Banes players and coaches celebrate winning the ‘A’ Division regular season title. In front are Connie Heschke, Patti Page, Jami Chatt, Kathy Allen and Jessica Carpenter. In the back row are Amy Allis, Donna Bane, Hannah LaGrou, Robin Blaun, Jen Masse, Grace Masse, Bruce Seefeldt, Lexi Neuman and Sue Seefeldt. Missing: is Sarah Surdel.

Banes Machine Shop/Banes Plumbing downed NYSCOBA 19-5 Monday to complete a perfect 10-0 championship regular season  in the ‘A’ Division of the Medina Women’s Softball League.

Banes broke this one wide open at the outset by exploding for 10 runs in the first inning on singles by Connie Heschke, Jen Masse, Kathy Allen, Amy Allis, Grace Masse and Donna Bane; doubles by Hannah LaGrou and Patti Page and triples by Sue Seefeldt and Jami Chatt

Banes tacked on 2 runs in the third on singles by LaGrou,  Bane and Heschke and 2 in the fourth on singles by Jen Masse,  Allen and LaGrou and a home run by Robin Blaun

Banes capped off there win with 5 runs in the fifth on a single by Heschke, double by Seefeldt and home run by Page

Heschke finished with 4 hits and LaGrou 3.

Banes will open playoff competition at 8 a.m. August 11 against the winner of the August 6 Medina Vets/Tats & Bats game.

A Division Final Standings:  Banes Machine Shop/Banes Plumbing 10-0,  Orleans Vets 8-2,  Jr Wilson 5-5,  Medina Vets 4-6,  Tats & Bats 2-8

Final B Division Standings: Jr. Wilson’s 8-2, Mariachi 7-3, HoJack’s 7-3,  Team Monte 5-5, Buffalo Bio Diesel 3-7, Cusimano’s 0-10

The AnJo Bombers 16U  went 1-2-1 in the Battle at the Falls tournament this past weekend.

The Bombers lost twice to the Warriors out of the Saratoga area including a multi extra inning game on playoff Sunday where both teams struggled with pitching.

The Bombers played great against the Toronto Cardinals on Saturday winning 9-8 on a walk off by Mike DiCureia in the bottom of the seventh scoring Thomas Furmanski.

The Bombers racked up 11 hits. Joe Watson, Colin Fragale and Albee got it started in the seventh with singles.  Watson, Thomas Furmanski, and Karl Darling each managed multiple hits.  Darling, Furmanski, and Watson each collected two hits. Reed Albee earned the win.

The Bombers also played well against the  Hoosic Valley Rangers from the Saratoga area  tying 7-7.

The Bombers came from behind scoring in the bottom of the sixth off a single byDarling which drove in Fragale.

The Bombers totaled eight hits in the game.  Darling and Zeke Callicutt  collected multiple hits.  Darling led the way with three hits in four at bats.

Carson Tatro and Rylend Callicutt combined to strike out 10 in the effort.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Nate Dillenbeck drives the ball up field for Medina-Lyndonville United U17 during Monday night’s win over West Seneca at Lyndonville.

Continuing a big late season surge, Medina-Lyndonville United edged past West Seneca 4-3 Monday evening in a Buffalo and Western New York Junior Soccer League U17 Division game at Lyndonville.

Matt Hess on a rush up field for Medina-Lyndonville.

Evan Silversmith scored 2 goals and Matt Hess and Nate Dillenbeck both netted one as Medina-Lyndonville United improves to 3-1-1 over the last five games after a slow 0-4 start to the season.

Medina-Lyndonville United jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first 8 minutes as Hess scored off an assist from Brandon Heschke and then Silversmith tallied from Devin Rounds.

West Seneca though cut the deficit to 2-1 before halftime and the netted a pair of quick goals early in the second half to take a 3-2 lead.

However,  Medina-Lyndonville United came battling back.

First a penalty kick goal by Dillenbeck tied the game at the 65th minute and then Silversmith netted what proved to be the game winner at the 73rd minute off an assist from Dillenbeck.

The Medina-Lyndoville United defense, which was anchored by Jack Whipple and Evan Horn, then turned back a late West Seneca surge to preserve the narrow victory.

Now at 3-5-1, Medina-Lyndonville United closes out the season at Cheektowaga on Friday.

Contributed Photo – Niagara Nationals u16 players and coaches celebrate after winning the Battle at the Falls Tournament on Sunday. In front are Chris Goyette, Mitchell Holtz, Hunter Briggs, Carson Harper and Aiden Johnston. In the back row are Coach Chris Goyette, Coach Vinny Dell’Oso, Trevor Luthart, David Belsito, Joe Dell’Oso, Liam Ward, Sam Murphy, Korey Canton, Coach Lee Briggs and Coach Dave Belsito.

Avenging their only loss of the weekend, the Niagara Nationals defeated the Burlington, Ontario Bulls 9-2 Sunday in the championship game of the Battle at the Falls Tournament’s Ken Griffey Jr. Division.

It was a special title victory for this squad of u16 National players who were playing their final tournament together after competing together for seven years at several age group levels. Ironically, this group’s first tournament championship together as a Nationals team also came a the Battle at the Falls tourney seven years ago.

In the title contest the Nationals used a big 7 run second inning scoring burst to key the victory over the Bulls and avenge a narrow 3-2 loss in the preliminary round on Saturday.

Dave Belsito had a two-run triple and Trevor Luthart an RBI double to highlight that big uprising which also included singles by Chris Goyette and Liam Ward and an RBI sac fly by Joe Dell’oso. Belsito had a total of 4 hits.

Korey Canton picked up the win on the mound scattering 7 hits and striking out 12 in 6 innings of work.

In the semifinals, the Nationals nipped the West Toronto, Ontario Wild 6-5.

All 6 runs came in the decisive third inning and included a two-run double by Sam Murphy, an RBI triple by Goyette, a double by Mitchell Holtz and singles by Dell’oso, Belsito and Ward.  Goyette, Ward and Aiden Johnston each had a pair of hits.

Goyette earned the win on the mound allowing 8 hits and striking out 5 in 6 innings. Dell’oso pcked up the save retiring the Wild in order in the seventh inning.

In the quarterfinals, the Nationals blanked the Niagara Expos 8-0.

Dell’oso pitched four innings giving up 2 hits and striking out 5. Ward hurled 3 frames allowing no hits and fanning 5.

Again it was a big third inning uprising that broke the game open as Dell’oso, Belsito, Carson Harper and Hunter Briggs all had singles and Ward a sac fly.  Briggs, Belsito and Ward each finished with a pair of hits.

The Nationals went 2-1 in the preliminary round on Friday and Saturday defeating the Brighton Barons 8-3 and the Warriors 10-0 and losing to the Bulls 3-2.

It was another busy week at Hickory Ridge with Leagues, two tournaments and a group golf outing from another camp grounds.

On Tuesday, the Ladies Late League saw no change in first place as Deb Wood and Jan Palmer continued to lead with 79.5 points.  Linda Chrzan and Laurie Freeman are in second with 73 points, Aleta Martin and Diane Hennekey occupy third with 70.5 points.  Rounding out the top five are Cheryl Ferguson and Vicki Brawn with 70 points and Dona Hazen and Karen Berlew at 66.5.

Low gross was again Wood with 35.  Notable was Aleta Martin with 38.  Low Gross was led by Diane Abel with  30 and Barb Downs with  31. Wood had two birdies while Freeman, Abel and Martin had one each.

John Carlson and Brian Hofstra continue to lead the Wednesday Night League with 65 points.  Close on their heels are Ray Daniels and Tim Hendrickson with 64 points and Gary Beattie and Jim Zambito with 62.  Mark and Sam Hackenburg have 61 points and the team of Bork and Wyant are in fifth place with 61.

Hendrickson took low gross honors with  38 while Larry Palmer led low net with 31.  Palmer also had a birdie as did Bork, Hendrickson and Zambito.

The Thursday Night Traveling League shows Ray Daniels and Ken Hinkson running away with the lead at 236 points.  Pete Kaiser and Steve Tipton have a firm grip on second place at 204 points with the Drapers, Todd and Mike, taking third at 192.  Guy Eaton and Scooter Burgess are in fourth with 190 followed by Wes Bedford and Zack  Burgess with 188 points.

Josh Bennett had low gross with 37 and Tipton and Dan Hartman shared low net with 29.  Only two birdies recorded Thursday with Adam Dresser and Luke Wrobleski getting one each.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Jody Sargent stretches out to make one of his two touchdown catches in the 2005 alumni win over Roy-Hart. Brandon Harrington is the Roy-Hart defender. The schools are looking to renew their alumni gridiron rivalry this fall.

High school football rivals for many decades, Medina and Roy-Hart are now looking to renew their alumni football rivalry late this fall.

Medina High Athletic Director and varsity football Coach Eric Valley reports that plans are now underway to hold an alumni football game on November 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Vets Park.

“We are just starting to get things together but we have received approval to play at Vets that night” said Valley who notes that Medina and Roy-Hart game organizers are starting to work on putting rosters together.

Previously Medina and Roy-Hart held a series of three alumni football games from 2005-2007.

Medina won all three of those contests by scores of 14-6 in 2005, 12-2 in 2006 an 33-0 in 2007.

Interestingly, Valley threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jody Sargent to lead Medina to the 2005 win. Tom Brigham hooked up with Brock Menzel for Roy-Hart’s TD.

In 2006, Medina got touchdown runs from Lamont Rhim and Greg Hodgins to earn the win.  Lamont Rhim then threw 4 TD passes in the 2007 contest including 3 to Lionel Rhim and 1 to Sargent as Valley added a rushing TD.

Any former Medina players interested in participating can contact Valley at evalley@medinacsd.org.

The Blue squad, which included players from champion Albion, Lyndonville, Alexander and Oakfield, downed the Red squad, which was comprised of players from the two Akron and two Alden teams, 6-2 this evening in the Tri County Babe Ruth League All-Star game at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.

The Blue squad took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning  as Thomas Furmanski (Albion) tripled and came home on a single by Drew Caldwell (Albion).

The Blues quickly upped the advantage to 5-0 by scoring 4 times in the second inning on 3 errors, 2 alms and singles by Dan Manges (Oakfield) and Maverick Bump (Alexander).

The Red squad scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth but would get no closer than 5-2.

The Blue squad closed out the scoring with a run in the home half of the frame as Oskar Heinsler (Lyndonville) singled and came home on a ground out.

Five pitchers combined to hurl a 1 hitter with 8 strikeouts for the Blue squad including Furmanski, Patrick Ricker (Albion), Rolland Balcerzak (Lyndonville), Josh Merrill (Alexander) and Trenton Muck (Lyndonville).

At the plate, Ricker also had a double in the sixth inning and Balcerzak a single in the fifth.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – The crowds were large today waiting to get in to see the exhibits at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown during Hall of Fame weekend.

Cooperstown is called the birthplace of baseball and every summer during one special weekend in late July it also becomes the Mecca of the diamond sport for the Hall of Fame inductions.

Each year fans flock to the small picturesque community by the thousands with the largest delegations this year coming from Detroit, San Diego, Atlanta, Cleveland and Montreal  as the new inductees include pitcher Jack Morris and shortstop Alan Trammell from the Detroit Tigers, third baseman Chipper Jones from the Atlanta Braves, pitcher Trevor Hoffman from the San Diego Padres, outfielder Vladimirr Guerrero from the Montreal Expos and first baseman Jim Thome from the Cleveland Indians.

And with the weather cooperating it made for a fun time to spend the day getting a chance to see some of the players, visit the Hall of Fame and take in the sights and activites on Main Street and the nearby Leatherstocking golf course.

Here former major leaguers Dale Murphy of the Atlanta Braves, left, and Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets are shown at one of the Main St. autograph sessions.

It’s a weekend when fans rules on Main Street as Cooperstown’s main thoroughfare is closed to traffic.

And there are numerous opportunities for fans to meet and get autographs (for a fee) from Hall of Famers and other former major leagues at several of the shops in Main St. and nearby Pioneer St. The fees can be a bit high and the lines can be a bit long but there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of fans willing to pay up to get to meet and a signature from one of their favorite players.

Main Street is also the locale for the Hall of Fame itself which each year at this time features special displays oon the new inductees. Understandably with the large crows the lines to get in can be long and the display areas a bit congested but for ardent diamond fans the wait is worth it.

The nearby Leatherstocking golf course also provides a good opportunity for fans to see Hall of Famers at their annual tournament. Today’s field included new inductees Morris, Jones and Hoffman as well as such Hall of Famers as George Brett, Mike Schmidt, Wade Boggs and John Smoltz.

The most entertaining part of attending the tourney is watching the crazy feeding frenzy that often occurs when “autograph hound” fans stampede when one of the players comes over the the wall to sign as few autographs. It is amazing how quickly some adults can run to chase down in an attempt to get an autograph.

The Class of 2018 will be inducted on Sunday afternoon in ceremonies at the Clark Sports Complex.

The Hall of Famers golf tournament at the Leatherstocking course brought out very large contingents of “autograph hound” fans at every hole where they could get close to the players.

With Main Street closed off to traffic fans had plenty of room and many of the shops had Hall of Famers or other former major leaguers appearing to sign autographs (for a fee).