Sports

The top seed in Class A2, the Batavia Blue Devils, bested 8 seed Geneva Panthers at Dwyer Stadium for the section V quarterfinal matchup Friday afternoon. 

Greg Mruczek pitched the first couple innings. Geneva made some key hits and took control early after two innings leading 2-1.

Trevor Sherwood pitched the next three innings as the game remained the same. Senior Alex Canty hit a triple in the third inning to get within scoring range. Geneva held strong and Batavia could not get a break.

Batavia pitcher Alex Jones came in the last two innings to hold off Geneva from scoring. The score was set at 2-1 score until the bottom of the seventh inning, senior Steven Stefaniak got a base hit to lead off  senior Tyler Hale, who was up next and hit a triple to bring Stefaniak in for Batavia to tie the game 2-2.

Geneva was in trouble with one out, took a timeout to plan their strategy with two heavy hitters, Senior Alex Canty and Junior Jerry Reinhart up next.  Geneva intentionally walked them both Alex to 2nd base, Jerry to 1st, bases loaded.

Batavia called timeout, Tyler’s twin brother Senior Jake Hale was at the plate. 

"I have been playing baseball my whole life and told my brother to get the ball to the left side and knew he would come through," Tyler said.  "It may not have been a hard hit ball but it got in play and scored the run."

Jake Hale hit a grounder to the left of home plate, dug in the dirt bounced in the air. Tyler made a run to home plate, the pitcher came in grabbed the ball, bobbled it, lost his grip and went in the air. He slid into home plate and Batavia won 3-2.

Jake Hales thoughts before taking the plate: "I went up there just to play baseball, waiting for my pitch to hit and swung and missed at one, took one that was low in the dirt. I found the one but barely got a piece of it and then ended up bringing Tyler in. I ran to first as fast as I could hoping I would not get out, but then when I heard the cheers I knew my brother made the run and we won the game, then excitement took over."

Batavia plays 4 seed Wayne at Hilton High School, Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

For more photos go to: Steve Ognibene Photography

Press release:

Single-game tickets for all 2016 Muckdogs’ home games go on sale Monday, May 23^rd beginning at 9 a.m. at the Dwyer Stadium Box Office, over the phone by calling (585) 343-5454 or online at muckdogs.com.

Normal box office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The same great, affordable ticket prices are back again in 2016. Tickets range from $8 for box seats to just $7 for adult General Admission tickets and $6 for kids and senior General Admission tickets.

During the season, the ticket office opens on game days at 9 a.m. Monday-Friday and closes at the end of fifth inning. On Saturday and Sunday, the ticket office will open at 10 a.m. and close after the fifth inning.

Season tickets, coupon books, ticket packages, and group tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit Muckdogs.com or call (585)343-5454 and press zero Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Muckdogs open their 2016 home schedule on Wednesday, June 22^nd vs. the State College Spikes at 7:05 p.m. In addition to their Pinckney Division rivals, the Muckdogs will welcome the Baltimore Orioles (Aberdeen), New York Mets (Brooklyn), New York Yankees (Staten Island) and the Tampa Bay Rays (Hudson Valley) farm teams to Dwyer Stadium in 2016.

Want to join a flag football league this summer? Join Batavia Varsity Football Head Coach Brennan Briggs in the "Rising Stars" Flag Football League on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 beginning June 5th.

The league is for current fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade student-athletes from any district.

If you're interested contact Coach Briggs at 585-409-5557. Deadline for registration is Friday, May 27th so don't wait!

Press release:

“Since the Red Wings took over operation of the Batavia Muckdogs in 2008 after the Muckdogs had endured  several years of financial hardship, there have been several serious out-of-town suitors, none which met our, or the Genesee County Baseball Club’s, criteria for selling.

"While we have made no secret of the fact that the team is for sale, we are not in a position to comment on the current status except to say that baseball will go on as expected in 2016. The Red Wings are very proud of the way we have operated the Batavia franchise and continue to enjoy extending our reach to Genesee County. We are looking forward to opening day in Batavia on June 22nd.”

Press release:

The City of Batavia Youth Bureau sponsored a citywide 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament on Friday, May 13. Ten teams competed in the double elimination tournament. Teams represented were Youth, Batavia Police, Batavia City Hall and Genesee County Dept. of Social Services.

The Batavia Youth Bureau is planning another tournament later this summer to continue this community event that creates interaction between youth and public servants.

Below are photos (submitted, IDs from left) of the first-, second- and third-place teams and the Youth Team playing the Batavia Police/City Hall Team.

First Place: Malachi Chenault, Trenton MaGraw, Dakota Irvin and Jordan Thomas.

Second Place: Luqman Baity, Ally Luckenbach and Alex Nesbeth.

Third Place: Anthony Garcia, Juan Claudio, Nashiem Harris (not pictured -- Jeff Redband).

(Names not provided.)

Press release:

For the first time in the program's history, the Genesee Community College Men's Lacrosse Team captured the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship after defeating Onondaga CC 13-12 in overtime on Sunday afternoon.

The fourth-seeded Cougars snapped a seven-year streak in which OCC won the title, becoming just the third different team to be crowned national champions since 2006.

Genesee trailed 1-0 early in the first but tied it at the 11:37 mark when Pat Van Bortle scored off of an assist from Alex Henry. Jacob Bomberry followed with his first of three goals in the game just 20 seconds later and gave GCC a 2-1 lead.

OCC, the No. 2 seed, ended the opening quarter with three straight goals and took a 6-2 lead five minutes into the second to build what would be its largest lead of the afternoon.

Genesee capitalized on a man-up opportunity and ended its scoreless stretch when Van Bortle recorded his second goal with 9:14 to play in the half. Davis Prince cut the deficit to two with an unassisted goal at 6:24 and just over a minute later the Cougars were within one after Jonah Mohawk found the back of the net to make it 6-5.

The Lazers went into the half scoring back-to-back goals, including one with just six seconds left, and led 8-5 at the break.

Another man-up goal for GCC started the scoring in the second half when Van Bortle set Up Sherman Williams for his first of the game halfway through the third to cut the OCC lead down to two. The Lazers responded less than a minute later to extend their lead back to three before Williams struck again on a man-up opportunity to make it a 9-7 game.

Both teams exchanged goals to end the third as Bomberry got his second of the game for GCC and he scored again early in the fourth to get the Cougars to within one at 10-9. Williams then scored back-to-back goals at 11:24 and 10:40 and GCC held its first lead since the first quarter at 11-10.

OCC got the equalizer even strength and then scored a man-up goal with just over six minutes to play to regain the lead at 12-11. But Van Bortle wasn't done and tied it at 12 with 3:43 left in regulation and after a scoreless duration of the fourth, the game went into overtime.

Both teams held a possession early in the extra session but could not cash in, until with just 1:14 left in overtime, Van Bortle found an opportunity in front of the OCC net and scored his fourth goal of the afternoon to send GCC to its first national title.

Van Bortle, named the tournament's offensive MVP, finished with six points in the game adding a pair of assists to his four goals. Williams also tallied four goals and Bomberry finished with six points, scoring three goals and assisting on three.

Darin Eakins was named the tournament' defensive MVP and made 14 saves in net. Reed Hnidy led the GCC defense with six ground balls and caused five turnovers and Kyle Dalrymple and Mike Caternolo each collected four ground balls. Caternolo was also 10 for 27 on face-offs.

Genesee's national championship season ends with a 15-4 overall record. It is the College's second national title in school history and first since 1971 (bowling).

Darien Lake hosted its fourth annual Color Me Rad 5K fun run today, with proceeds this year benefiting substance abuse and rehabilitation programs.

Press release:

A bill to further protect sportsmen’s personal information has passed the New York State Senate by a vote of 54 to 4. The bill, S.2951, would prevent information submitted on hunting, fishing and trapping licenses and permit applications from being disclosed or released outside of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

State Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer sponsors the bill in the State Senate.

“At a time of growing concern for identity theft, it is important to strengthen the rights of hunters and trappers to maintain their personal privacy and security. This bill will ensure that DEC may continue to protect sporting license applicants’ just expectation that personal information will be kept private,” Ranzenhofer said.

Existing law does not contain restrictions on the release of information for holders of licenses and permits. The bill would also require the DEC to establish procedures to ensure information is protected from disclosure.

DEC recently installed a new database system to maintain information on sporting licenses and permits. Among the personal details entered into the database include: individual’s first and last name, date of birth, height, eye color, driver’s license number, mailing address, telephone number, and whether the licensee is permanent 40-percent military disabled.

“Clearly, this information contains intimate details related to personal matters, such as medical conditions and physical attributes. The release of any of these details would be an unwarranted intrusion into an individual’s privacy. This bill would diminish the potential for identity theft by enacting further protections for sportsmen,” Ranzenhofer said.

The bill has been sent to the New York State Assembly. Assemblywoman Aileen M. Gunther has introduced the bill in the State Assembly. If enacted, the bill would take effect immediately.

If you like traditional shooting with black powder firearms, or know someone who does, then you might be interested in the public Spring Shoot planned by the Alabama Hunt Club later this month.

According to Bob Smith, who is on the board of directors of the hunt club, there will be target matches for all black powder muzzle loaders, including flintlock, percussion, in-line and bench guns. The shooting range is from 25 to 200 yards.

The Spring Shoot will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Satruday, May 21, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at the club, located at 1857 Lewiston Road in Basom (near Oakfield, ZIP is 14013).

The club is trying to preserve the traditional shooting of black powder firearms and it also supports the conservation of wildlife. In fact, it has a section of land set up for that purpose.

For more information call John at (716) 714-5514 or Sam at (585) 297-7747.

Press release:

Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union is hosting its inaugural 5K/10K on Saturday, June 11th, to benefit the TVFCU Jr. Banking Scholarship. TVFCU will be awarding deserving high school seniors scholarships to put toward furthering their post-secondary education. 

Local runners, walkers, and those who love to be involved in 5K/10Kraces please contact the credit union. It is looking for race participants and those who want to volunteer to work on the day of the race.

All participants can visit this Web site: www.tvfcubatavia.com click on the 5K/10L logo on the left hand side and then follow the instructions on the landing page to register to participate.

Both runs begin at 9 a.m. at the credit union. The routes are available to view on the TVFCU Web site.

Race fee is $25 from now until May 25th and a race T-shirt is guaranteed. After May 25th, race fee is $30 and a T-shirt is not guaranteed. 

Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union
10 Jefferson Square
Batavia, NY 14020

Kristine B. Duran, CEO
kduran@tvfcubatavia.com

Phone (585) 343-5627
Fax (585) 344-2383

These photos are from game two of yesterday's Rotary Club Baseball Tournament, between Notre Dame and Attica.

Batavia beat Oakfield-Alabama in the first game, 6-2, then Attica beat ND 5-3.

Trevor Sherwood threw a no-hitter in the nightcap to give Batavia the championship with a 12-1 win over Attica.

Press release:

Live racing doesn’t return to Batavia Downs until Monday July 25, but the grandstand will be filled with race fans this Saturday (May 7) as the track hosts its annual Kentucky Derby bash in the Paddock Room from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The $10 “Kentucky Derby Meal Deal” deal includes your choice of five entrees, a $2.00 Kentucky Derby wager and $5.00 in free play on the gaming floor. Programs, live tellers and plenty of big screen TV’s will be available throughout the facility.

In Thurman Thomas’s 34 Rush Sports Bar, drink specials include $6 mint juleps served in the official Kentucky Derby commemorative glass along with $2 drafts. Both will be available from 11:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.

“The Derby party has really developed since 2005 and we are expecting in excess of 400 people to attend this year,” said Todd Haight, general manager/director of Racing at Batavia Downs. “It’s amazing how popular it has become and how much it has grown."

All the Western Regional OTB branches in Western New York will open at 10 a.m. Friday (Kentucky Oaks Day) for advance wagering on the Derby and again at 10 a.m. on Derby day.

Last year, WROTB had its second best handle ever and paid out more than it took in for the first time, dating back to 1974.

Tiara Filbert, who led Batavia's Lady Blue Devils to the team's first Section V title has been recognized by the NYS Sportswriters Association as one of New York's best high school basketball players.

Filbert has been named to the All-State First Team.

The sportswriters select 14 teams plus honorable mentions in Class A and no other player from Section V made any of the top six teams. In all, six players from Section V Class A were honored.

In Class C, Pembroke's Aralyse Johnson received honorable mention. In Class D, Elba's Alex Reigle made fifth team.

Submitted photos and press release:

Last week, Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) honored four local high school sports teams for winning championships in their respective conferences. Hawley presented Assembly proclamations, the house’s highest honor, to the Batavia Notre Dame Hockey Team, Batavia Girls Basketball Team, Batavia Boys Basketball Team and Batavia Girls’ Indoor Track and Field Team.

Hawley spoke to the teams about the value of teamwork, perseverance and strength and offered his advice and good fortune to the teams for next year. 

“Batavia is my hometown and I appreciate the strong tradition in athletics that is perpetuated by these gifted athletes,” Hawley said. “Non-professional athletics is one of the purest forms of sport out there because athletes do not have hidden agendas or are distracted by salary requirements.

"Lessons learned in high school sports such as leadership, the strength to fight through adversity and mental fortitude will have profound impacts on these young men and women and help them succeed after high school. I wish these teams the best of luck for next season.”

A mixed group of local First Responders participated in the premiere Police and Fire Hockey Tournament last Friday and Saturday at the Harborcenter in Downtown Buffalo.

The event featured 12 teams composed of police officers and firefighters. Participating organizations included Buffalo police, Buffalo fire, Niagara Falls police, Niagara Falls fire, Niagara County Sheriff's deputies, Town of Tonawanda police, Genesee County Sheriffs deputies, Batavia police, Batavia fire, Lackawanna police, Lackawanna fire, NY State Department of Corrections, and Hamilton (ON) fire.

Team members included: front, (from left) Dave Tran -- Town of Batavia Fire Department; Kevin Czora -- Batavia Police Department; Ryan Whitcombe -- City of Batavia Fire Department; Pete Welker -- Genesee County Sheriff's Department; Back (L-R) Stephen Cronmiller -- Batavia Police Department; James Diehl -- Genesee County Sheriff's Department; Matt Lutey -- Batavia Police Department; Jeff Whitcombe -- City of Batavia Fire Department; C.J. Lindsay -- Batavia Police Department; Arick Perkins -- Batavia Police Department; Russ Borden -- Town of Batavia Fire Department; Paul Dibble -- Town of Batavia Fire Department; Connor Wilkes -- Town of Batavia Fire Department; and Dan Coffey -- Batavia Police Department/CBFD.