Mustangs, Rams to meet in Class B state qualifier; Class C2 title test is next for Tigers

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina and Roy-Hart will collide for the Section VI Class B title and a berth in the state playoffs Saturday at Canisius College. Here during regular season action Roy-Hart’s Tom Russo III puts the tag on Medina’s Brian Fry at second base.

For the second year in a row rivals Medina and Roy-Hart will meet in a key sectional baseball title contest.

Last spring, the teams met in the Section VI Class B2 championship game with the Rams emerging with a narrow 4-2 win over the Mustangs.

Now, the Mustangs and Rams will clash for an even bigger prize, the overall Section VI Class B title and a beth in the state playoffs, when they meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at Canisius College.

Medina advanced by downing rival Albion 10-6 for the Class B1 title on Thursday while Roy-Hart bested Gowanda 5-1 to repeat as Class B2 champions.

Interestingly, Medina, which brings a 19-2 record into the state qualifier, has lost to only one team this season and that team is Roy-Hart.

The Mustangs captured the Niagara-Orleans League championship with a 10-2 record but those two setbacks, both in extra innings, came at the hands of the Rams by narrow margins of 5-3 in 8 innings and 1-0 in 9 innings.

Medina will be looking to earn its first trip to the state playoffs since 2003 while Roy-Hart will be looking to make a return trip.

Last spring, after defeating Medina 4-2 for the B2 title, Roy-Hart went on to down Olean 12-9 for the overall Section VI B title and Midlakes of Section V 10-1 in the Far West Regional before bowing in the state semifinals to Seton Catholic of Binghamton 7-1.

Section V Class C2
Top seeded Lyndonville will face No. 7 Bolivar-Richburg in the Section V Class C2 championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.

Lyndonville, which is 17-1 on the season, defeated No. 12 Cal-Mum 9-4 in the semifinals while Bolivar-Richburg upended No. 3 Geneseo 13-2.