Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Stacy Buckland slides into second base ahead of the tag attempt by Fillmore shortstop Carlee Miller. The action took place during Lyndonville’s sectional semifinal loss to Fillmore this evening at the College at Brockport.

A big last ditch rally came up just short as top seeded Lyndonville dropped a narrow 8-6 decision to No. 5 Fillmore in the semifinal round of the Section V Class D1 softball playoffs this evening at the College at Brockport.

Trailing 8-1, Lyndonville came storming back in the bottom of the seventh ignited by a leadoff triple by Miranda Lembcke.

An error, an RBI double by Stacy Buckland, a single by Gracie Johnson, an RBI single by Ella Lewis and a two-run double by Anna Lewis suddenly rallied the Lady Tigers back to within two at 8-6.

Lyndonville still had two runners aboard when the comeback bid came to a screeching halt as Fillmore pitcher Macy Miller turned a grounder back to the circle into a game ending pitcher to first base to catcher double play to preserve the Eagles slender victory.

Anna Lewis finished with 3 hits and Lembcke 2. Alecia Hinkson also banged out a double for Lyndonville and came around to score the Lady Tigers first run on a single by Natalie Ostrowski in the fourth frame.

Defensively, Ella Lewis triggered a double play in the fourth inning.

In the circle for the Lady Tigers Lorelei Dillenbeck turned in a strong relief pitching performance allowing only 1 run and 3 hits with 3 strikeouts over the final five innings.

Fillmore, which avenged a 10-7 loss in last years semifinal,  got off to a quick start jumping out to a 7-0 lead at the outset tallying 3 times in the first inning 3 errors, 1 hit and 1 walk and 4 times in the second on 3 hits, 2 errors and a walk.

Lyndonville, which captured the D1 title last year, finishes the season with a 15-3 record.

Lyndonville’s Anna Lewis is tagged out by Fillmore catcher Danielle Wolcott to end the game.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart pitcher Walker Samanka and his Ram teammates will face Olean on Saturday for a berth in the state playoffs.

It’s been a banner, record setting season for the Roy-Hart baseball squad that the Rams are looking to continue.

First, the Rams claimed a third straight Niagara-Orleans League championship. Then Thursday evening they captured the school’s first Section VI diamond title by trimming rival Medina 4-2 in the Class B2 final.

Now, Roy-Hart seeks an even bigger prize – a berth in the state playoffs. The chance to accomplish that will come at noon on Saturday as the Rams face Class B1 champion Olean at Orchard Park High School for the overall Section VI title and a spot in the state playoffs. Olean bested Fedonia 12-8 in the B1 final.

It has been a Rams squad led by the veteran quintet of seniors Jake Bruning (pitcher/outfield), Al Xapsos (shortstop), Ben Schwab (third base/pitcher) and juniors Charlie Brigham (second base) and Charlie Bruning (first base/pitcher).

The Rams otherwise youthful starting unit has also included eighth grader Gavyn Boyle (outfield), freshman Noah Hardy (catcher), juniors Walker Samanka (outfield/pitcher), Karson Grover (designated hitter), and seniors Andrew Srock (designated hitter) and Matt Huntington (outfield).

It’s proved to be a very successful mix of youth and veterans as the Rams went 10-2 in N-O action and are 17-2 overall.

Jake Bruning and Samanka shared the pitching duties in the B2 title win combining for a 5 hitter with 12 strikeouts as Brigham had the big hit with a two-run single in the first inning.

Though it was a narrow setback,  reaching the B2 final for the first time since 2005 was also a major accomplishment for a very youthful Medina squad whose starting lineup included only two seniors, infielders Brett Riemer and Alex Allis.

The Mustangs underclassmen dominated lineup also included eighth grader Zach Fike (first base), freshman Brian Fry (shortstop), sophomores AJ Seefeldt (second base), Nate Sherman (centerfiedl), Chris Goyette (pitcher/catcher), and Trevor Luthart (pitcher/first base) and junior Matt Saj (outfield).

With seven of nine starters returning from this year’s N-O and Class B2 runner-up squad looks to make for a positive future for the Mustangs.

No. 2 seed Eden rallied for five runs in the seventh inning to edge past No. 1 Roy-Hart 9-6 in the Section VI Class B2 softball championship game Thursday evening at Williamsville North.

Roy-Hart jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning ignited by a leadoff triple by Maddie Fry and highlighted by a two-run double by Mallory Steiner.

The Lady Rams maintained a 6-4 lead after an RBI single by Maddy Glena in the sixth inning but then saw Eden put together a decisive last ditch rally in the seventh to claim the title.

Fry and Glena both had 3 hits on the evening for Roy-Hart as Lexie Lovewell, Steiner and Jayden Townsend each added 2.

N-O Steeplechase
Newfane’s Sam Auernhamer and Akron’s Margo Henley both scored victories in the Niagara-Orleans League Steeplechase competition Thursday at Starpoint.

The Medina duo of Jack Hill and Daniel Heil finished second and third in the boys’ competition.

Newfane’s Nina Burkart was second and Barker’s Serena Harris third in the girls’ competition.

Yankees 7, Orioles 6
The MTA Yankees won a close game 7-6 against the Lyndonville Orioles this week

Michael Chisler earned a game ball for hitting a solo home run and game winning hit in the bottom of the 6th that allowed Brody Fry to score the winning run.   Fry went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s.  Jackson Shultz, Tyler Kroening, Cole Callard, Cameron Kenward, Jimmy Dieter, and Colton Smith had singles.

Kroening had 4 strikeouts over 3 innings, Fry 3 strikeouts over 1 inning, and Callard had 4 strikeouts for the last 2 innings.

Indians 14, Orioles 0
The Champs Mini Mart Indians blanked the  Lyndonville Orioles 14-0 with a strong pitching effort by Aidan Papaj, Jacob Duffina, and Lex Gray.

The bats were hot for the Indians as the offense was led by Papaj going 3-3 with 2 doubles a single and 3 RBI’s, Zach Graham 3-3 with 3 singles and an RBI, Mason Berry 2-2 with 2 singles and 3 RBI’s,  Luke Duffina 2-3 a homerun and a single, Gray 2-3 with 2 singles and 3 RBI’s and Trey Rhim 2-3 with a double and a single. Jackson McGrath also had a single and 2 RBI’s,  Jacob Duffina a single and RBI and Clayton Wagner and Dylan Johnston contributed by getting a single apiece.

Contributed Photo – Blade Garlow

Medina High graduate and Pfeiffer University senior Blade Garlow has been named to the second team of the Eastern College Athletic Association Division III lacrosse squad.

Garlow scored a Pfeiffer record 67 goals this season and also had 23 assists. For his three year career with the Falcons he scored 118 goals and added 66 assists.

Garlow has also been selected to play in the North-South all-Star game which will be played at Providence College on Friday.

Lang earns All-Legion golf honors
RoyHart alum and Niagara Community College freshman Hogan Lang finished as an All-Region player shooting a two day total of 171 and will be competing at the NJCAA DIII Golf National Championships July 4-8 in Chautauqua, NY.

The Medina-Lyndonville United U14 Soccer Club registered their first win of the Buffalo Western New York Junior Soccer League season by defeating the Yemen Oilers 3-1.

Jackson Moreland tallied the first goal on an assist by Roman Heinsler. In the first half, the Oilers were stymied defensively by strong play from Kevin Travis and Jack Whipple.

Second half action saw Mason Nicholson score on an assist from Will Roush. Mason Moreland scored the final goal on an assist from twin brother Jackson.

M-L United U12 Soccer Club
The M-L United U12 Soccer Club suffered an 8 -2 loss to the Niagara Pioneer Vipers in the inaugural  game of 2018.

Cole Callard registered the first goal of the season on an assist by Caden Kingsbury.  Kingsbury followed with a second half goal on an assist by Jimmy Dieter.

Strong goalie play by Jack Cecchini with defensive support from Cameron Eick, Gavin Snook and Sawyer Kingsbury limited the Vipers to just two goals in the second half.

Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Medina High sophomore Melanie Green captured the Section VI girls golf championship for the second year in a row by carding a round of 74 today at the Gowanda Country Club.

She captured the title by a whopping 13 strokes over her closest challenger.

“It was really wet and sloppy but she shot the lights out,” said Medina girls golf Coach Chris Hughes.

With the victory Green advances to the upcoming state championships. Last spring she went on to place third at the state championships.

Tennis
N-O netters bow in sectionals
The Niagara-Orleans League’s two doubles team entries, Matthew Kovaleski and Victor Benjovsky from Albion and Joey Moote and Kyle Lyon from Wilson, both went 1-1 at the Section VI tennis championships today.

In singles play, Akron’s Nate Chubb likewise went 1-1 while Roy-Hart’s Patrick Sheelar was 0-1.

Contributed Photo – Lorelei Dillenbeck delivers a pitch for Lyndonville during the Lady Tigers sectional win over Hammndsport/Prattsburg this afternoon at Geneseo.

Top seeded Lyndonville opened defense of its Section V Class D1 softball title by trimming No. 9 Hammondsport/Prattsburg 4-2 this afternoon at Geneseo.

Trailing 2-0, Lyndonville bunched all of its scoring into a four run rally in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run by Ella Lewis and an RBI single by Natalie Ostrowski. Singles by Stacy Buckland and Gracie Johnson preceded the home run. Anna Lewis then had a single before Ostrowski’s RBI hit.

Johnson and Anna Lewis both had a pair of hits on the day.

Lorelei Dillenbeck picked up the win in the circle for the Lady Tigers allowing 6 hits and striking out 6.

Improving to 15-2 on the season, Lyndonville next faces  No. 5 Fillmore, a 2-1 victor over No. 4 CG Finney, in the D1 semifinals on Friday at 6 p.m. at SUNY Brockport.

Section VI Softball
Top seeded Roy-Hart will face No. 2 Eden for the Section VI Class B2 softball championship at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Williamsville North.

Section VI Baseball
No.2 seed Roy-Hart will face Niagara-Orleans League rival No. 4 Medina in the Section VI Class B2 championship baseball game at 7 p.m. Thursday at Gowanda.

Medina and Roy-Hart, which split a pair of N-O meetings this season, both scored narrow one run victories in the semifinals on Tuesday. The Mustangs nipped Wilson 3-2 and the Rams trimmed Southwestern 7-6 in 9 innings.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Brendan Luthart connects on a shot for a goal during the Mustangs sectional win over visiting Gowanda this afternoon at Vets Park.

A  big scoring burst at the outset of the second quarter sparked No. 2 seed Medina to an 18-6 romp over No.3 Gowanda in the semifinals of the Section VI Class D lacrosse playoffs at Vets Park this afternoon.

Leading by a narrow 3-2 margin, Medina exploded for five goals in the first four minutes of the second quarter to quickly pull away to an 8-2 advantage.

Colby Petrie drives the ball up field for Medina.

Brendan Luthart scored two goals during that key stretch as Christian Silversmith, Mason Lewis and DaRon Bellan each netted one.

Goals late in the quarter by Bellan and Zach Blount kept the Mustangs in command by a 10-3 margin at the half.

Medina then broke the contest wide open by outscoring Gowanda 6-0 in the third period to extend the advantage to 16-3.  Blount scored three goals, Luthart two and Ian Joseph one during that stretch.

Luthart finished with a total of 7 goals, including all three Medina tallies in the opening period.  Blount added 4 goals, Silversmith and Bellan 2 and Lewis, Joseph and Jacob Bensley 1 each.

Now at 6-3 against D Division foes and 9-8 overall, Medina next faces the winner Thursday’s Akron vs. Salamanca semi in the championship game next Wednesday at Williamsville North.  Akron is the defending Section VI D champion and went 8-0 during the regular D Division campaign this season.

DaRon Bellan scores a goal for the Mustangs.