Sports

On STOP-DWI night at Dwyer Stadium on Thursday, Batavia fans were treated to an entertaining game that ended on a walk-off single by Charlie Szykowny.

Szykowny, primarily a shortstop with a strong arm who is hitting .292 on the season, was also the winning pitcher after giving up four runs in his single frame of work.

The University of Wisconsin-Stout senior had three hits and drove in two runs to lead the Muckdogs' offense to a 7-6 win over Jamestown.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Muckdogs are over .500 for the first time this season, sitting at 17-16 in third place in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League's Western Division.  

Batavia native Jerry Reinhart, a senior at University of Akron, had one hit and scored twice. 

Abner Benitez tripled as a pinch hitter, driving in two runs and raising his season average to .292.

Starter Julian Pichardo, who came into the game with a 4-1 record, didn't figure in the decision after six innings of work in which he gave up two runs, four hits, and fanned six.

The next home game is Saturday at 7 p.m. vs. Newark.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Dr. Ross Fanara fires in a strike for the first pitch, on his birthday.

Julian Pichardo

Jerry Reinhart

Jerry Reinhart

Jerry Reinhart scores game's first run.

Deputy Andrew Mullen and K-9 "Frankie."

Charlie Szykowny

On Thursday, Batavia Downs hosted the Genesee County Fair harness races.

Every year, the state gives money to the counties with harness racing to host a purse-only (no wagering) card of races. Since the fairgrounds are not suitable for harness racing, Batavia Downs hosts the races.

"It’s a good opportunity for our local horsemen and people from outside this area to come here, make some money," said General Manager of Live Racing Todd Haight. "They’re all New York-bred horses so it’s good for the New York-bred program, it’s good for or local horsemen. It’s good for everybody."

The 2021 racing season starts this coming Wednesday. The first post time is 6 p.m.

Video: For one race, I was able to ride in the cab of the starter truck. The horses in the race were 2-year-old colts so you'll see some of them hang back from the starter's gate, unlike a race with more experienced horses.

Starter Terry Mays, who was kind enough to let me share the very cramped space of the gate truck.

Top photo: Four members of the Sutherland Family at the 24th annual ND Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament June 13.

Submitted photos and press release:

This year's 24th annual Notre Dame Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament was held on Sunday, June 13. The golf portion of this year’s tournament was held at the beautiful 27-hole Terry Hills Golf Course and Banquet Facility in Batavia. The tennis competition took place on the newly refurbished tennis courts at Batavia Senior High School and the bocce competition was held at the adjoining MacArthur Park.

A great time was reportedly had by all in attendance on this sun-filled, rain-free Western New York afternoon! 

A total of 144 golfers [a record 36 foursomes!], 17 tennis players and four Bocce teams participated in this year's successful annual event, the proceeds of which will be used to help prospective ND families with the tuition costs of a quality, private Catholic high school education.

A big word of thanks goes out to all alumni and friends of Notre Dame who either:

• Participated in one of our events or made donations to support our annual fundraiser;
• Served as a major event sponsors

                -- Blue and Gold level [$3,500] -- Skyworks -- Jerry Reinhart Jr.

                -- Shamrock level [$2,500] -- Lynn and Tom Houseknecht/Crickler/MTE

                -- Donald L. Bausch ('60) Corporate level [$1,000] -- Russ Marchese, ('73) DDS

                -- Jerry and Carm Pellegrino Reinhart ('69)

                -- Reinhart, Clark, Patterson, Lee Architects and Engineers

                -- DelPlato ('64) Casey ('10) Law Firm

                 -- Sunny Hill and Thunderhart/Kevin Smith ('87) 

                -- T.F. Brown's Restaurant/ Mancuso Real Estate/Rick Mancuso ('76)

                -- Friends of Our Lady [$500] -- Freed Maxick CPA

• Sponsored our annual event as one of this year’s 53 T-sign sponsors!
• Sanzo Beverage and C.H. Wright Beverage Distributors

***A special word of thanks goes out to Tournament Chairperson Jim Sutherland (’86), ND Advancement Office coordinator Kate Edwards, and ND Special Events coordinator Kathy Antinore for the key roles they played in helping to coordinate this year's overall event.***

Special recognition also goes out to:

• Batavia CSD Athletic Director Mike Bromley and the Batavia City School District for the continued use of their newly refurbished tennis courts;
• The City of Batavia Parks Department for the use of MacArthur Park for our bocce tournament;
• Terry Hills Director of Golf Casey Brown, and General Manager Danielle Rotondo, and owner Nick Rotondo for their expertise and assistance on the day of the event at the golf course.

2021 Tournament Dedication -- Bill Sutherland ('67)

On behalf of this year's tournament Committee, Chairperson Jim Sutherland presented his brother Bill's wife, Melanie, and her ND grad children Billy Sutherland ('96) and Jennifer Sutherland ('00) Forsyth with a commemorative plaque in appreciation for Coach Sutherland's longtime support of ND and our annual Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament.

The plaque read:

"To the family of Coach Bill Sutherland . . . With genuine love and gratitude from the thousands of students, athletes and co-workers that he touched during his long and storied tenure at Notre Dame. The 2021 ND Golf, Tennis and Bocce tournament is held in his honor. June 13, 2021."

2021Award Winners

Winning teams/individuals for this year’s golf and tennis competition were as follows:

Golf

First Place Overall Non-ND Foursome [18 under par 54] -- West Herr: Lionel Rhim, Brian Cline, Tom Hungerford and Donnell Holloway.

Second Place Overall Non-ND Foursome [13 under par 69] – Joe Flynn ('68), Dennis Buckley, Matt Buckley and Tim Sprague.

First Place ND Alumni Cup Foursome – Sanzo Beverage [17 under par 55] -- 2nd year in a row!: Zach Goodsell (‘05), Bobby Martin (’04), Cam McDonald (‘10) and Arron “Red” McDonald (’13).

First Place Womens' Foursome [-2 under par 70] -- Karen Green, Seana Logsdon, Sharon Fisher and Sue Penepent            

Putting Contest sponsored by C.H. Wright: Chad LaCivita

Closest to the Pin -- Males – Jack Chmielowiec; Females – Sally Barie

Longest Drives – Males – Mikey Rapone ('02); Females – Katelyn Ferris

Tennis

First Place Singles: Diane Bonarigo

Second Place Doubles: Karen Tomm ('81) Hughes and Pavlo Huda

Second Place Doubles: Gary May and Mike Teresi ('08)

Bocce

First Place Team: Pat and Maria Robusto

Second Place Team: Annie Lawrence and Diane Fiorentino

2021Tournament Committee Membership

This year’s Committee did an amazing job organizing this year’s tournament under the trying COVID-19 conditions, which we were all forced to experience. Zoom meetings were held on a regular biweekly basis in order to coordinate what turned out to be a very successful outing! 

Chairpersons for this year's 24th Annual ND Foundation fundraiser included:

• Overall Tournament and Golf Chair: Jim Sutherland (’86)
• Tennis Chairperson: ND Board of Trustee Member Carm Pellegrino Reinhart ('69)
• Bocce Chairperson: Charlie Messina ('62) with assistance from Mike Del Plato ('64)
• Additional 2021Tournament Committee members included: ND Advancement coordinator Kate Edwards, ND Special Events coordinator Kathy Antinore, ND Principal Wade Bianco, and ND grads Jim Fanara (‘94), Jeremy Warner (’00), Connor Logsdon ('16) and Joe Scanlan, Ed.D. (’65).

Our 2021Tournament Committee would also like to recognize this year’s non-Committee volunteers: Brandi Fanara, Krista Fisher, Maria Fitzpatrick, Melanie Sutherland and Sarah Welker and ND employees Shannon Plath and Lorie Fix for a job well done, as well as extending a thank you to longtime ND faculty member Father Dick Csizmar [1969 -1994] for attending and saying Grace prior to our meal.

We hope to see everyone back for our 25th Annual ND Foundation Golf, Tennis and Bocce Tournament in 2022! Stay tuned to our ND webpage -- www.ndhsbatavia.com -- and Facebook pages, as well as upcoming ND online newsletters and e-blasts for more information about next year’s event date and location!

Thanks again for your participation in our annual tournament and support of Notre Dame High School’s tuition assistance program for families in need.

Go Irish!

From BPD:

The Batavia Muckdogs are proud to host the inaugural "Battle of the Badges" game between our local Police and Fire departments in Batavia.

The game will take place this Sunday, July 18th, on Give716 Day at the ballpark -- Western New York's community-wide day of giving.

Batavia will host the Elmira Pioneers for a 4:05 p.m. start, with the "Battle of the Badges" game following the completion of the Muckdogs vs. Pioneers game.

Tickets will be required for the police vs. fire matchup, and admission will be counted toward both games that occur on Sunday. Tickets range from $9-11, and a dollar is added if purchased the day of. For tickets, call (585) 524-2260.

By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs

Batavia Downs is proud to host the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) County Fair Series on Thursday (July 15) starting at 12:30 p.m. The program that is facilitated by the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund features stops at tracks in 21 different counties throughout the state and culminates with finals for the top point-getters at Historic Track in Goshen on Sunday (Sept. 5).

"County Fair racing is where our young horses and many young horsemen and women get their start and can learn in a fun environment," said Kelly Young, executive director of the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund.

"We are so excited to add Genesee County racing at Batavia Downs to the schedule this year and provide another outstanding venue for New York-bred horses to compete on the County Fair circuit."

"County Fair is about more than ribbons and awards. Its about the experience and the people you share those experiences with. County fair is embracing the life skills and memories created while being part of the fair. Most importantly its about being a role model, giving back, and making the best better," added Amanda Gallo, president of the Genesee Agricultural Society. 

“It’s been a pleasure working with the Genesee County Fair Society and the New York Sire Stakes to make this happen,” said Todd Haight, director and general manager of live racing at Batavia Downs. “These races are not only beneficial for our local racing community, but also horseman and women throughout New York State.”

There will be 13 races on Thursday -- eight trots and five paces -- and all are non-betting events. Admission and parking are free at the track and race gates will open at noon with the track apron available for fans. Also, free full past performance programs are available for download a www.bataviadownsgaming.com. Everyone is encouraged to come out to the Downs and root on all the aspiring 2- and 3-year-olds. 

The Claude Huckabone III stable, who has 10 horses entered, leads the way for number of starters on the card. Local trainers competing include Doug Ackley, Ryan Swift, John Mungillo, Judy Blaun, Jim Graham, Tammy Cummings, Gerry Sarama, Robert Wittcop, Kirk Desmond and one of the perennial NYSS leading conditioners, Steve Pratt.

Many of the horses racing on this card have already started in other levels of the state sponsored series this year including the NYSS, Excel A and Excel B levels, so the racing promises to be very competitive. 

Three of the four County Fair 2-year-old champions from 2020 will be in action on Thursday as 3-year-olds and include trotting filly Flexible Credit (Credit Winner-Back On Track), trotting colt Ready For Workout (Whataworkout-Oven Ready) and pacing gelding Brave Element (Bolt The Duer-Necessary Element). 

The 72 entrants will compete for total purses of $30,250 and points, as they each try to make their way to the finals this fall.

Dozens of pulling tractors and modified diesel trucks with the Empire State Pullers and Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League put on a show Saturday to a completely packed house at the Annual Alexander Fire Department Tractor Pulls. Red Creek brought the party and played to a crowd of hundreds in the beer tent to finish off the night.  

Class winners from the pulls are as follows:

• SF: Frank Payne, Pure Luck
• LSS: Roy Metz, Git-R-Done
• MOD: Tom Durfee, Thumber 2
• LPSDT: Jennifer Pushlar, Hellfire
• HSS: Henry Everman, Final Decision

Photos and information by Philip Casper.

Le Roy's Aaron Leone finished out his high school trap shooting career with his third appearance at the USA Clay Target National Championship in Mason, Mich.

On the first day of the competition, he shot 97/100. On the second day, 98/100 with a reverse run of 81 straight hits to finish 32nd of 1,684 competitors.

Information and photo submitted by Tim McArdle.

The Muckdogs battled at home on Tuesday night but in the end just couldn't put up enough runs to beat Geneva, dropping the final game of a homestand 3-2.

The team is in Niagara tonight and will play Elmira at home tomorrow.  

The losing pitcher Tuesday was George Osborne, a junior at Alcorn State University. Osborne, with an ERA of 2.34, put in six solid innings, fanning 10, but picked up his first loss (no wins) in three starts.  

Tyler Prospero, from Batavia, struck out two in a scoreless inning of work.

Cameron Conley, who will be attending Pepperdine University, raised his average to .281 with two hits. Conley has appeared in nine games, getting a hit in all but two of those games.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene Photography.

Press release: 

After a commanding 4-0 victory on Saturday, June 3rd, in front of a large crowd against the Niagara Power, the Muckdogs went into a two-game stretch against opponents in the NYCBL. Batavia hosted the Mansfield Destroyers for the second time this season, as they lost 13-3 in a crossover matchup back on June 7th.

On Sunday, Batavia struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first after a Blair Frederick RBI triple and Trevor Dean crossing home after an error by Mansfield catcher Blake Murray. Caden Walton and Frederick would both score due to a two-RBI single off the bat of third baseman Ethan Sarmiento to create a four-run lead.

Nathan Hinkley would allow his first runs on the contest in the fifth as Bryce Porter would drive in two runs to make it a 4-2 ball game. The Destroyers would tack on eight runs in the sixth inning, putting Batavia down six runs erasing their early lead.

As always, the Muckdogs like to make things interesting down the stretch, responding with two runs of their own after Mansfield added one more in the eighth and three more in the ninth. Down 11-9, Mansfield’s closer Matt Kahn shut the door getting the last three outs to secure the win.

Shifting into Monday’s action with the Syracuse Salt Cats, both teams agreed that the friendly matchup would just be seven innings due to both teams running low on pitching. Kyle O’Neill got the nod for Batavia as the Felician University right-hander tossed three scoreless innings while striking out six.

Batavia lost 1-0.

Trey Bacon entered the game in relief and allowed the only to run in the fourth as right fielder Carter Huffman hit a sacrifice fly to score Matt Rinaldi. Abner Benitez would have two of Batavia’s four hits in the game, as there were only a combined seven hits for both teams.

Even though Batavia dropped two straight, neither game will count toward their regular-season records or to their individual stats. Tuesday’s game against the Geneva Red Wings will count as it is the final night of the USA Homestand at Dwyer Stadium. Batavia currently sits at 12-14 and is tied with the Red Wings (13-15) as they are seven games back for the first place Jamestown Tarp Skunks in the West Division.

The Muckdogs will then travel to Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls in a matchup with the Power before facing the Elmira Pioneers three days in a row from Thursday to Saturday. Elmira has lost five straight games and is just one game over .500, meaning if Batavia wins against Geneva and takes two out of three against the Pios, they could be in second place.

First pitch for Tuesday night’s game is scheduled for 7:05 o'clock at Dwyer Stadium. It can be viewed on YouTube Live by subscribing to “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.” Make sure to follow our Twitter @BataviaMuckdogs, Instagram @Batavia_Muckdogs, and like our Facebook Page, “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Top photo: Syracuse infielders Michael DeStefano and Eddy Garcia tracking a pop-up over the infield in the second inning.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Batavia Youth Baseball hosted a regional tournament at the ball fields at MacArthur Park this weekend, from Friday through this evening, with the finals taking place this evening.

Twelve teams participated.  

These photos are from a game Saturday between Akron and Perry.

Press release:

The roller-coaster ride of emotions continues for the Muckdog as after they just won four out of their last five games to claw their way but to .500; they lose their second straight game. After Friday night’s nail-biting loss to the Tarp Skunks 2-1, Batavia looked to maintain the season series lead against the Elmira Pioneers on Faith and Family Night at Dwyer Stadium.

Andrew Parr got the ball to start the game, as the righty from Andrews College started the year out of the bullpen but was on the mound for his second start of the season against Elmira. Going into the game, Parr led the entire Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League with a 0.00 ERA in 17 innings pitched and was tied for first with four wins.

Elmira’s bats got rolling early as Parr allowed three hits, and first basemen Bobby Marsh drove in the first run against Parr so far this season. The Pios then got six hits off the former PGCBL Pitcher of the Week in the second inning, including an opposite-field two-run homer for Chris Erickson. Parr was yanked for Niagara University right-hander Tyler Prospero in a 6-0 ballgame with just one out in the inning.

Batavia would respond in the bottom half of the inning, scoring both Jerry Reinhart and Abner Benitez to cut the deficit to just four. The hits just continue to come in bunches for Elmira, as they had double digits in the fourth inning. The Pioneers scored three in the fourth and three more in the fifth due to a bases-clearing triple from right fielder Dom Popa.

As always, the Muckdogs did not go down without a fight, down 10 runs in the seventh pinch hitter Ethan Frasca and Luis Rodriguez both scored after RBI’s from Cameron Conley and Charlie Szykowny. Batavia would tack on two more in the eighth after Elmira responded with two runs of their own.

With a final score of 14-6, Elmira mustered up 19 total hits in an impressive showing from top to bottom of the Pioneer order. Extra hitter Gil Merod had a four-hit game with three runs scored, and Auburn catcher Jake Schorr finished with three hits and three RBIs. Cam Hill got the win on the mound, as so far on the year, Batavia was used to seeing him playing first base and batting third for the Pios, with Parr picking up the loss.

Batavia now falls to 9-12 on the year and back into fourth place as Geneva winning both games of the doubleheader against Auburn. Facing the Auburn Doubledays today will be the Muckdogs, as they play a team from the central division for the first time this year.

First pitch at Falcon Park is at 5:05 p.m.! It can be viewed on YouTube Live by subscribing to BataviaMuckdogBaseball. Make sure to follow our Twitter @BataviaMuckdogs and liking our Facebook Page, “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Press release:

Wednesday was the Muckdogs' first doubleheader of the 2021 season, traveling to Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls to face the Power. The day started off with miscommunication on the report time with the bus, pushing game one’s start time back 30 minutes to 5 p.m.

Nathan Hinkley got the ball in game one with the Muckdogs trying to push their win streak to three, and in the process, making it for straight losses for Niagara. The Power would strike in the first inning, as five of the six hits over the seven-inning game occurred in the first three frames. TCU shortstop hit a deep home run down the left-field line in his first at-bat with Niagara to make a 1-0 ballgame.

Batavia would respond in the top of the fourth with a leadoff bunt single by Charlie Szykowny, and later would be driven in on the RBI single from first baseman Joe Georger to tie the game. Hinkley would settle in and groove in the last three innings, as the Keystone College right-hander allowed just one hit and three other base runners during that time in the complete game.

Base-running errors were crucial for both teams throughout the game, as Hinkley picked off four Niagara base runners at first base, and Brice Mortillaro was thrown out going home on an Ethan Sarimento double in the fifth. With the game still knotted at one heading into the seventh, Spencer Marcus smacked a leadoff triple into the right-center gap for his first hit of the day.

After Abner Benitez was walked on four pitches as reliever AC Chavez game into the game; Jerry Reinhart had the go-ahead RBI on an infield single that scored Marcus from third. Mortillaro would also redeem himself with a standup double where Reinhart showed off his speed and almost beat Benitez to home plate.

Hinkley would continue being the man on the mound in the seventh, retiring Casey Saucke for the final out to get his first win of the season and leading the Muckdogs to a 4-1 victory in a game that was one hour and 42 minutes long.

Game two was anticipated to start 30 minutes after the completion of game one, not leaving much time for players to get ready and eat some food on dollar cheeseburger day. Five minutes before the first pitch, penciled in starting pitcher Blair Frederick informed the coaching staff that he was not able to throw to due shoulder discomfort, creating a sense of panic in who was going to start for Batavia.

Kyle Kohlhafer would get his first start in PGCBL action, as his first appearance in a Muckdog uniform came against the Mansfield Destroyers in a friendly nonleague game. Kohlhafer’s start would only last one and two-thirds innings after giving up three earned runs and five hits. Colin Noeth came into the game to get the final out of the second inning but only lasted an inning as he let up three runs on one swing of the bat from the University of Virginia commitment Casey Saucke.

Nate Novia was handed the ball to start the fourth, but could not get an out in the fifth as Utah catcher Brock Rudy had a bases-clearing triple that made it a 10-2 game. Relievers George Osbourne and Kyle O’Neill did not allow a run to score in their combined two innings of work, striking out four Power batters.

The Batavia bats were pretty stagnant in game two, only mustering up three hits compared to Niagara’s 11. Mitch Fleming and Michael Florides would score the two Muckdog runs back in the third inning to make it a 3-2 ballgame before seven unanswered runs for Niagara. Florides, Charlie Szykowny, and Abner Benitez were responsible for the Muckdogs hits.

In a less than ideal scenario in game two, with Frederick not being able to throw with short notice to the other pitchers, Batavia’s win streak is snapped at three games to sit at an 8-10 record. Geneva currently sits at 8-8 as they are riding a three-game losing skid after Wednesday night’s loss to the Jamestown Tarp Skunks.

The Muckdogs will be back home tonight on Guaranteed Win Night against the Geneva Red Wings with the opportunity to jump into third place in the Western Division as they currently sit one game back.

First pitch of game one is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Dwyer Stadium. It can be viewed on YouTube Live by subscribing to “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Make sure to follow our Twitter @BataviaMuckdogs and like our Facebook Page, “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Press release:

The Muckdogs early last week were sitting at 5-5, riding a three-game winning streak before entering a four-game losing streak heading into action this past Sunday. Inconsistencies on both sides of the ball were credited to that losing streak said skipper Joe Martinez.

“It felt like when we would get runs and immediately give them right back,” Martinez said.

Looking to get back to their winning ways, Batavia played their most complete game of the season on Father’s Day on Sunday versus the Niagara Power. Just three days before, Niagara held a combined perfect game heading into the ninth inning as starting pitcher Ben Miller had a masterful performance.

Miller threw seven scoreless frames, not allowing a base runner and striking out 11 Muckdogs. Due to Miller only pitching seven and two-thirds innings prior to that appearance, he was pulled after 83 pitches. Cameron Gallardo was given the ball in the bottom of the eighth and kept the perfect game intact with just three outs remaining. Daniel Burroway broke the perfect game with a single past Casey Saucke down the third baseline.

Later in the inning, Joe Georger hit a line drive over the head of centerfielder Nathan Manning, putting the Muckdogs on the board as two runs would score on the Georger triple. The late-game rally came up short as the Muckdogs lost to the Power 5-2.

Fast forward to their next matchup against the Power, Batavia struck first in the fourth and did not look back as Spencer Marcus had a leadoff single off Power starter Joey Schott and would later score. Trey Bacon had a leadoff single off Gallardo in the fifth and tallied another run for the Dogs to go up 2-0.

For Batavia, former PGCBL Pitcher of the Week, Andrew Parr had his first start of the season, holding the Power scoreless. In six innings pitched Parr struck out six, allowing four hits, while also picking up his fourth win of the season. Parr currently leads the PGCBL in ERA (0.00) and Wins (4).

Ethan Frasca, Cameron Conley, and Charlie Szykowny scored runs in the sixth to go up 5-0, and Conley scored again in the eighth on Spencer Marcus’ RBI single. Batavia would snap the losing skid at four games in the 6-0 win and be tied with the Newark Pilots at 6-9.

Monday’s friendly matchup against the Elmira Pioneers was canceled at Dwyer Stadium due to a storm in Batavia. The Muckdogs then shifted their focus to the Pilots as they visited Colburn Park for the first time this season on Tuesday.

With both teams tied in fourth place in the Western Division at 6-9, Newark got out to an early 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. Blake MacMillian started on the mound for the Pilots, and Batavia had no answer for the Niagara University southpaw. MacMillian went five scoreless innings with only two Muckdogs reaching base but was taken out due to him mainly coming out of the pen.

Jimmy Dougherty was the man in relief, and the Muckdogs' bats came alive in the sixth. Brice Mortillaro started things off with a single; Michael Florides and Caden Walton had three straight singles. Abner Benitez knocked in two of them on a slicing double down the left-field line.

The game was tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh until Blair Frederick’s go-ahead two-run blast to go up 5-3. The flood gates opened as the Dogs scored eight runs in the seventh, batting through the entire lineup.

Batavia pitchers Dathon McGrath, Tyler Prospero and Carlos Rodriguez struck out 17 Pilots during the game, with an impressive outing from Prospero as he was responsible for six of them in his two innings of relief.

Batavia now sits at 7-9, heading into their doubleheader tonight with the Niagara Power at Sal Maglie Stadium. The rainout from this past Friday in Niagara Falls is responsible for the two seven-inning games with the opportunity for the Muckdogs to get back to .500.

First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5 p.m., with the second game starting 30 minutes after the completion of game one.

It can be viewed on YouTube Live by subscribing to BataviaMuckdogBaseball. Make sure to follow our Twitter @BataviaMuckdogs and liking our Facebook Page, “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Three Batavia High School student-athletes have signed letters of intent to continue both their studies and their sports careers in college.

Stone Siverling, above, will play basketball at Alfred State College. Pictured with him are: Jason Siverling, Holly Siverling, Coach Tim Stevens, Coach Buddy Brasky, Sawyer Silverling, Sheldon Silverling, and Morgan Murray.

Rebekah Daniszewski, center, will compete at Seton Hill University in track and field. Pictured are Paul Daniszewski, Douglas Daniszewski, Wendy Daniszewski, and Coach Dan Geiger.

Tyler Kleinbach, second from left, will swim at Genesee Community College. Pictured, David Kleinbach, Desire Kleinbach, and coaches Eric Geitner and Frank Dibacco.

Press release:

The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation is getting back in the “swing”of things. We are “teeing off” with a new FUN-raiser and we are asking for some assistance in making this event a success.

“Links & Drinks” is a unique golf outing that will be held Aug. 14, 2021 at Terry Hills Golf Course, Batavia. This event will consist of nine holes of shenanigans, beverage tastings on select holes, chicken barbeque, music, and an evening full of fun.

Registration for golfers will begin at 3:30 p.m. followed by a shotgun start at 4 p.m.

Sponsorship opportunities are available as listed below, donations of gift cards or basket raffle items are also appreciated.

Sponsorship levels are as follows:

• Event Sponsor                 $500
• Music Sponsor                 $250
• Beverage Cart Sponsor   $200
• Hole Sponsor                   $100

If you would like to participate in the event, the costs are as follows:

• Golf Foursome               $320
• Dinner/Music                   $40

Join the “Club”and help us Lend a Hand for Hope and continue our mission of assisting families with the challenges of a pediatric cancer, supporting research in finding a cure, and providing grants for youth activities in Western New York communities.

Please let us know if you can help in any way by calling the Foundation phone at (585) 861-0550, Donna Kabel at (585) 993-1580, or Laurie Napoleone at (585) 409-3275.

Press release:

Northgate Free Methodist Church will be offering free youth pickleball this summer for students in both middle school and high school on Thursdays at 1 p.m. All events will be held at Northgate’s South Campus (350 Bank St., Batavia).

There is no cost, no equipment or knowledge of the game required to attend. All that is required is the ambition to have a great time while learning an awesome game!

Games will begin on Thursday, July 1 and continue weekly on Thursdays.

Northgate encourages you to bring a friend and learn to “dink,” stay out of the “kitchen” and, hopefully, don’t get “pickled!”

If you have any questions, please call Pastor Daniel Calkins (585) 343-4011, or email him at:  daniel@northgatefmc.com!

Psst...Free pizza the first week!

Tractor pulls are back with a competition going on all day today in Alexander at the WNY Steam Show grounds.

The event started at 9 a.m. with the deadweight pull. This afternoon and evening include the Class 5500, 6500, 7500, and 8500 stock and enhanced pulls, then the 9500, 10500, 12500, 14500 stock and enhanced pulls, followed by the 4x4 wheel drive truck diesel pulls and then the gas trucks.

Admission: $10 adult; children 5-12 $5; 4 and under free. Food and beverages are available for purchase.

The GLOW YMCA Golf Outing was held Monday June 14^th at the Terry Hill’s Golf Club. The event was a tremendous success in raising more than $12,000 to go toward financial aid scholarships for families in the GLOW Region who wish to participate in YMCA programs or services.

This year's sponsors were: Clark Patterson Lee; Ciurzynski Consulting; Five Star Bank; Freed Maxick; Marchese Computers; Manning Squires Hennig; Bank of Castile Tompkins Insurance; Ken Barrett Chevrolet; Crickler Vending; Kiwanis Club of Warsaw; Chris White of Merrill Lynch; Genesee Patrons; Curated Golf; Terry Hills Golf Club; Max Pies Furniture; and Terry Mooney Construction.

Special thanks to all these vendors and supporters of the GLOW YMCA as well as the golfers and Terry Hill’s staff. 

• Winning foursome was Matt Woods, Mark Marcello, Mike Schuth, Andrew Daily shooting a 12 under 60.
• Longest Drive winners were Susie Ott and Andrew Daily.
• Closest to the pin winners were Peggy Miller and Jason Krempa.

Press release: 

Inconsistency throughout the first two weeks of the season for the Muckdogs has created a roller coaster of high and low points. With Monday night’s walk-off, 6-5 exhibition win in the rearview, Batavia dropped to a 5-7 record after losing two straight.

On Tuesday against the Pioneers, a two-RBI triple by Charlie Szykowny in the opening frame created an early 2-0 lead. That lead stayed intact till the bottom of the third inning as the Pios put seven runs on the scoreboard on just five hits.

After adding two more runs for good measure to make the score 9-2 with four innings in the books, Batavia would score a pair of runs in both the fifth and sixth to make it a 9-6 ballgame. First baseman Joe Georger was a large part of the Muckdogs' success, tallying three hits and scoring two runs at the bottom of the order.

Georger and extra hitter Trey Bacon consistently getting on base created the opportunity for guys at the top of the lineup like Cameron Conley, Spencer Marcus and Abner Benitez to drive them in. Reliever Tyler Prospero had a great appearance for Batavia as Dathon McGrath could only go two and a third in the start. Prospero ran out of gas in the seventh with Chris Erickson smacking an RBI triple, while Kyle O’Neill would allow another to go up 11-6.

As they have shown repeatedly, the Dogs are a resilient group of guys that are determined till the very end. A spot that they found themselves in less than 24 hours before, down five runs with Bacon leading off the inning with a hit by pitch against pitcher David Ferguson. Benitez would walk on four pitches, and Marcus would have his second hit of the night to have the bases loaded with one out.

Charlie Szykowny battled against Ferguson to allow another walk that made the score 11-7. Coming to the plate was the game-tying run in Daniel Burroway would up to that point was 0-3 for the night but hit the ball hard all over the yard. Burroway laced a ball up the middle that was snagged by Pioneer shortstop Donovan Montgomery for the second out, and Montgomery stepped on second to complete the game-ending double play.

A situation that brought back flashbacks to Friday night’s 7-6 loss to Geneva as Blair Frederick hit a line-drive double play that ended Batavia’s comeback hopes just a few days before. The Muckdogs still hold the 3-2 season series against the Pios (not counting Monday’s exhibition win) as Elmira found themselves just a half-game back of first place.

Shifting gears into another challenging game on the road at Russell E. Diethrick Jr. Park Wednesday night, as the Muckdogs were still looking for their first win against the Jamestown Tarp Skunks. For the second straight night, Batavia got ahead early as Daniel Burroway score both Marcus and Benitez. However, a common theme for the Dogs is not capitalizing by adding to their lead with the bases loaded and giving their lead right back to the opponent.

Jamestown took the lead in the bottom half after a two-run bomb from extra hitter Luke Turner off Nathan Hinkley to go up 3-2. In the fourth, they added a trio of runs as DiMaggio Cazaras, Justin Bowers, and Justin Bailey all came around to score in the fourth.

Down 6-2 catcher Mitch Fleming got ahold of a fastball and drove it over the left-field wall for a two-run homer for his first of the season to cut the deficit to two. In the middle innings for Batavia, they continued to hit line drives and put the ball in play, but gold glove plays by Cazaras in left field, Bailey in right, Danny Hosley at third, and Haiden Hunt in center ensured that Jamestown kept their lead safe.

In the bottom of the sixth, AJ Winger retired the first two batters of the inning before allowing a walk to Bowers and a single to shortstop Chase Carlson. The next man up, Justin Bailey, hit a ball to Szykowny that was thrown to Georger at first, and a great pick was made to get the final out of the inning.

The only problem was the base umpire called Bailey safe at first base, allowing the inning to continue. Hunt on the first pitch he saw, hit a two-RBI single, followed by Mark Tucker, also driving in two runners.

With one call dictating a four-run swing for Jamestown, Batavia had more work to do with the bats as Benitez hit a towering solo shot over the 342-foot foul pole in right field to make it a 10-5 game. Outfielder Trevor Dean had himself a great day at the plate with two doubles and an RBI single in the seventh to make it a four-run game.

Matt Henson came and shut the door in the ninth for the Tarp Skunks, solidifying a two-game losing streak for the Muckdogs heading into a home-and-home series against the Niagara Power. Batavia beat the Power in their first meeting last Saturday 10-5 at Sal Maglie Stadium.

A home game at Dwyer Stadium today will be the Muckdogs first since Monday’s exhibition game. Niagara will then host Batavia on Friday for a 6 p.m. Friday start, with the Dogs then having three straight games at home throughout the weekend.

First pitch against the Power will be at 7:05 tonight -- Thirsty Thursday!

It can be viewed on YouTube Live by subscribing to BataviaMuckdogBaseball. Make sure to follow our Twitter @BataviaMuckdogs and liking our Facebook Page, “BataviaMuckdogBaseball.”

Press release:

Are you up for the Companion Retriever Hunting Challenge? 

There will be one at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 26 at Godfrey’s Pond, located at 7925 Godfrey's Pond Road.

This is a fun event representing an actual duck hunt over water and a field goose hunt and is open to all sporting dog breeds that hunt waterfowl.

It is open to handlers age 12 and up.

All dogs should be familiar with multiple shots from a 12-gauge shotgun.

NO dogs that currently hold a hunt test or field trial title can enter.

NO professional trainers allowed to handle dogs; professionally trained dogs may participate.

Registration fee is $35 per dog. All fees for the event will be donated to the Godfrey’s Pond’s conservation programs.

Scoring will be done by Jim Beverly.

First-, second- and third-highest scores will receive plaques. All handlers (regardless of score) will be entered into a lottery for prizes.

The focus is on enjoying the experience with the dogs and networking with fellow waterfowl hunters. 

There is no pressure and plenty of help available -- Jim Beverly and Andy Merkel will assist each handler with any training or handling tips for those needing it.

Contact Jim Beverly or Andy Merkel via email to request a registration form and specific information on what the event consists of.

Jim:  jbeverly@retrievertrainer.com

Andy:  amerkel@retrievertrainer.com

Here's a video posted on The Batavian on May 25, 2019: