Sports

Dylan Bordinaro was all over the field Saturday, making tackles, picking off passes and rushing for 85 yards.

The senior linebacker/running back scored two touchdowns and was a big part of Elba/Byron-Bergen's 35-0 victory over Alexander.

“This off-season, right at the end of the school year, he asked, 'What do I need to do to get better?'" said Head Coach Michael Cintorino. "We said, 'You’ve got the ability, you’ve just got to go hard every single play.'"

That's exactly what Bordinaro has done so far this season.

"He never wants to come out of the game," Cintorino said. "And it doesn’t matter if it’s practice, doesn’t matter if it's warm ups, doesn’t matter if it's agilities, doesn’t matter if it’s game day – he’s got one speed and that’s all he goes."

On the Trojan's side of the ball, injuries are making it a tough early fall in Alexander. After seeing at least two more players go down Saturday, Head Coach Dave Radley said it may be time to drop the JV program and bring those players into varsity to fill roster spots.

"It's back to the drawing board," Radley said.

For the Lancers (2-0), Eric Kowalik passed for 109 yards and completed five of 12 passes. Brandon Shucknecthad seven tackles and one sack.

Lucas Phillips ran for 57 yards  on 19 carries for Alexander (0-2).

Scores:

E-Dylan Bordinaro 42-yard interception
E-Bordinaro 29-yard run
E-Bordinaro 45-yard interception
E-Matt Ramsey 86-yard pass from Eric Kowalik
E-Bordinaro 9-yard run

Photos: Top, Elba/BB QB Eric Kowalik is leg tackled by Quinn Jared. Below, Matt Ramsey making the reception for his 86-yard TD catch.

More pictures after the jump:

Coming off a league championship, the Batavia High girls tennis team has been moved up to a tougher division this year, but coach Kevin Walkowski is OK with that.

"They’re recognize that we have a strong program," Walkowski said. "The only way you’re going to get better as a player and a team is to play against the best."

Yesterday, the ladies team beat Greece Arcadia/Olympia.

Walkowski likes the makeup of his team this year. It's filled with talented young women who love the game, he said.

The number one singles player is Amy Schmidt (Photo: inset, left), who beat Dana Starr 6-1, 6-2, Friday. Walkowski said Schmidt is an intense, competitive player.

"She’s got the big heart and refuses to give up," Walkowski said. "I remember when she first started out it was keep your feet moving, keep your feet moving and wear out your opponents. Now she’s talking strategy."

On the number two court is Michelle Richenburg (top photo). Walkowski said she is a "technically sound player." Richenburg beat Paige Olscamp 6-0, 6-0.

The team this year also features an exchange student from Germany, Lisa Farkinghoff (bottom photo before the jump). Farkinghoff beat Morgan Boyce 6-1, 6-4.

"She comes to us with a clay court game," said Walkowski. "She has all the cuts and slices, so we’re trying to get her to hit a little harder. If we get her to turn around she will make a difference for us in the sectionals."

Walkowski also praised Nicole Guilds, who transferred from Notre Dame two years ago. Guilds' strength is doubles, Walkowski said, but she also really enjoys singles. In singles Friday, Guilds beat Kim Hull 6-1, 6-0.

Batavia's fifth win Friday was a doubles match, with Maryssa Peirick and Robin Clemm over Lauran Caulkins and Kaylee Rizzari 6-2, 6-2.

More pictures after the jump:

 

Former Batavia High baseball standout Ryan Gugel still has a place in the Philadelphia Phillie's organization even though he missed most of 2010 with a shoulder injury.

Gugel is back home for a few months and helping out a little with his family's business -- Clor's Meat Market -- and continuing his rehabilitation.

The 23-year-old catcher was off to a good start in spring training -- hitting .450 with one home run -- when he was throwing at a scouting session and felt a stinging pain in his shoulder.

The initial diagnoses was tendinitis, but after three stints in rehab without improvement, the Phillies trainers sent him in for an MRI. Doctors found a 50-percent tear in his rotator cuff.

The Phillies gave him a choice -- more rehab, with the risk that the problem would return, or surgery. After giving it a couple of days thought and talking it over with his parents, Gugel opted for surgery.

That was in May and Gugel spent the next few months in Florida at the Phillies' training facility, going through rehab in the morning and just hanging out at the hotel in the afternoon.

"It was a tough period," Gugel said. "I'd get back to the hotel and there just wasn't much to do."

The rehab stint wasn't entirely boring, though. Gugel said as the season went on, more members of the Phillies organization joined him in Florida, including some of the MLB team's stars.

"It wasn’t bad when I got to rehab with Rollins, Happ, Madson, Durbin, Polanco and Utley," Gugel said. "It was a good time there talking with some of those guys."

Gugel's rehab continues in Batavia. He's glad to finally be back lifting weights and he trains with his uncle Dee Gugel. In October, he can start tossing a baseball again. The Phillies want him to report to Florida in January, where he'll get some work as Roy Halladay's bullpen catcher when the ace starter starts his pre-season workouts.

In an organization with some drafted catchers -- including this year's third-round pick Cameron Rupp -- Gugel, who was signed as a free agent in 2009,  knows he has his work cut out. But he feels encouraged that the Phillies are showing faith in him despite the injury.

"It’s really a bit tougher being one of the lower-ranked guys," Gugel said. "You’ve got to work your way to the top."

Starting pitcher Andrew Moss did all he could, from charging check-swing grounders to diving for infield bloopers and pitching nine complete innings of four-hit ball, but in the end it wasn't enough.

The Batavia Muckdogs lost 1-0, dropping its playoff series with the Tri-City ValleyCats 2-1.

Attendance for what may be the last professional baseball game in Batavia was 601.

But it was a rowdy 601 fans, never giving up until the final called strike -- with a runner on first -- to Nick Longmire.

The WildCats plated their lone run in the 4th when Adam Bailey doubled to right field with a runner on first base. Tyler Burnett reached on a squib infield single that both Moss and second baseman Joey Bergman made heroic efforts to field.

The Muckdogs managed only three hits.

Once the reality of the loss sunk in, only some fans started to leave. Many stayed a few minutes longer and gave a final cheer and yelled thank you to the players as they left the field.

More pictures after the jump:

NOTE: As the video embedded below shows, Joey Bergman, not Nick Longmire made the throw, even though the official game recap credits Nick Longmire.

All season, Nick Longmire has swung a productive bat to help the Batavia Muckdogs make it to the NY-Penn League playoffs.

Tonight, it was Longmire's arm that helped ensure there will be at least one more professional baseball game played in Batavia.

In the top of the ninth, with two out and bases loaded, Tri-City Wildcats shortstop Ben Orloff hit a blooper to center. Longmire charged, dove and the ball ticked off his glove. Chris Wallace scored from third to make the score 5-4. Jacke Healey, on second, never broke stride, charging for home. Muckdogs catcher Juan Castillo stepped in front of the plate blocking Healey's path and taking Bergman's throw on one bounce. Healey didn't have a chance.

The play capped a game that was as good as they come. For the 59,000 Genesee County residents who weren't at Dwyer tonight -- you were in the wrong place.

It was a game that was as unusual as it was compelling. It opened under dark, heavy cloud cover, a threat of rain, and a must-win match in a three-game playoff series after the Muckdogs had already dropped one game.

Orloff opened the first with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on the second out. Starter Zach Russell then walked the next three batters and hit the fourth.

The Muckdogs were down by two runs on only one hit.

In the fifth inning, with the score 2-1, the Muckdogs loaded the bases and Joey Bergman came to the plate working the count to 3-1, or did he? The scoreboard read two balls and one strike. Tri-City starter Jim Robinson tossed the next pitch and it was called a ball.

Bergman dropped his bat and started heading to first, but none of the Muckdogs' runners advanced, as the third-base coach waved his hands for everybody to hold their bases.

As fans yelled "ball four," the Tri-City manager trotted out to home plate to ask what was going on. The four umpires conferred and decided Bergman did in fact draw a walk, allowing Chris Edmundson to score (pictured above).

It's not often, at any level of professional baseball, that you see an attempt at a sacrifice turn into a double play. But in the 7th, following a single to right by Daniel Adamson, Tri-City DH Michael Kvasnicka managed to bunt the ball just hard enough for Batavia pitcher Zach Russell to charge off the mound, scope up the ball, wheel and fire to second. Enrique Hernandez followed with what was then a meaningless double.

Russell left the game after six innings with a 3-2 lead, having given up only one hit, the lead-off double to Orloff.

Keith Butler nailed down the final three outs in the ninth to get the save.

Third baseman Jon Rodriguez had three hits and two RBIs, while both Longmire and Victor Sanchez had two hits each.

Game three of the playoff series is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., Thursday, at Dwyer.

In the other NY-Penn League series, Brooklyn beat Jamestown 9-8 in 12 innings to knot the series at 1-1.

UPDATE: Video by Mike Janes:

More pictures after the jump:

If the Batavia Muckdogs have had one weakness this year, it's been the bullpen.

While relief pitching has been stellar at points, the Muckdogs have let a lot of games slip away in late innings.

Tonight, in Troy against the Tri-City ValleyCats, the Muckdogs took a two-run lead into the ninth, blew it and ended up losing in the 11th, 10-9.

Closer Michael Reid was charged with a blown save and took the loss, giving up three runs in 2 1/2 innings. Reid had a 2.05 ERA and two wins and two saves during the regular season in 31 innings of work.

Starter John Gast, who came into the playoffs with a regular season record of 6-0 and a 1.54 ERA in six starts, gave up seven runs in five innings.

The Muckdog's offense was led by Jon Rodriguez with four hits and Nick Longmire with three hits, two walks and two RBIs.

Chris Edmundson and Geoff Klein also had two hits each. Edmundson had two RBIs and Klein drew two walks.

The Muckdogs return to Dwyer Stadium at 7:05 p.m., Wednesday, for game two of the three-game series.

The Batavia Blue Devils soccer team dropped a match 3-1 against Brighton this afternoon at the high school. Batavia is now 2-1 on the season and Brighton is 1-2.

More photos after the jump:

 

 

They could call the team the Albany ValleyCats, but that's not a popular city in New York these days. Instead, they're the Tri-City ValleyCats, and that's who the Batavia Muckdogs will play in the first round of the NY-Penn League playoffs.

Tuesday's first game is in the ValleyCat's home park, which is on a college campus in Troy.

Games two and three (if a third is necessary) are at Dwyer Stadium. Both games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Tri-City finished the regular season with a record of 38-36 to win the Stedler Division. The Muckdogs took the Pinckney Division crown with a record of 45-29. Brooklyn comes into the playoffs with the most wins in the season with 51. The Jamestown Jammers grab the wild card spot with a record of 43-32.

The Muckdogs will come into the game fresh off a win against Auburn, beating the Doubledays 7-0 in a Sunday afternoon match-up.

Starter Nick McCully (pictured, file photo), pitched six scoreless innings, giving up six hits to move his record to 4-2.

Matt Valaika and Jon Edwards each had two RBIs on two hits. Audry Perez, Joey Bergman and Pat Biserta also had two hit games.

Nick Longmire finished the season in the top 10 in seven offensive categories: Second in runs scored with 53; seventh in hits with 76; sixth in triples with 7; fifth in homers with 9; third in RBIs with 55; fifth in total bases with 128; and eighth in slugging percentage at .483.

Jon Rodriguez finished: third in homers with 12; 10th in RBIs with 40; sixth in total bases with 122; and seventh in slugging percentage at .500.

Audry Perez finished seventh in RBIs with 47.

Victor Sanchez finished sixth in doubles with 19.

Joey Bergman finished eighth in on-base percentage at .400.

In pitching, Zach Russell had the ninth best ERA at 2.93.

Jose Rada, who was called up earlier in the season, had 10 saves while in Batavia, which was the sixth best in the league.

Justin Edwards (77 1/3) and Andrew Moss (75 1/2) were seventh and eighth, respectively, in innings pitched. Also, Edwards was fourth in strike-outs with 66, and Moss was eighth with 61.

Moss's eight wins were tied for second in the league.

About 100 people participated today in the Batavia Area Jaycees 5K Run and Walk, which started and finished at MacArthur Park, taking runners down Bank, to Washington, to Ellicott Avenue and back via State Street.

It took Norte Dame two quarters to get its running game untracked in its season opener against Attica, but once the Irish were putting positive yardage on the board, a ball control game led to a 7-0 victory.

Mike Pratt punched the ball into the end zone with seconds left in the third quarter.

In all, Norte Dame had its offensive squad on the field for 27 minutes.

Pratt gained 70 yards on 18 carries. Bo Richter had 8 1/2 tackles, including 3 1/4 for a loss.

Pratt also blocked a field goal attempt (pictured above).

More pictures after the jump:

Coming off a 1-7 season, the Batavia Blue Devils found themselves in a rather unfortunate situation for their 2010 home opener: Facing off against state champions, Hornell.

The score was as lopsided as you might expect, with the Blue Devils getting swamped 49-7, but for a time in the first half, it looked like Batavia High might actually make a game of it.

"I thought we came out good there early on," said Head Coach Dan Geiger. "We found a way to move the ball. Hornell’s definitely a tough team, but early in the game, we put them on a longer field. Later in the game, they were on a short field. They’re not a team you can keep on a short field. They’re a strong, physical team."

Hornell struck first and even though the Blue Devils tide the score on its next possession with a 66-yard TD pass from Aaron Gugel to Justin Washington, the game quickly slipped away from Batavia.

By the start of the second half, it was clear Batavia was not likely to make a miraculous come back.

Ryan Pyatt had five carries for 28 yards to lead the ground game.

Spencer Stresing led the defense with seven tackles and was a real presence defensively throughout the game.

"Hornell’s a great team, but we hurt ourselves more in that we didn’t play assignment football," Geiger said. "Our kids realize that. At the end of the game they were talking about, ‘our assignments weren’t perfect enough.' Against a great opponent, and Hornell is a great opponent, you’ve got to be perfect."

In other Genesee County football action Friday: Holly beat Oakfield-Alabama 52-0 and Le Roy beat Livonia 16-8.

Note: I took still photos during most of the first half, and then switched to video once the sun went down. Hopefully, I can get the video edited, processed and posted before I need to head out for more coverage.

More pictures after the jump:

Florida native Joey Bergman has made quite a showing in his first year of pro ball, hitting .302, scoring 35 times, driving in 31 runs and drawing 30 walks. But Friday night he achieved a special milestone -- hitting his first professional home run.

The blast in the fifth inning was part of a Muckdog onslaught against Auburn that lifted the division champs to a 8-5 victory.

Chris Edmundson also homered -- his second of the year. Edmundson's three-run shot was part of a five-run third inning for the Batavia.

Burgman had three hits and Edmundson two.

Starter Zach Russell went five innings and gave up three runs -- all in the first -- to get the win and move his record to 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA.

Batavia is in Auburn on Saturday and closes out the regular season at 1:05, Sunday, against Auburn. The playoffs open on Tuesday, but Batavia's first opponent and the location of the game have not yet been announced.

Photo: File photo.