• Mady Smith won the 100 hurdles(14.88s)
• Ava Anderson won the 400 hurdles (66.0s)
• Mallory Boyce won the 1500m (4:58.0)
• Ava Wierda won the discus (111' 3")
• Jaimin MacDonald won the shot put (34'4")
• Anna DiRisio won the pentathlon, scoring 2175 points

Batavia also won the 4x400m relay (4:11.46), consisting of Ava Anderson, Mallory Boyce, Campbell Riley, and Karizma Wescott.

Le Roy rallied from an early two-run deficit and walked off with a 3-2 win over Wayland-Cohocton in eight innings on Thursday in the Class B semifinal.

Wayland-Cohocton jumped ahead in the second inning. Matt Clark led off with a single, Owen Wolfanger drew a walk, and after a sacrifice bunt by Tony Schrimer, Hayden Wolfanger singled in a run. Orion Walker followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Le Roy answered in the bottom of the frame. Peter Clark walked, advanced on a Holden Sullivan bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman Jude Christ after a Luke Lathan single.

The Knights tied it in the seventh. Jake Higgins singled, advanced on an error, and scored after a Sullivan single and a Luke Lathan fielder’s choice.
In the bottom of the eighth, Jagger Smith singled and Alex Spezzano doubled down the right field line. With one out and runners on second and third, sophomore Brady McClurg delivered the game-winning RBI single.

Luke Lathan started for Le Roy and pitched into the fifth inning. Peter Clark came on in relief, retiring the next three batters and finishing with three scoreless, hitless innings to earn the win. Matt Clark pitched well for Wayland-Cohocton in the loss.

Coach Antonio Koukides credited both teams for their effort. 

“This was a tremendous baseball game all around, with both teams playing their hearts out and fighting all the way to the end," he said. "Steve always has his boys prepared, and their pitcher did a tremendous job tonight keeping us off balance. I have a lot of respect for their program and knew this would be a really close game.”

Oakfield-Alabama advanced to the Class C2 softball championship with a 9-0 win over Genesee Valley/Belfast. 

The Hornets broke through with five runs in the third inning and added three more in the fourth to take control of the game.

Piper Hyde led the offense with three hits in four at-bats. Allison Williams went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs, and Raine Denny was 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Chloe Lamb drove in a run, while Savannah Durham and Rylee Denny each collected a hit.

Savannah Durham pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and no earned runs while striking out 15.

“Just a great win for our team," said coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "We got contributions up and down the line and once again. We were able to get our runners home once they got into scoring position. Allie and Raine had huge RBI hits for us in the 3rd and 4th innings that allowed us to extend our lead. ,Savannah was outstanding on the mound once again and we were solid defensively behind her. We are looking forward to the opportunity to play for a Sectional championship on Saturday.”

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski

Kendall edged Oakfield-Alabama 3-2 in eight innings on Wednesday. 

Kendall collected 10 hits and did not commit an error, while Oakfield-Alabama had eight hits and two errors.

Oakfield-Alabama scored first with a run in the second inning. Kendall answered in the bottom half. Oakfield-Alabama added another in the fourth, but Kendall tied it in the sixth. The game remained tied going into the seventh. Kendall walked it off in the bottom of the inning.

Jack Cianfrini and Avery Watterson each had two hits for Oakfield-Alabama. David Schnaufer pitched 6.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on 10 hits, with two strikeouts and three walks.

Nic Cole got the complete-game win for Kendall, giving up two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks. 

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski

Batavia’s flag football season ended Wednesday night with a 7-0 loss to CG Finney in the Section V Class C championship game. 

The Lady Devils gave up an early touchdown but stayed in contention thanks to a strong defensive effort.

Senior defensive end Kylee Brennan led the way with 14 flag pulls, including seven for a loss. Senior linebacker Alyssa Turner recorded five flag pulls, and senior DE Nicole Doeringer added four, three of them for a loss. Junior free safety Libby Grazioplene intercepted two passes, returning one from inside the 5-yard line for 33 yards. Senior LB and quarterback Jaimin Macdonald also picked off a pass and returned it deep into Finney territory late in the second half, giving Batavia a final chance to tie the game.

On offense, Macdonald led Batavia with 51 rushing yards on eight carries. Brennan added 20 yards on four carries, and Doeringer ran three times for 24 yards.

Batavia finishes the season with a 9-4-1 record. Coach Matt McCracken thanked the community for its support and for highlighting the team’s accomplishments throughout the year.

The Batavia Muckdogs ushered in the 2025 baseball season with their annual Meet ’N Eat kickoff party Tuesday evening at Eli Fish Brewing Company in downtown Batavia.

More than 100 fans, sponsors, and season ticket holders gathered to meet the Muckdogs players and coaching staff, who took turns introducing themselves and sharing excitement for the upcoming season. 

Attendees enjoyed food, drinks, and live entertainment as they mingled with the team. Season ticket holders and sponsors also received their welcome bags as part of the festivities.
The event has become a tradition for the Batavia baseball community, offering fans a chance to connect with the team before the first pitch of the season.

The Muckdogs will open their home schedule at Dwyer Stadium on Saturday, at 7 p.m. against the Elmira Pioneers.

Le Roy edges Haverling, 3-1, to reach Class B semifinals

Behind a dominant outing from Alex Spezzano and some highlight-reel defense, Le Roy advanced to the Section V Class B baseball semifinals Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Haverling.

Spezzano tossed a complete game two-hitter, striking out seven. 

After Haverling’s Dylan Wenban reached on an error and scored in the first, Spezzano allowed just one hit the rest of the way.

Le Roy’s defense came up big, highlighted by left fielder Jude Sherman’s diving catch to end the fourth and strand a runner. At the plate, Adam Woodworth and Jake Higgins drew back-to-back walks in the fourth, pulled off a double steal, and both scored—Woodworth on a wild pitch and Higgins on a fielder’s choice by Holden Sullivan. Higgins later drove in Woodworth with an RBI single in the fifth.

Jude Christ and Jagger Smith added hits for Le Roy. Haverling’s Gage Thomas pitched well in the loss, allowing just four hits.

Le Roy moves on to face No. 3 seed Wayland-Cohocton in Thursday’s semifinal.

Photos by Leslie Higgins.

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.”

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski

Oakfield-Alabama erupted for eight runs in the top of the eighth inning to break open a tie game and defeat Honeoye, 11-4, in an extra-inning thriller Monday night.

OA (now 13-8) tallied 11 hits and took advantage of three Honeoye errors, overcoming a 3-3 deadlock after seven innings. Ryan Schnaufer led the way with a double and a dramatic inside-the-park home run in the eighth, finishing 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs.

OA took a 3-0 lead into the third, but Honeoye (13-8) rallied to tie it in the fifth. Both teams’ pitchers worked out of jams through regulation before OA’s bats came alive in extras.

In the eighth, Jake Gehlert reached on an error to score Schnaufer, who led off with a double, for the go-ahead run. Avery Watterson reached on another error, and Jackson Gilbert delivered a two-run single, scoring Jack Cianfrini, who had singled earlier, and Watterson. Levi Kabel followed with a two-run single of his own, and Schnaufer capped the rally with his two-run, inside-the-park homer to right-center.

Watterson earned the win in relief, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing just one hit and one earned run while striking out one. He also reached base twice and scored three runs. Starter Travis Chaya went 4.1 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and striking out three.

For Honeoye, Owen Cuba pitched seven strong innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out eight. Kevin Schmitt took the loss in relief, charged with eight unearned runs in the eighth. Kevin Schmitt and Dylan Washburn each had two hits for the Bulldogs.

Stats:

• OA: 11 hits, 11 runs, 3 errors
• Schnaufer: 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB
• Kabel: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
• Tobolski: 1-3, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB
• Watterson: 1-4, 3 R, BB, 2 SB; 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 1 K (W)
• Chaya: 1-5, RBI; 4.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Oakfield-Alabama advances and will await its next opponent in sectional play.

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski

David Schnaufer delivered a masterclass on the mound and at the plate, leading OA to an emphatic 11-0 victory over Campbell-Savona on Saturday.

Schnaufer tossed a complete-game shutout, scattering just three hits over seven innings while striking out 10 and walking three. The right-hander was in command from the start, keeping Campbell-Savona hitters off balance and working out of the few jams he faced.

Offensively, OA broke the game open with a steady attack, scoring in four straight innings and erupting for five runs in the fifth. Jackson Gilbert led the charge with a 2-for-4 day, including a double and four RBIs. Schnaufer helped his own cause, reaching base three times and scoring twice.

Jack Cianfrini chipped in with two RBIs and two runs, while Avery Watterson drove in two and scored once. Jake Gehlert reached base three times, collecting a hit, two walks, and scoring a run. Travis Chaya added a hit and was hit by a pitch, and Hunter Tobolski crossed the plate twice despite not recording a hit.

Campbell-Savona was held to just three hits, with Jacob Wilson going 2-for-3 and Chance Miller adding a single. On the mound, Zachary Corell took the loss despite not allowing an earned run over four innings, as defensive miscues led to six unearned runs. Wilson pitched the final two innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits.

OA improves to 11-8 on the season, while Campbell-Savona falls to 6-11.

Photos by Jordyn Tobolski

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.

Submitted photos.

Batavia, the No. 10 seed, defeated No. 7 Geneva 18-0 in a Section V softball game Thursday night.

Senior pitcher Arianna Almekinder broke the Batavia High School single-season strikeout record, finishing the night with 167 strikeouts. The previous record was 162. Almekinder struck out 12, allowed only one hit, and issued no walks.

Batavia’s offense collected 13 hits. Gabby Smith went 3-for-4 with a triple and five RBI. Hannah Carney was 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Kyleigh Kabel finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Drew Stevens added a triple, and Libby Grazioplene contributed a double.

Geneva’s Grayson Harris had the lone hit for her team, a double.

Batavia improves to 9-11 and advances in the sectional tournament. Geneva finishes the season at 10-8.

Batavia defeated East Rochester 6-0 Thursday night in the Section V Class C girls flag football semifinal, advancing to the championship game after a second straight shutout.

The teams were scoreless at halftime as rain made passing conditions difficult. Senior wide receiver Alyssa Turner broke the deadlock in the second half, hauling in a 9-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jaimin Macdonald for the game’s only score. Macdonald finished 4-of-11 passing for 38 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. She also led Batavia on the ground with 76 yards on 14 carries. Junior running back Libby Grazioplene added 44 yards on six carries, and senior wide receiver Nicole Doeringer contributed 30 all-purpose yards—18 rushing and 12 receiving.

Batavia’s defense continued its dominant run, posting a second consecutive shutout and allowing just 12 points over the last six games. Senior defensive end Kylee Brennan led with 11 flag pulls, including three for a loss. Turner, playing linebacker, added seven flag pulls—one for a loss—and intercepted a pass in the second half. Doeringer recorded four flag pulls, three for a loss, and Macdonald chipped in with four flag pulls and three passes defended.

Batavia advances to face CG Finney in the Section V Class C final. The championship is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at Monroe Community College.

Le Roy advanced in the Class B sectionals with a commanding 19-3 win over Attica on Friday. 

Senior Luke Lathan set the tone on the mound, pitching five strong innings and allowing just two hits and one run to earn the victory. Freshman Jude Christ finished the job, tossing the final two innings and surrendering only two hits.

At the plate, the Knights’ offense was relentless. Alex Spezzano, Brady McClurg, and Jake Higgins each collected two hits, while Cam Wilson, Peter Clark, Jace Jedrewski, Jude Christ, and Jagger Smith all contributed with a hit apiece.

With the win, Le Roy moves on to face the winner of the Dansville-Haverling matchup on Tuesday.

Photos by Leslie Higgins

Batavia exploded for 10 runs in the second inning and never looked back, rolling to a 20-8 win over Aquinas in the Section V Class B baseball sectional playoffs Friday.

The Blue Devils sent 15 hitters to the plate in the second, drawing eight walks and collecting four hits to seize control early. Batavia finished with 13 hits on the day.

Bronx Buchholz earned the win, pitching five innings while allowing just one hit, no earned runs, and striking out six. Brady Mazur and Maggio Buchholz handled the final two innings in relief.

Lakoda Mruczek went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Brady Mazur was 2-for-2, scoring four runs and driving in one. Nolan Ball reached base all five times, walking four times and scoring four runs. Jameson Motyka was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Maggio Buchholz added two hits and three runs. Brock Bigsby tripled, scored three runs, and drove in two. Brady Carney and Champ Buchholz each had an RBI.

“We’ve played really well the last couple times out, and we're hitting our stride at the right time,” Batavia coach Michael Sputore said. 

Batavia plays Pittsford Mendon on Tuesday in Mendon. 

"They’re the number one seed so that says a lot about them, and our boys will be up for the challenge,” Sputore said.