Mustangs, Rams set to renew sectional rivalry

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 21 May 2024 at 1:46 pm

File Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart second baseman Ryan Mettler puts the tag on Medina’s Aidan Paul during the 2022 Section VI Class B2 championship game at Grand Island.

Continuing a recent series of key postseason meetings, top seeded Medina will host No. 4 Roy-Hart at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinal round of the Section VI Class B baseball playoffs at Vets Park.

It marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that the Mustangs and Rams have met in key late round sectional contest. The first four of those meetings were in title contests.

In 2018 Roy-Hart defeated Medina 4-2 in the Class B2 championship game and the Rams went on to reach the state semifinals.

Those roles were reversed in 2019 as the Mustangs downed the Rams 15-4 for the overall Section VI Class B title and a berth in the state playoffs. The Mustangs went on to advance to the state semis. Both teams captured Section VI class titles that season as Medina won the B1 crown and Roy-Hart the B2 championship.

There was no baseball season in 2020 because of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

When competition resumed in 2021 so did the Medina vs. Roy-Hart postseason rivalry and the Mustangs downed the Rams 7-0 for the Class B2 title.

That was the case again in 2022 as the Mustangs nipped the Rams 1-0 in the B-2 final.

That run of key postseason meetings ended in 2023 when the teams did not meet in the sectionals. However, the Rams did enjoy a banner postseason by capturing the Section VI Class B2 title by defeating Fredonia 5-1.

On Wednesday when the Mustangs and Rams renew that postseason rivalry they will be vying for a spot in the Section VI Class B championship game which will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grand Island High School. The opponent will be the winner of Wednesday’s other semifinal between No. 2 Fredonia and No. 3 Portville.

Medina and Roy-Hart split their two meetings during the Niagara-Orleans League season. The Rams won the first 3-2 and the Mustangs the rematch 5-0.

The Mustangs advanced to the semifinals by blanking N-O foe Akron 9-0 in the quarterfinals while the Rams shutout Southwestern by the nearly identical score of 10-0.