Avenging a 13-0 drubbing on Saturday, Full Circuit Power defeated the Dynamites 16U Travel team 9-6 today in the semifinals of the Hot Corner Invitational at Grand Island.

Full Circuit Power took a quick first inning lead on a three-run homer which followed a pair of errors.

The Dynamites did rally back into a 4-4 tie but could never grab the lead.

The Dynamites answered back with two runs in the home half of the first on a double by Ryleigh Culver and a single by Tyler Kroening as a triple by Aiden Romesser set up the opportunity.

A sacrifice fly by Kroening and a double steal then pulled the Dynamites even at 4-4 in the third inning.

However, Full Circuit Power countered with two runs in the fourth on an error and a ground out and three more in the fifth aided by a two-run error, to regain the lead for good at 9-4.

The Dynamites did score twice in the fifth on a passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Kroening but could get no closer than the final margin of 9-6. Singles by Romesser and Culver and a walk loaded the bases to set up the threat.

Romesser had a total of 3 hits and Culver 2.

The Dynamites did turn two double plays one triggered by right fielder Nick Bucholtz  in the second inning and the other by pitcher Evan Poeller in the seventh inning.

Contributed Photo – Aidan Papaj pitching at the Triple Crown Summer Nationals in Myrtle Beach.

Coming off a big freshman season when he helped Medina High capture league and sectional titles and earn a berth in the state semifinals, Aidan Papaj has also enjoyed a banner summer season of major tournament competition as a shortstop and pitcher with the Ohio Elite Baseball team.

Because of Medina’s deep run into the postseason, Papaj was able to only play about half of the season with Ohio Elite. In fact the same day Medina lost in the semifinals at Binghamton he traveled to play with OEB in a tournament at the Lumberyard in Cortland.

Papaj’s season has been highlighted by his earning MVP honors at the Triple Crown Summer Nationals in Myrtle Beach, SC last weekend where he helped hit and pitch the Ohio Elite to the tournament championship.

Rebounding from an 0-1-1 start in pool play, Ohio Elite scored a pair of wins on day one of bracket play including a victory over the top seeded Carolina Hurricanes. However a split of the next two games dropped OEB into the losers bracket of the double elimination tournament.

Having to win three straight games on the final day to claim the title, OEB opened with a narrow 4-3 win over the Hurricanes as Papaj went 4 for 4 at the plate and pitched the final 5 innings allowing no earned runs with 2 hits and 11 strikeouts. He returned to his shortstop spot in the second game win and had 2 hits and 2 RBI’s as OEB advanced to the title game against Rake Baseball. In the title contest Papaj helped lock up OEB’s 1-0 win by pitching the final two innings registering 6 strikeouts.

For the tournament, Papaj hit .592 and also went 3 for 3 in pitching saves allowing only 2 hits and 1 earned run with 18 strikeouts in 8 innings of work.

This marked the third tournament championship in as many weekends for OEB with Papaj pitching the last innings.

The previous weekend (July 11- 14) OEB won the PBR Underclassman Tournament in Toledo, Ohio. Rebounding from an opening game loss, OEB won the next 5 games on the weekend to claim the title. Papaj hit .562 on the weekend and pitched 5 total innings while recording 8 strikeouts, 5 walks and allowing only 2 runs and earning two saves.

The weekend prior (July 4-6) was the Firecracker Tournament in Mentor, Ohio where OEB went 5-0 to claim the title. Papaj played shortstop and he hit .538 on the weekend. He pitched 6 total innings only giving up 2 hits, no runs, 10 strikeouts, no walks and was 2/2 for saves on the weekend.

For the season with OEB, Papaj hit .494 with 25 RBI’s and pitched 29.1 innings allowing 16 hits with 51 strikeouts posting a 4-1 record with 7 saves.

This past weekend was not the first time that Papaj has been named MVP of an east- coast tournament.

In 2023, he played in the All-Ripken games in Aberdeen, Maryland leading his team to the championship and winning the Home Run Derby. He was awarded MVP for the week and his performance got him an invite to the very first All-Ripken Future Games in Florida this coming December.

In 2022, he helped lead the North Tonawanda Americans to a championship at the Crab Week Tournament at the Ripken Experience in Aberdeen Maryland earning MVP honors.

This past spring Aidan also participated in a PBR event that got him an invitation to the New York State games. His performance there got him in an invitation to represent NYS at the Super Sophomore games at Wake Forest which occurs the first weekend of August.

Making it three lopsided wins in a row, the Dynamites 16U Travel team shutout Full Circuit Power 13-0 today to advance to the semifinals of the Hot Corner Invitational Tournament on Grand Island on Sunday.

An RBI single by Brody Fry plated what proved to be the game winner in the first inning for the Dynamites which quickly broke the game open with 7 runs in the second inning and 5 more in the third.

Fry and Ryleigh Culver both had two-run singles in the second. Gavin Heideman then had a two-run double and Culver an RBI double in the third.

Fry, Culver and Aiden Romesser each finished with a pair of hits.

The Dynamites had thumped the Depew Curve 22-0 and the PAC Journeymen 16-2 to open the tourney on Friday.

Buffalo Bombers 13, Medina Mustangs 2
Leading by a narrow 3-2 margin, the Buffalo Bombers outscored the Medina Mustangs 16U Travel team 10-0 over the last three innings today to claim a 13-2 win in the Crabapple Tournament at Cheektowaga.

Medina scored once in the first on a fielders choice play and once in the fourth on an error.

The Dynamites 16U Travel team scored a pair of lopsided victories today to open competition in the Hot Corner Invitational at Grand Island.

The Dynamites first blanked the Depew Curve 22-0 in a run rule contest scoring 7 runs in both the first and second innings and 8 more in the third.

Gavin Heideman had two-run singles in both the first and second innings and an RBI single in the third.

The Dynamites then scored in six innings to down the PAC Journeymen 16-2.

Ehren Pettapiece had 4 hits including a double; Evan Poeller and Aiden Romesser 3; and Ryleigh Culver, Brody Fry and Tyler Kroening 2 each as the Dynamites banged out a total of 17 hits. Culver had a two-run single in the sixth inning and a three-run homer in the sevrnth which also included an RBI triple by Kroening.

Improving to 21-4-2, the Dynamites will continue tourney competition on Saturday.

The Medina Mustangs 16U Travel team posted a narrow 8-6 win over the 716 Patriots today at the Crabapple Tournament at Cheektowaga.

Breaking away from a 6-6 deadlock, Medina regained the lead for good by scoring twice in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Lukas Grimes and an error.

The Patriots had tied the game at 6-6 by scoring 4 times in the top of the fifth.

Earlier the Mustangs scored twice in the second on a single by Nick Harling and twice in the fourth on a single by Kolton Fletcher.

A late rash of bogies proved costly in today’s second round as Medina’s Melanie Green has missed the cut at the Canadian Women’s Open by two shots.

With the projected cut line at +4, Green improved to +3 with a birdie on the 8th hole.

However, that was as close to making the cut as she would get as a rash of 4 bogies on holes 9, 11, 12 and 14 quickly ballooned her to +7 and out of contention.

Green posted a 2 over round of 74 today to finish with a two day total score of 150 (+6) after posting a 76 on Thursday.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kaylie Churchill brings the ball up field for Roy-Hart during Thursday’s home game against NCSA Concord.

Snapping a scoreless tie with a penalty kick goal midway through the first half, the NCSA Concord Spring went on to down host Roy-Hart 5-1 in a Buffalo and WNY Youth Soccer League girls U19 Division game Thursday evening.

Grace Trombley scored the lone Roy-Hart goal also on a penalty kick.

Concord improves to 6-1 and Roy-Hart slips to 3-4.

Cobras 4, Kendall/Orleans FC 3
In a key battle for first place, the Cobras nipped Kendall/Orleans FC 4-3 in Rochester District Youth Soccer League girls U17 contest.

The Cobras maintain sole possession of first place at 10-0-1 while Kendall/Orleans FC slips to 8-2-1.

Sophia Picardo scored 2 goals and Ciara Duggan 1 for Kendall/Orleans FC.

Roy-Hart’s Ali Ausman works to get the ball out of the defensive end.

Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Unable to overcome a rough start, Medina’s Melanie Green posted a 4 over par round of 76 today in the opening round of the 50th Canadian Women’s Open at Calgary, Alberta.

Green had 4 bogies over the first 8 holes but then settled down and had just one more bogey and one birdie over the last 10 holes.

She was 8 shots off the pace when she finished her round with a good portion of the field still out on the course.

The second round will be held on Friday after which the field will be cut for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.

The international competition is the fourth in a row for Green who over the past month has won the R&A British Women’s Amateur and helped Team USA win the Arnold Palmer Cup, both in Ireland, and then competed in the Evian Championship in France which is one of the 5 majors on the LPGA schedule.

In a down to the wire thriller, the North nipped the South 31-29 in the 48th Kensington Lions Club All Star football game Wednesday evening at Williamsville South High School.

Newfane’s Ben Dickinson kicked a 30 yard field goal with only three seconds remaining to rally the North to the win.

A 14 yard pass completion by Newfane quarterback Nate Snow down to the South 22 helpted to set up the field goal opportunity.

Snow also completed a touchdown pass in the first half to help give the North a 14-6 lead at the break.

Medina Head Coach Eric Valley served as head coach for the North squad.

Contributed Photo – Albion 7th/8th grade baseball team players celebrate capturing the GLOW League playoff championship.

The Albion 7th/8th grade baseball team competed in the GLOW baseball league this summer which consisted of teams from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. The team finished the season with an 8-1 record avenging their only loss in the championship game with an 11-10 win against Tri-Town.

The Purple Eagles won their semi-final game against Dansville at Williams Park by a score of 16-4.

Brayden LaMartina pitched 5 innings striking out 6 and only letting in 4 earned runs. Omer Fugate led the way with 3 RBI’s. Viktor Snyder, Jack Conn, Corbin Piccirilli, and Brayden LaMartina each had an RBI as well.

In the championship game, the Purple Eagles played Tri-Town at Genesee Community College and came out with an 11-10 victory in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Jack Conn and Stryker Sanders led the way on the mound, each striking out 3 batters. Viktor Snyder, Rocco Sidari, Jack Conn, Josh Wright, and Brayden LaMartina all had multiple hits in the game. Sidari and Wright each notched 2 RBI’s, while Snyder, Sanders, and LaMartina each had 1 RBI.

The Purple Eagles finished their GLOW season with 110 runs scored for them, while only giving up 41. Including the modified baseball season, the team recorded a 13-1-1 record.