Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Hayden Woodroe makes a catch in right field during the Mustangs come-from-behind win over Livonia at Vets Park this afternoon.

Coming from behind in the late innings, Medina bested visiting Livonia 7-2 in a season opening non league game this afternoon at Vets Park.

Trailing 2-1, Medina rallied into the lead for good by scoring three times with two out in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-run single by winning pitcher Aidan Paul and an error. A walk and a double by Xander Payne set up the rally.

The Mustangs then tacked on three big insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning without the benefit of a hit on four walks and a pair of wild pitches.

Medina’ first run of the day came on a fielders choice play off the bat of Brody Fry in the second inning.

Paul and Joe Cecchini each had two hits on the day for the Mustangs.

On the mound, Paul scattered 3 hits and struck out 7 over the last three and one-third innings. Zach Fike pitched the first three and two-third innings allowing 4 hits and striking out 5.

Livonia took the early 2-1 lead by scoring solo runs in the second and third innings.

Medina next hosts Batavia in another non league game on Monday at 7 p.m.

Barker 12, Pembroke 0
Aidan Voss and Andy Hill combined to hurl a two hitter for Barker as the Raiders blanked visiting Pembroke 12-0 in a five inning non league contest.

Voss struck out 7 and allowed 1 hit over the first three innings and Hill fanned 3 and gave up 1 hit over the final two frames.

Leading 3-0, Barker broke the game open with big 7 run fourth inning highlighted by a two-run single by Hill who had two hits and 3 RBI on the day.

The Raiders are next scheduled to host Alexander in a non league game on Friday (4:30 p.m.).

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Barker’s Jaret Black and his Raider teammates are scheduled to open the Niagara-Orleans League season against Albion on Monday.

Weather permitting, Barker faces a very busy season opening baseball schedule of six games over the next nine days.

Barker is scheduled to host Pembroke today (5 p.m.), Alexander on Friday (4:30 p.m.) and visit Elba on Saturday (11 a.m.) in non league tune-up games before opening the Niagara-Orleans League season at home on Monday against Albion (4:45 p.m.). After that the Raiders have a home and home series against Wilson slated for April 6 and 8.

Anchoring the Raiders lineup is the veteran group of seniors Jaret Black (outfield), Andrew Hill (third base/pitcher), Zach Hill (outfield) and Drew Sandolfini (pitcher/infield) along with juniors Lucas Flegal (infield/pitcher) and Aidan Voss (shortstop/second base/pitcher/catcher). Black was a second team All-League honoree last spring and Voss earned Honorable Mention.

The roster for Coach Rob Mucha’s Raiders also includes freshmen Noah Sandolfini (catcher/shortstop/pitcher) and Issac Monaco (second base/pitcher), sophomore Charlie LaGreco (outfield), junior Joey Mahar (outfield) and senior Larry Toni (outfield).

Barker’s graduation losses included Shane Gerhardt (first base/pitcher), Logan Harris (shortstop), Cole Ecker (outfield), Cole Cain (third base/pitcher) and Nathaniel Heideman (catcher/pitcher).

“It is a very small squad but we’ve got some good guys back and some promising young players” said Mucha.

Over a dozen Orleans County winter sports season squads have earned New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar/Athlete Team Awards by compiling a composite average of at least 90.

The honored teams, listed by school, are as follows:

Albion – Girls Basketball, Boys Swimming and Girls Swimming

Medina – Girls Basketball, Boys Swimming, Girls Swimming and Competitive Cheerleading

Holley – Girls Basketball and Competitive Cheerleading

Kendall – Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball and Competitive Cheerleading

Lyndonville – Girls Basketball

In addition, Barker and Roy-Hart both had a trio of teams honored. Barker had Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball and Girls Swimming and Roy-Hart Girls Basketball, Boys Swimming and Girls Swimming.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s veteran quintet includes Kenzi Hapeman, Leah Pritchard, Aly Knaak, Maya Knaak and Olivia Bieber.

Five returning starters anchor the lineup for Albion which is looking to improve upon last season’s 4-7 Niagara-Orleans League softball record.

The Purple Eagles veteran quintet includes seniors Leah Pritchard (pitcher), Kenzi Hapeman (first base), Aly Knaak (third base), Olivia Bieber (outfield) and junior Maya Knaak (infield/outfield).

Hapeman earned second team N-O All-League honors last year while Pritchard and Aly Knaak were both Honorable Mention selections.

Two freshman, Cami London (catcher) and Mackenzie Snook (infield/outfield), also saw some varsity action late last season.

The Purple Eagles roster also includes juniors Emma Foote and Ava Jurs along with sophomores Alison Gibson, Madison Hughson, Janessa Lindsey and Abigail Wittenberg.

“They are working hard,” said Coach Sara Koppenhauer. “We are looking to get better and compete.”

Albion’s graduation losses included Emani Poole (catcher), Bryne Dysard (first base) and Ryan Olles (shortstop). Dysard was a first team N-O All-League honoree and Poole was an Honorable Mention selection.

The Purple Eagles are scheduled to open the N-O season at home against Barker on April 4.

Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Medina High graduate and University of South Florida sophomore Melanie Green placed fourth at the Chattanooga Classic Golf Tournament which concluded today at the Council Fire Country Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Green carded a three day total of two under par 214 to earn a one-third share of fourth place. She had rounds of 72, 68 and 74.

One of only seven players to finish under par, it was her fourth top five finish this season.

She helped lead South Florida to a sixth place finish out of 20 teams.

Green also recently earned American Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week honors after earning her first collegiate tournament victory at the Trinity Forest Invitational.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s veteran quartet includes Jack Whipple, Roman Heinsler, Maddox Stirk and Trenton Muck.

Having lost eight players to graduation, Lyndonville faces a bit of a rebuilding job heading into the up coming Genesee Region League baseball season.

Lyndonville, which went 11-3 in the league and 11-4 overall last spring, is anchored by a quartet of returning veterans including seniors Jack Whipple (outfield/catcher), Roman Heinsler (pitcher/infield), Maddox Stirk (first base/outfield) and junior Trenton Muck (outfield/pitcher).

The Tigers are looking for juniors Owen Mank (infield), Christian Garver (infield), Alex Farrell (outfield), Payton Grabowski (outfield/catcher) and senior Michael Marker (infield/pitcher) to help fill the holes caused by the graduation losses.

“We’ve got some holes to fill but we’re looking to be competitive,” said Coach Shane Price. “The big thing is we’re looking forward to getting back to a full season after last year’s was really shortened.”

Lyndonville’s graduation losses included Nathan Dillenbeck (shortstop/pitcher), Rolland Balcerzak (catcher/pitcher), Casey Winiecki (outfield/pitcher), Alex Barry (infield/pitcher), Anthony Moule (first base), Jacob Corser (infield/outfield), Dylan Burt-Hodgins (outfield/pitcher) and Hayden Woodward (outfield).

The Tigers are scheduled to host Wilson on April 4 in a non league contest before entertaining Oakfield-Alabama in the G-R opener on April 7.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Medina softball team include, from left, Miriam Fike, Faith Oberther and Rylee VanNostrand. Missing from the photo are Lily Carpenter and Gianna Greco.

Anchored by a small veteran nucleus Medina is prepping for the Niagara-Orleans League softball opener against rival Albion on April 5.

Senior pitcher Faith Oberther, junior third baseman Rylee VanNostrand and sophomore shortstop/pitcher Miriam Fike head that veteran group which also includes senior outfielders Lily Carpenter and Gianna Greco.

Fike earned first team N-O All-League honors last spring and Oberther received Honorable Mention.

The Mustangs graduation losses include second team N-O All-League honoree Hannah Kenward along with Honorable Mention selections Brionna Raiser-Russell and Paige Adkins.

“We’ve got quite a mix with seven players coming up from the JVs but I think we’ll have a good team,” said Connie Heschke who takes over the varsity helm after guiding the JV team last spring.

Medina is scheduled to tune up for the N-O opener by hosting Batavia in a non league contest at 7 p.m. Friday.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Sara Mattle

Boasting a large veteran contingent, Kendall is taking aim at improving upon last spring’s 6-8 Genesee Region League softball record.

Senior pitcher Sara Mattle heads Kendall’s veteran group which also includes seniors Julie Coble (outfield/catcher), Grace Levett (second base), Grace Robinson (shortstop), Libby Snyder (first base/outfield), Shelby Kruger (third base/outfield), Hannah Richardson (outfield) and Marah Woodward (outfield) along with juniors Lauren Pilon (first base) and Taigan Guerrero (outfield).

Another junior, Emma Quintern, also looks to help out in the outfield and eighth grader Brooke Rodas looks to see time at catcher.

Mattle, Coble and Pilon all earned G-R All-Star honors last season while Kruger received Honorable Mention.

“We’ve got a lot of experience back so we should by pretty solid overall,” said Coach Jeff Parizek.

Kendall is scheduled to open the G-R season at home on April 7 against Pembroke.

Numbers are low for Lady Hawks
Seniors Sara Kingdollar (pitcher), AJ Botello (shortstop), Hailey Herring (third base), Tatum Gagne (outfield), Grace McKeon (second base) and junior Tia Hoffarth (pitcher) provide the veteran experience for Holley whose squad numbers only nine players.

The Lady Hawks are slated to open the G-R season on April 7 at Oakfield-Alabama.

Last spring, for the second time in the last half dozen years low numbers caused Kendall players to join up with Holley’s varsity baseball team.

Now, with good numbers up from the JV level, Kendall will be fielding its own varsity diamond squad this season.

“It feels kind of like a rebirth,” said Kendall Coach Tige Noni.

Seniors Braxton Zarpentine (outfield) and Jorden Ostrander (third base/outfield) along with an underclassmen dominated pitching staff including junior Zach Barrett (pitcher/shortstop), and sophomores Reuben Marquess (pitcher/third base) and James Fox (pitcher/first base/outfield) head the Eagles lineup. The squad also includes seniors Seth Bidwell, Jakob Bilohlavek, Layne Pearson, Owen Shaw and Dutch Steffen along with sophomores Louie Conte (second base/shortstop), James Swift (catcher) and Dustin Werth.

“It’s a real young team,” said Noni whose Eagles are scheduled to open the Genesee Region League season at Pembroke on April 7.

Veteran quartet leads Holley
The senior foursome of Miles Lammes (pitcher/infield/catcher), Nick Mandigo (outfield), Broek Ostrom (pitcher/infield) and Kalen Brady (outfield) anchors the lineup for Holley which also looks for infield help from senior Erik Lang.

“We have higher expectations this season,” said Coach John Warne whose Hawks will open the G-R campaign on April 9 at Pembroke.