Sports

Photo by Tim Motyka, head coach of the Batavia Minor League Red Sox, which was the youth baseball team last night to take the field with the Batavia Muckdogs.

Press release:

Today’s game between the Batavia Muckdogs and Lowell Spinners has been canceled due to wet and unsafe field conditions.

As the two teams do not meet again this season, this game will not be made up at any time during the season. Any person with tickets to today’s game can exchange their tickets for any other regular season game, subject to availability.

It's the middle of summer, but it's not too soon to start thinking about high school football -- the players are getting ready.

Batavia Head Coach Brennan Briggs sent in this picture of some of his team who participated yesterday in 7-on-7 drills yesterday as they get ready to defend three straight Section V championships this season.

Also participating in the drills were Elba/Oakfield-Alabama, Gates, Churchville, Alden and Albion.

The 7-on-7s take place every Tuesday.

There are 11 versus 11 drills on Thursday at Cal-Mum.

Alex Canty, who excelled in baseball at Batavia High School, through his senior season in 2016, announced on Twitter yesterday that he has committed to Southeast Missouri State.

That gives the infielder a shot at playing Division I baseball.

Canty played his 2017 season at Monroe Community College, where he hit .357, with eight home runs, 53 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and 18 walks. His on-base percentage was .418.

Photos below were submitted by a reader:

To purchase prints, click here.

More than 2,000 fans enjoyed a 3-2 Muckdogs win over the Auburn Doubledays at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia on Tuesday night and then a July 4 fireworks display after the game.

Four Batavia pitchers scattered eight hits over nine innings. Kenny Koplove (1-1), pitching one and a third innings, got the win. Starter Alejandro Mateo went four and two-thirds innings, giving up four hits and a run and getting five strikeouts. Travis Neubeck tossed two innings and picked up his first save of the season. 

Jhonny Santos had two hits. Samuel Castro and Marcos Rivera each had an RBI.

The Muckdogs are now 7-8 on the season and in fourth place, three games back in the Pinckney Division standings, behind the West Virginia Black Bears (10-5).

Press release:

The Batavia Blue Devil Athletic Hall of Fame committee has recently chosen the Class of 2017. They are:

• Bruce Dedman, 1973
• Jason Bibler, 1991
• Ice Devils Hockey Team, 1986-87
• Nate Hicks, 1998
• Joe Amico, 1987
• Brian Herdlein, 1999

On Saturday, Sept. 30th, we will be hosting the Hall of Fame Dinner at Terry Hills Restaurant and Banquet Facility. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner being served at 6 and the ceremony immediately following dinner. Tickets will be available in the Batavia HS Athletic Director's office after Aug. 15th.

The All-Greater Rochester spring sports standouts were announced today and five Genesee County athletes made first team in their respective sports:

• Anthony Ray Jr., Batavia, Track and Field
• Brandon Burke, Byron-Bergen, Track and Field
• Kilian Lewis, Pembroke, Track and Field
• Kiaya Franklin, Batavia, Track and Field
• Casey Radka, Batavia, Baseball

For more information on the athletes and a list of honorable mentions in each league, visit the Democrat and Chronicle's website.

Batavia Muckdogs played a doubleheader this afternoon and split the wins with West Virginia, losing the first game 6-4 and winning the second game 4-1.

Muckdogs led 3-1 after the fifth inning until the eighth when the Black Bears had two men on base. Then Deon Stafford gave West Virginia a 5-4 lead and capped a three-run inning for the team. They added another run in the ninth to finish the game that was suspended yesterday.

In the second game, during the first inning both teams scored a run and remained tied. Bottom of the ninth bases loaded for Batavia, Marcos Rivera hit a walk-off three-run homer as the Batavia Muckdogs beat the West Virginia Black Bears 4-1.

Muckdogs' record improves to 4-3 and they are in a three-way tie for second place in the Pinckney Division with Mahoney and State College.

Next game is tomorrow night to finish the series with West Virginia, game time is 7:05 at Dwyer Stadium. There is a pre-game chicken wing eating contest sponsored by Batavia’s Original Pizza. Email Travis Sick at tsick@muckdogs.com before 4 p.m.

A reader sent in this picture from this afternoon suggesting the cloud looked pretty ominous with a ball game scheduled. 

The Muckdogs did get the game underway, but it was later suspended and will be resumed on Sunday. 

At 5:55 pm the line to get into Dwyer Stadium was out to the street and down the block. The gates to the park opened at 6 pm for the Muckdogs season opener. The fans were excited for the game and festivities to begin. I am sure they were not disappointed. 

The Auburn Doubledays scored first with a single run in the third. The Muckdogs answered that run with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 3^rd and were in control for the rest for the game. It was an action packed game with some good hits, a squeeze play and some impressive field work from this young team. The final score was Auburn 2 Batavia 8

John Kennedy Intermediate School 3^rd and 4^th graders sung the national anthem before the game with the Viet Nam War Veterans Color Guard presenting the Flag.

Western NY Skydiving put on a show by dropping in with the game ball. 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is pleased to announce passage of a bill which will authorize Orleans County and Genesee County residents to hunt big game from Nov. 15 till Dec. 7. The bill allows residents to hunt using pistols, shotguns, muzzle-loaded firearms, long bows, crossbows or rifles.

“Hunting is an important part of our history, it is how our forefathers survived and provided for their families,” Hawley said. “As a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, I am proud to announce that citizens of Orleans and Genesee counties will be able to continue this centuries-old tradition that is such a huge part of our Western New York culture.

"As a proud outdoorsman myself, I will continue to work tirelessly to protect our constitutional rights from special interests attempting to restrict them. The passage of this bill is a step in the right direction toward maintaining our freedom and right to own firearms.”

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs announced today that skydivers from Western New York Skydiving will deliver and throw the Ceremonial First Pitch on Opening Day, Monday, June 19th.

Prior to throwing out the first pitch, an elite group from Western New York Skydiving will perform an aerial show, including banners and smoke, before landing in centerfield. The jump and demonstration are weather dependent and Western New York Skydiving reserves the right to cancel the event if they feel conditions are unsafe for both the jumpers and spectators.

The game between the Muckdogs and Auburn Doubledays will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Opening Day tickets, as well as all season tickets and ticket packages, are all on sale now at the Dwyer Stadium box office, on Muckdogs.com or by calling 585-343-5454.

More than a dozen members of local law enforcement carried the Special Olympics torch on a run from Elba to Batavia this morning, starting at the Arc of Genesee Orleans center in Elba to the facility on Walnut Street, with a stop at the Arc Community Center on Woodrow Road.

Pembroke senior Kilian Lewis, captain of the track and field team, earned third place in the Class D2 state championship this past Friday with a discus throw of 159' 8". The finish earned him a spot in the Federation Games on Saturday, and he earned third, among all schools, large and small, with a throw of 161'.

Lewis, who holds the school record with a throw of 164' 6.5", will compete for St. John Fisher College next year.

Photos and info submitted by Aaron Burch.