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Blue Jays score narrow win to gain semifinals
Pushing across a run in the final inning, the Somerset Blue Jays nipped the Medina Indians 6-5 Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Minor Division baseball playoffs.
Breaking away from a 5-5 deadlock, the Jays scored the game winner in the top of the sixth inning as Grayson Prynn singled and came home on a double by Drew LaGreca.
Prynn had 3 hits on the day including a double as LaGreca, Gayvon Heigle and Rory Harvey each had 2.
The Indans had tied the contest at 5-5 in the third inning on an error.
Earlier, the Jays jumped out to leads of 3-0 and 5-4.
The Jays scored 3 quick runs in the first inning as Heigle, Prynn, LaGreca and Harvey all singled.
The Indians answered with 4 in the home half of the first but the Jays moved back on top at 5-4 with 2 in the third as Prynn doubled and Heigle, Kian Lawson and Harvey singled.
The Blue Jays will next face the Medina Orioles in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Monday at Somerset. The Orioles edged the Somerset Yankees 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The other quarterfinals saw the Roy-Hart Yankees down the Medina A’s 3-1 and the Lyndonville Twins top the Medina Pirates 7-4.
Medina Yankees score semifinal playoff win
The Woodroe Realty Medina Yankees blanked the Somerset Reds 8-0 Friday in the semifinals of the Major Division baseball playoffs.
On the mound, Brody Fry walked the first batter then pitched 9 straight strike outs through 3 innings, Tyler Kroening pitched the final 3 innings pitching 7 strikeouts preserving the shut out.
At the plate, Jimmy Dieter led the scoring with 3 runs and stealing several bases, Cole Callard had a hit and 2 RBI’s and scored a run, Kroening 2 hits and scored twice, Fry a double a single and 2 RBI’s, Kolton Fletcher a hit and scored twice, and Joseph Reese a triple.
Medina grad leads SUNY Brockport women’s lacrosse team to a record setting season
Contributed Photos – Medina High graduate Steven Wagner led the SUNY Brockport women’s lacrosse team to a league title this spring and earned Coach of the Year honors. He is shown at right during his scholastic days at Medina.
Medina High graduate and SUNY Brockport women’s lacrosse coach Steven Wagner led the Golden Eagles to their first SUNY Athletic Conference championship this spring and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The Golden Eagles finished the season with a school record setting mark of 16-5.
Wagner, who was in his eighth season at the Golden Eagles helm, earned SUNYAC Coach of the Year honors. Previously, he had served as the head coach at Gannon and as an assistant at St. Bonaventure and the University of Connecticut.
Wagner, a 1997 Medina graduate, led the Mustangs in scoring his senior year with 15 goals and earned first team West Division All-Star honors.
Sandstone Park names field in honor of Steve Coville
Photos courtesy of Gloria Lear: The family of the late Steve Coville joined Sandstone Park coaches today for a dedication of the field in honor of Coville.
ALBION – Sandstone Park named its field in honor of the late Steve Coville Sr., who volunteered for 40 years, with 22 years as a coach and then as groundskeeper for the park as well as running the concession stand.
A sign with Coville’s smiling face is now on the backstop at Sandstone Park. Coville spent many hours each season the past 40 years at Sandstone.
Coville passed away at age 76 on Jan. 17. He loved helping the Little League team on East State Street.
The team has only had four head coaches since 1956, when the Albion Midget League formed. Sandstone was one of the original six teams. Sandstone was first coached by Guido Mannella. He did it from 1956 to 1966. He was followed by Leonard Sidari, who led the team from 1967 to 1978. Then Coville took the reins from 1979 to 2001. (He also helped coach in 1978.) Dan Bartlett has been the head coach since 2002.
Leonard Sidari’s sons, David and Peter, attended today’s field dedication and praised Coville for his devotion to the team for four decades.
Bartlett, the current coach, said it has taken many volunteers to try to fill the void from Coville’s passing.
“He gave his heart,” Bartlett said. “He worked up here at Sandstone Park for half of his life.”
Coville would mow the expansive lawn and work on the field at Sandstone. He ran the concessions to raise money for the team to buy baseballs and other equipment.
Coville’s wife Annette attended the dedication today, and was joined by the couple’s four children – Steve, Marcus, Gloria Lear and Tina Bauder. Many of Coville’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren also joined in the dedication.
“For my dad it was about the youth,” Gloria Lear said. “He had a bag full of gloves, sneakers and hats. He worked with the parents and would pick kids up if they needed a ride. It definitely a priority in his life.”
When he stepped back from coaching, Coville still felt pride in the team and wanted a nice place for them to play.
“He enjoyed it and wanted the kids to do well,” Lear said.
The family appreciates the recognition at the park.
“It is beautiful,” Lear said about the sign.
Pitching keys U10 Bombers to tourney title
Contributed Photo – A perfect game pitched by Aidan Papaj of Medina in the opener, ignited the AnJo Bombers U10 team to a championship at the Battle of the Falls Tournament this past weekend. Papaj, who got strong support from his defense, struck out 7. The Bombers, whose pitching staff also had a no hitter and a one hitter, went on to compile a perfect 5-0 record on the weekend to claim the tourney title.
Baseball/softball academy in Barre will feature Major Leaguer and one of Yankees’ owners
Mike Outten, pastor of North Point Chapel in Albion, is bringing a baseball and softball academy to the community next month that will include instruction from retired Major League Baseball pitcher Chris Hammond.
BARRE — An Albion church is bringing a retired major League Baseball pitcher and one of the New York Yankees owners to the community next month for a baseball and softball academy.
North Point Chapel has previously held basketball camps and a baseball clinic. This is the first time a former professional athlete will lead one of the programs for North Point.
The academy will be from July 15-19 and is open to boys and girls, ages 8 to 18, in Orleans County and other nearby communities outside Orleans. The program will be at the Barre Town Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $50 per children if signed up by June 24. Then the cost increases to $65. The maximum cost will be $100 per family if more than one child signs up for the camp. The price includes lunch.
“It’s an outreach to the community, and the kids will become better ballplayers,” said Mike Outten, pastor of North Point Chapel.
Chris Hammond will lead drills each day with instructors from NextLVL Sports Institute in Georgia. Hammond pitched 14 seasons in the big leagues with the Reds, Marlins, Red Sox, Braves, Yankees, A’s and Padres. He had his best season in 2002 with a 0.95 ERA with the Braves. He is only the third pitcher in the history of the Major Leagues to maintain an ERA under 1.00 for a full season.
Chris Hammond
Grant Cagle, a partner with the Yankees, will be at the camp on Thursday. He is friends with Hammond.
“You’re not going to get an owner of the New York Yankees in our area very often,” Outten said.
NextLVL wants to expand its camps and wants to see a big number of kids for the program at the Barre park. The players will be taught hitting, agility and footwork, as well as strength training, diamond work and the fundamentals of the game. Each player should bring a bat, hat and glove.
In addition to the camp, Hammond will lead a father/child seminar on Wednesday evening that week. Friday night there will be a cook-out and concert.
A registration form is available on the North Point Chapel Facebook page. For more information, contact Outten at 716-622-0628.
Block ‘M’ honors Medina’s student/Athletes
Contributed Photos – Seniors Ray Paull and Sarah Cochrane received the Babe Ruth Award at Medina’s annual Block ‘M’ Banquet Wednesday. Paull competed in soccer, swimming and tennis and Cochrane in field hockey, basketball and track.
Freshmen Joe Cecchini and Dakota Alexander received the Russell Houseman Award.
Honored as Athletes of the Year by Class were, from left, freshmen Alex Strong and Zach Fike, sophomores Brooklyn Brown and Brian Fry, juniors Hannah Heil and Nate Sherman and seniors Maddie Williams and Izaiah Rhim.
Medina junior Melanie Green who captured her second straight state golf championship earlier this month meets here with the Mustangs only other two-time state champion, JR Roberts who was a state champion wrestler in 2001 and 2002.
Kody Leno and Cora Payne received the Niagara-Orleans League Scholar Athlete Award.
Maddie Williams, who received the Decker Memorial Scholarship, meets here with Boice-Ossont Scholarship winners Blaire and Chaise Prest.
Nadia Osby, left, received the Heart of a Mustang Award and Alyssa Blount the Beverly Sargent Memorial Award.
Several student/athletes who received Pony awards meet here. In all Pony awards were presented to nearly 20 student/athletes at the Block ‘M’ Banquet including Izaiah Rhim (Football and Basketball), Hannah Heil (Cross-Country and Swimming), August Pietrafesa (Cross-Country), Ashlee Howell (Soccer and Softball), Maddie Williams (Volleyball, Basketball and Track), Ray Paull (Swimming and Tennis), Gianna Greco (Fall Cheerleading), Guin Schalck (Field Hockey), Kody Leno (Soccer), Chris Goyette (Volleyball), Ian Wagner (Golf), Mel Green (Golf), Steven Secore (Unified Bowling), Jackson Tuohey (Unified Basketball), Colby Petrie (Wrestling), Natalie Cox (Winter Cheerleading), Trenton Crews (Track), Trevor Luthart (Baseball) and Christian Silversmith (Lacrosse).
Albion Raptors edge past Chili
The Albion Raptors trimmed the Chili Attack 1-0 Wednesday in a Rochester District Youth Soccer League U17 Division game.
Goalie Brynn Walczak anchored the defense for the Raptor which improve to 2-1 in league play.
The Raptors made their lone shot on goal count as Abby Scanlan scored in the final 15 minutes off an assist from Aly Knaak.
Shortly before that Chili misfired on a penalty kick opportunity.
The Raptors next host Victor at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Medina Hall of Fame inducts Tierney brothers
Contributed Photo – Medina High’s newest Mustang Hall of famers, brothers Matt and Dan Tierney meet here with their parents Tim and LouAnn Tierney.
Two new members, brothers Matt and Dan Tierney, were inducted into the Mustang Sports Hall of Fame at Wednesday’s annual Medina High Block ‘M’ Banquet.
Dan, a 2004 Medina graduate, captured the state high school pole vault championship in 2004 and went on to place fifth at the nationals. He won both the Niagara-Orleans League Pole Vault and High Jump titles that spring.
Medina’s pole vault record holder at 16-1, he also won the national high school indoor championship in 2004.
In college at Ashland University, he was a two time indoor and one time outdoor conference pole vault champion.
In NCAA national championships, he finished second in the outdoor pole vault competition in 2008 and won the indoor championship in 2009.
Matt, a 2006 Medina graduate. was a five time N-O All-League track honoree in the 100, 200, 400 and 1600 Relay. He was a member of the Section VI champion 1600 Relay in 2001.
While at MHS he also earned first team N-O All-League honors in soccer in 2001.
In college at the University of Rochester, he set a total of nine school records in track including indoor marks in the 55, 200, 400, 500, 800 Relay and 1600 Relay and outdoor marks in the 400, 400 Relay and 1600 Relay.
He was a nine time New York state (NYSCTC) champion.
M-L United U12 romps to soccer victory
Contributed Photo – Riley Tompkins making a pass to Vinny Gray to setup a M-L United scoring opportunity.
The Medina-Lyndonville United U12 soccer team romped to a 10-0 win over the Tonawanda Triton Wednesday.
Cole Callard scored the three goal hat-trick to lead the M-L scoring parade. Camden Fike also pounded in 2 goals as Jimmy Dieter, Landan Costich, Luke Duffina, Vinny Gray, and Brady Christiaansen each netted 1 goal.
M-L’s next game will be Saturday vs Niagara PAL.
