The Medina U12 Soccer Club increased their record to 3-1-1 with a 2-0 win over the Pembroke Dragons Monday.

Medina was unable to capitalize on several goal attempts in the first half. Strong shots were launched by Aiden Owczarczak and Roman Heinsler. Samuel Kingsbury registered the first half shut out in goal for Medina.

In second half action, Kingsbury found the back of the net on a corner kick from Jack Whipple. Wyatt Zelazny followed with an assist by Jackson Moreland.

Zack Fike was masterful in goal securing the shut out on the heels of strong defensive play by Xander Payne, Cole Seefeldt, Heinsler and Whipple.

Lockport Midget A League action

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Justin Heschke slides safely into third as Lockport 1 third baseman Tyler Mayers goes high to grab the throw, The action took place during Lyndonville’s season opening home field win this evening.

Jumping out to a quick first inning lead, Lyndonville went on to defeat visiting Lockport 1 12-1 this evening to open the Lockport Midget ‘A’ League season.

A two-run triple by Justin Heschke and an RBI triple by Jacob Hoffee highlighted the 4 run first inning uprising which also included RBI singles by Mike Wells and AJ Buckland.

Lyndonville quickly made it 7-0 by tacking on 3 runs in the second inning on a triple by Evan Pappalardo, doubles by Wells and Matt Riemer and a single by Buckland.

AJ Buckland bangs out one of his three hits.

Later in the game, Corey Hydock and Zach Johnson both had RBI singles in the fifth frame while Hoffee, Riemer and Buckland all banged out doubles during a 2 run sixth.

Hoffee, Buckland and Hoffee each finished with 3 hits and Pappalardo, and Wells 2 as Lyndonville had a total of 17 base raps on the evening.

Wells went the distance on the mound allowing only 3 hits and striking out 8.

Lyndonville next visits Lockport 2 on Saturday.

Clarence edged past the Medina U14 Fillies 7-5 Monday in a Metro Girls Softball League game.

Brandi Guild, Lacey Kenward, Cora Payne, and Brooklyn Brown all had singles for the Fillies in the second inning scoring 3 runs.

Clarence fired right back scoring 4 in the bottom half of the inning and another in the third.

Medina narrowed the gap in the fourth when Guild led off the inning with a double and scored from second on a single by Kenward.

Clarence added 2 more in the fifth.

Payne had a double and scored in the top of the seventh.

Guild and Payne both finished the game with a single and double as Kenward had 2 singles and Brown had a single.

In the circle, Payne had 7 k’s and 5 put outs.

Medina will play home at Vets park Saturday night against Cambria.

Banes Machine Shop/Banes Plumbing scored a doubleheader victory Monday downing Just Us 20-4 and Jr. Wilson 5-3 to improve to 7-0 in Medina Women’s Softball ‘A’ League action.

A big 12 run second inning keyed Banes to the win over Just Us.

Jen Masse had a home run, double and single, Kathy Allen 2 doubles and 2 singles and Amy Allis a triple and 3 singles to spearhead the offense.

Trailing 3-0, Banes rallied for 5 runs in the seventh inning to edge past Jr. Wilson.

Triples by Allen and Jamie Chatt and a double by Danielle Erway helped to plate the first three runs. RBI singles by Allis and Sarah Surdel then capped off the rally by plating the winning and insurance runs.

Allen and Chatt both had a triple and single in the contest and Sue Seefeldt 2 hits.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Vets’ catcher Brandon Nashburn tags out St. Mary’s runner Jonny Judd at home. The action took place during this past week’s Albion Midget League game which saw St. Mary’s rally to nip Vets.

Close, low scoring games were the order of the day in the Albion Midget League this past week as St. Mary’s Barre, Carlton and Vets all scored wins.

St. Mary’s used a big last inning rally to nip Vets 7-6, Barre trimmed Sandstone 5-2 and Carlton edged past Rotary 3-2. Vets also trimmed St. Mary’s 14-13 in the completion of a game suspended earlier in the season by darkness.

St. Mary’s rallied in the bottom of the sixth to beat the Vets, 7-6, on Thursday. Jayce Ashton drove in two runs with a single to put St. Mary’s ahead after the team had trailed the entire game.

Ashton was the winning pitcher with three hits and 4 RBIs for St. Mary’s, which also got a two-run home run, a triple and two singles from Zac Olles.

Bobby Dysard hit a home run for the Vets. Kyle Woolston hit two singles and pitched a good game for the Vets, striking out eight batters. Al’Timere Brown also had 2 hits and Brandon Nashburn drove in 3 runs.

The two teams also completed a delayed game from May 24. That game was stopped after five innings due to darkness with the Vets ahead 11-10. St. Mary’s scored three more runs on Thursday, but the Vets came back with three more of their own to win 14-13.

Adrian Kingdollar had a triple and single for the Vets and held on to win the game on the mound.

Christian Swiercznski had a grand slam for St. Mary’s. Reuben Rivers had three hits, including a double.

St. Mary’s is 3-6, Vets 2-7.

Barre 5, Sandstone 2

Zandyr Meakin had 4 hits, including a home run, for Barre as Jacob Foote added a key two-run single in the third inning for a 3-0 lead.

Tyler Gibson and Meakin each pitched 3 innings. Meakin registered 9 strikeouts.

Caleb Fox and Chris Sacco both had 2 hits for Sandstone. Sacco’s hits included a two-run double.

Carlton 3, Rotary 2

Damion Lattimer had 15 strikeouts on the mound and also drove in a pair of runs for Carlton as Nate Olmstead added the other RBI.

Contributed Photo – Niagara Nationals players and coaches after capturing the Showdown Tourney title.

The Niagara Nationals won the Upstate Showdown tournament over the weekend by defeating New Era 4-1 in the finals.

The Nationals had a difficult path to the championship. In the quarterfinals, the Nationals beat the Lou Gehrig Iron Horse Red Team 5-0 and in the semi-finals they defeated the Great Lakes Gators 6-0.

The Nationals opened up the tournament by beating Lake Shore 11-1 in five innings. Chris Goyette pitches 4 2/3 innings while Mav O’Neill came on in relief to pitch the final 1 1/3 innings. The two combined on a 3-hitter. Goyette struck out 3 while O’Neill fanned one. Offensively the Nationals were led by Brian Fry, Liam Ward and Aiden Johnston. The three combined were 6-9 at the plate with a double each.

The Nationals defeated the Great Lakes Gators 4-3 in game two. Joe Dell’Oso pitched a complete game 4-hitter striking out 2 and not allowing an earned run. Hunter Briggs, Nate Sherman, Trevor Luthart, Johnston, Mitchell Holtz all chipped in with hits.

The Nationals opened up Championship Sunday by defeating LG 5-0. Luthart and Goyette combined to shut-out the Iron Horsemen. Luthart pitched 6 strong innings striking out 5 while Goyette pitched the final frame retiring all 3 batters he faced.

In the semi-final game, the Nationals beat the Great Lakes Gators 6-0. O’Neill threw a complete game 2-hit shutout. He struck out 5. Johnston and Goyette let the offense. Johnston was 3-3 with 2 triples while Goyette was 2-3.

In the championship game, the Nationals defeated New Era 4-1. Johnston threw a complete game scattering 5 hits and striking out 3. Johnston was 2-3 at the plate and Dell’Oso chipped in with a double.

In five games played, the Nationals only surrendered 5 runs with 2 of them being earned. Defensively, the Nationals flashed the leather turning 6 double plays in total throughout the tournament.

The Nationals open up the Darien Lake Tournament on Friday.

Photo by Mike Wertman – Champion Medina’s first team All-League tennis honorees are Tristan Sanders, left and Kristian Snyder.

The top four finishing teams have each placed at least two players on the first team of the annual Niagara-Orleans All-League tennis squad.

Medina, which captured the N-O championship for the fourth time in the last five years with an 11-1 record, is represented by junior Kristian Snyder and senior Tristan Sanders. Snyder, who manned the first singles position for the Mustangs, is a three-time first team honoree. Sanders played second singles.

Albion, which finished in the runner-up spot at 10-2, is represented by the senior singles trio of Daniel Beam, Josh Metzler and Dylan Bader.

Contributed Photo – Albion’s All-League honorees include Daniel Beam, Dylan Bader and Josh Metzler.

Akron, which finished in third place at 9-3 has placed senior Ryan Meek and freshman Nate Chubb.

Rounding out the first team are junior Joey Hecko and sophomore Kyle Lyon from Wilson which finished in fourth place at 6-6.

Medina also placed two players on the second team, Michael Cardone and Kyla Leno, both juniors.

Albion is also represented by two players, junior Emilie Barleben and freshman Matt Kovaleski.

Newfane leads the second team with three selections including senior Cameron Seib and juniors Jacob Koithan and Jeremy Ribbeck.

Rounding out the second team are Barker junior Nick Fazzolari and Roy-Hart sophomore Patrick Sheelar.

Contributed photos – Akron’s first team honorees are Ryan Meek and Nate Chubb.

The Honorable Mention honorees include: junior Nick Bogan and freshman Ray Paull from Medina; senior Matt Flanagan and sophomore Victory Benjovsky from Albion; juniors Elliot Spitzer and Angelina Ciarfella from Roy-Hart; seniors Gabe Curcione and Kallie Olear from Wilson; sophomore Andrew Jenks from Barker, senior Terrell Atkins from Newfane and sophomore Brandon Meek from Akron.

Contributed Photos – Wilson’s first team selections are Joey Hecko, left, and Kyle Lyon.

Jumping out to an early lead, the Lancaster Heat defeated the Medina U12 Fillies 20-15 Sunday in a Girls Metro Softball League game at Butts Park.

Lancaster opened with 4 runs and increased their lead to 9 at the top of the second.

Medina answered back with 5 in the bottom of the second with an RBI double by Gracie Hughes, singles by Chloe Stinson, Faithann Vanderwalker, Paige Adkins, and a two-run triple by Ryan Olles.

The Fillies went into the bottom of the third losing 6-16.  Medina held Lancaster in the top of the fourth and came back and scored  8 runs in the bottom of the fourth with hits by Ryan Olles, Bonnie DiCureia, Vanderwalker, and Faith Oberther.

The Heat scored 4 in the fifth on a number of errors.  Medina answered back with one on a stolen base by Faithann Vanderwalker but could get no closer.

Hughes had 2 doubles, Olles a triple and single, Vanderwalker 2 singles and DiCureia, Stinson, Paige Adkins and Carina Kingsbury 1 single each for the Fillies which next visit Lou Gehrig at Willliamsville North on Tuesday.

Contributed Photo – Some of the NOFA Player Safety Coaches who took part in Saturday’s USA Football annual training included, in front from left, Brian Mruczek Batavia, Chris Wolcott Tri Town and Phil Munger Oakfield Elba.  In back,  DJ Moore Albion, Geno Allport NOFA and Brian Payne Medina.

A dozen local Niagara Orleans Football Association (NOFA) player safety coaches took part in the annual USA Football training program on Saturday at the AdPro Field House, home of the Buffalo Bills.

USA Football Master Trainers Ken Stoldt and Rob Currin trained close to 100 coaches from all over WNY, Rochester and Northern PA including the 12 NOFA Player Safety Coaches.

Each organization has their own PSC to bring back to all their coaches and parents the Heads Up Tackling and Blocking technics.   As well as information on Concussions, Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Heat Preparedness/Hydration.

Special guest speaker Ed Reed, new Assistant DB coach.

“The Buffalo Bills and USA Football are going above and beyond on getting the training and information to coaches, parents and players,” said Geno Allport, NOFA player safety director.

NOFA requires that every coach before approved to be on the field is USA Football certified.  The upcoming season will start practice on July 25th. Contact your league to sign up Allport at 585-705-0354.

Photo by Mike Wertman – Lyndonville’s Genesee Region League All-Stars include, from left, Dawson Joy, Eric Neace, Jacob Hoffee and Michael Wells.

Division 2 champion Lyndonville has placed four players on the Genesee Region League All-Star baseball team.

The Tigers quartet includes pitcher/shortstop Jacob Hoffee, pitcher/third baseman Michael Wells, first baseman Eric Neace and designated hitter/outfielder Dawson Joy, all juniors.

Wells hit .508 and had 43 RBIs. On the mound he went 6-0 with 37 strikeouts and a 1.20 earned run average.

Hoffee hit .417 with 13 extra base hits, 16 RBIs and 29 runs scored. On the mound, he went 3-2 with a 1.41 earned run average.

Neace hit .525 with 9 extra base hits and 23 RBIs.

Joy hit .422 with 9 extra base hits and 20 RBIs.