Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina pitcher Brody Fry makes the tag for an out at home plate during Saturday’s season opening doubleheader victory over the Niagara Surge at Barre Town Park.

The Medina Mustangs 13U team opened the WNY Boys of Summer Fall League baseball season on a high note by sweeping a doubleheader from the Niagara Surge by narrow margins of 10-9 and 17-15 Saturday at Barre Town Park.

Medina won the opener in the bottom of the seventh inning as Jimmy Dieter drew a bases loaded walk to earn the 10-9 victory.

A three-run triple and a single by Tyler Kroening highlighted Medina’s efforts at the plate which also included two singles and a run scored by Brody Fry and two singles, an RBI and a run scored by Colton Smith.

Aidan Papaj, Riley Culver and Brady Christaansen each also had a single and a run scored while Dieter had two key walks and two runs scored and Lukas Grimes and Vinny Gray each scored a run.

On the mound, Fry went the first four innings striking out 5 and Grimes hurled the last three frames fanning 3.

In the high scoring second game Gray went 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored, Kroening had a triple, single, 1 RBI and 3 runs scored and Fry 3 singles, a double, 2 RBI, 3 stolen bases and 3 runs scored.

Ryleigh Culver also had 3 singles, an RBI and a run scored, Carter Woodworth a single, an RBI and 2 runs scored, Christaansen a double and an RBI, Smith a single, Papaj and Grimes a single and a run scored and Dieter a single and 2 runs scored.

Culver, Woodworth, Gray, Grimes and Papaj all shared in the pitching duties.

Medina next plays a doubleheader at Orchard Park next Saturday against the WNY Prospects at 2:30 and 5 p.m. Then next Sunday Medina will host the Academy Stars at Barre Town Park at 4 p.m.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Aleks Seefeldt turns a double play for Medina during this afternoon’s playoff title win over Rotary at the Midget League Field.

One lone late inning run proved to be just enough as Medina edged past Rotary 1-0 in the Orleans County Short Season Baseball League’s 12U Division playoff championship game this afternoon at the Midget League Field.

Limited to just one hit over the first four innings, Medina plated the game winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two out RBI single by Thomas Miesch. A leadoff single by Aleks Seefeldt ignited the rally. Miesch also had Medina’s lone hit through the first four frames with a second inning double.

A pair of Medina pitchers combined for the shutout. Ryan Pegelow hurled the first four innings allowing one hit with 9 strikeouts and Carlos Doval went the final two frames allowing no hits with 3 strikeouts.

A fifth inning double play from Hadrian Batista to Seefeldt to Lathan McEwen-Miller highlighted the Medina defensive effort.

Bryer Dysard went the distance on the mound for Rotary striking out 12.

Both teams needed rallies in the bottom of the sixth inning in the semifinals to reach the title contest.

Rotary rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally past Elba 7-6.  Will Plummer had a two-run single to tie the game and Leah Pawlack followed up with an RBI single to drive in the game winner.

Medina scored once in the bottom of the sixth inning on an RBI single by Joe Reese to snap a 4-4 deadlock and nip Carlton 5-4.

Drew Boyce had a home run to highlight a three-run third inning for Carlton. Medina tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the fourth frame as Pegelow tripled and came home on a sacrifice fly by Hadrian Batista.

Click here to see the final out and celebration by Medina.

Medina will field a 13U team in the Western New York Boys of Summer Fall League which will run from this Saturday until October 25.

Medina will open the season with a doubleheader Saturday at the Barre Town Park with games at 12:30 and 3 p.m.

“We will be playing 10 games most of which will be at Barre Town Park.  Our 12u team will be moving up to 13U rules for fall in preparation for next spring tournament and league season,” said John Dieter who is coaching the team along with Mike Gray, Shaun Smith and Adam Papaj.

“We go from 70/50 to 90/60 fields and feel it is good experience for the boys to get a taste of what next year will bring,” added Dieter.  “With no organized football this fall many of our players were looking to continue playing to keep active.  Most of our players are returning with the addition of a few new players added after we held tryouts a few weeks back.”

The Medina team roster includes Tyler Kroening, Brody Fry, Carter Woodworth,  Preston Woodworth, Jimmy Dieter, Vinny Gray, Colton Smith, Bady Christaansen, Lukas Grimes, Luke Duffina, Aidan Papaj, Ryleigh Culver and  Ryan Pegelow.

The inaugural Orleans County Short Season Baseball League 12U Division campaign will conclude on Saturday with playoff action at the Albion Midget League Field.

The semifinals will have No. 2 Rotary vs. No. 3 Elba at 10 a.m. and No. 1 Medina vs. No.4 Carlton at 1 p.m.

Ironically, those contests will be a repeat of the regular season ending match ups which saw Elba down Rotary and Medina top Carlton.

The playoff championship game will be held at 4 p.m.

Medina captured the regular season title with a 9-1 record followed by Rotary at 7-3, Elba 5-5 and Carlton, Sandstone and St. Mary’s/Barre all at 3-7.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – In action during Wednesday evening’s County 10U Division regular season finale at Butts Park Maddox Smith takes a healthy cut at the ball for Sandstone and Anthony Reese delivers a pitch for the Medina Blue team.

Avenging an earlier season loss, the Medina Blue team locked up the top seed for the upcoming playoffs by downing Sandstone 13-2 at Butts Park Wednesday evening to close out the Orleans County Short Season Baseball League’s 10U Division regular season.

Sandstone bested Medina Blue 16-7 in that earlier meeting.

The playoffs will now be held on Saturday at Sandstone Park.  The semifinals will have No. 2 Sandstone vs. No. 3 Medina Red at 10 a.m. and No.1 Medina Blue vs. No. 4 St Mary’s/Rotary at 1 p.m.

The championship game will be held at 4 p.m. at Sandstone Park.

Contributed Photo – Among the champions crowned at the Medina Mens Bowling Association’s inaugural tournament in 1955 was the St. Mary’s squad which captured the handicapped team event. From left are John Thaine, Sam Ranallo, Ed Richardson, Walter Tuohey and Leo Koneski.

Now that the Covid-19 restrictions have been eased enough to allow bowling competition to resume it is interesting to look back at the inaugural Medina Men’s Bowling Association Tournament in 1955.

The team events were held at Ranallo’s, which was then located on East Center Street. The singles and doubles events were held at Tate’s Lanes on North Main Street which burned in 1962 and is now the site of the Five Star Bank.

Izzy Bloom, who later became proprietor of Maple Ridge Lanes (now Medina Lanes) captured top honors in the singles division winning the scratch tittle with a 626 series and the handicap crown with a 674 total.

Babe Stornelli and Homer Ward teamed up to win the scratch doubles title with a 1157 total. The handicap doubles title went to the duo of Herb Kendall and Ed Cavers with a 1263 total.

Chet Potrubacz won the scratch All-Events title with a 1714 while Bob Breitsman took the handicap title with a 1911 total.

St. Mary’s claimed the handicap team title as the quintet of John Thaine, Sam Ranallo, Ed Richardson, Walter Tuohey and Leo Koneski combined for a 3081 total score.

The Al’s Gulf team of Breitsman, Milford Boyle, Jerry Morris, Ed Grinnell and Jim Moriarty captured the scratch team title with a 2719 total.

Association Secretary Keith Armstrong served as the tournament manager assisted by the tournament committee of Chairman Bob Hoffman, Tom Maryjanowski and Joe Natale.

Hickory Ridge recently crowned its two club champions – Deb Wood and Rich Wheeler.

Wood shot a 75 to be named Women’s Club Champion.  Dona Hazen had a 92 to win Women’s A Flight.

Wheeler  is Men’s Club Champion after shooting a 77.  Duane Engle won Men’s A Flight with an 87, Werner Stumpf shot an 85 to win Men’s B Flight and Dave Polisoto took Men’s C Flight with a 100.

The leagues are winding down.

A playoff was necessary to determine the Thursday Night Men’s League winner.  Dave Fisher and Tom Henneckey defeated Dean Dibley and Barry Flansberg in a nine hole shootout to grab the title.Evan Nenni and Scott Budde won the annual year end ‘Memorial’ two man scramble.

The Tuesday Night Ladies Night Out League is still playing.  Deb Wood shot a 38 to take low gross.  Deb Berkins and Deb Passarell shared low net with 30 each.  Sue gray and Vicki Brawn had the only birdies on the night.

There is a tie at the top of the leader board as the teams of Brenda Powers and Marcia Zambito are tied with Diane Hennekey and Judy Schuth with 85 points each.  Deb Birkins and Parry Pfister and next with 79.5 points.

With the scheduled start of fall high school sports practice  now less than two weeks away on September 21, the Section VI Executive Council is facing for a busy week of discussions not only with the sectional sports chairmen but also with member school districts throughout the section.

In a statement released today, Section VI Executive Committee President Brett Banker notes that the Executive Committee has reviewed the fall sports guidelines issued by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) last Friday. He added that the committee will now be in contact with with both member schools and sectional sports chair people to answer questions about and interpret those guidelines.

In his statement Banker said  “the Executive Committee has reviewed the document. We will be reaching out to our sports chair people to answer any questions that they have. We will open lines of communication further by surveying our membership. interpreting the results and determining where we are as a Section. We hope to have a clear direction this week.

He went on to state “it is our important responsibility as an Executive Committee to review the guidelines from numerous sources and prepare a plan for the school districts in our Section to utilize if they so desire.”

Importantly he stressed that “having said that, we know that local districts have the ultimate responsibility and this is a school-by-school decision.”

Banker concluded by stating “we recognize how difficult these decisions are and there are varying opinions and strong feelings. Interscholastic athletics means so much to everyone involved. At the center of our focus is our student athletes. All of us want our students back playing and competing safely. The attributes derived from competing are obvious to all of us.”