News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats made it two in a row over Mississippi on Friday, taking a 10-7 slugfest. I'd think the return of Jake Reinisch (Shenendehowa/Wake Forest) may have been the catalyst for the 'Cats' recent offensive surges.

The series concludes with a doubleheader this afternoon.

Meanwhile, back at Joe Bruno Stadium, the Class AAA & AA championship series began in earnest Friday afternoon, with no rain in sight.

In Class AA, Bethlehem shut out Mohonasen, 9-0. In the nightcap, Colonie outlasted Saratoga, 14-6.

Game 2 in both series takes place today. Bethlehem vs. Mohonasen at 4 pm, and Colonie vs. Saratoga at 7 pm. A reminder that they will not accept cash payments for tickets.

However, the 'Cats will accept cash for the 518 Futures Game, taking place June 11, so some of these same players may be back for the Section II all-star game.

Now, let's turn our attention to the state tournaments in flag football:

Class A:

Shaker 32, Syracuse East 7.

Class B:

Fayetteville-Manilus 26, Columbia 0.

Catskill will play its first game tonight.

News & notes

 After losing the first two games of their series to Mississippi by identical 6-3 scores, the Tri-City ValleyCats finally won on Thursday, blowing away the Mud Monsters, 10-1. Jake Reinisch (Shenendehowa/Wake Forest) homered to help lead the 'Cats and winning pitcher Austin Dill. Aaron Whitley (Niskayuna) & Reinisch are tied for the team lead in RBI with 10 each.

Game 4 is tonight at 7:30 pm.

The old adage says that April showers bring May flowers. In the 518, major events are ruined by rain on a seemingly annual basis.

Guess what the forecast calls for on Saturday for the Delightful Run For Women? You got it. Rain. The course is being altered this year due to renovation on the Capitol, which has also caused traffic detours off & on.

Race time is 9 am. Rain or shine.

Russell Sage pitcher Matt Grimes (Shen) is getting some attention from pro scouts ahead of the July MLB Draft. Of course, it's been 10 years since the Anderson twins, Ben (Texas) & Ian (Atlanta) were drafted, and Shen is hoping for lightning in a bottle, via Sage.

Stay tuned.

Thursday's sectional scores:

Women's lacrosse:

Class B semi-finals:

Queensbury 24, Columbia 3.

Bethlehem 12, Niskayuna 7.

Class C semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 16, Averill Park 7.

Glens Falls 16, Cohoes 6.

Sunday at Siena:

Burnt Hills vs. Glens Falls, 4:30 pm.

Bethlehem vs. Queensbury, 2:15 pm.

Baseball:

Class A final:

Averill Park 2, Scotia 1.

Class B final:

Taconic Hills 3, Chatham 1.

Softball:

Class AAA semi-finals:

Saratoga 3, Colonie 2 (8 innings).

Shenendehowa 3, Guilderland 2.

Class AA semi-finals:

Columbia 3, Burnt Hills 0.

Queensbury 2, Bethlehem 0.

Wednesday's sectional scoreboard, 5/27

 Women's lacrosse:

Class A:

Shaker 12, Saratoga 9.

Shenendehowa 10, Colonie 7.

Class D:

Schuylerville 18, LaSalle 1.

Voorheesville 20, Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 11.

Sunday at Siena:

Voorheesville vs. Schuylerville, 7 pm.

Shen vs. Shaker, 12 noon.

Men's lacrosse:

Class A:

Shaker 9, Saratoga 6.

Guilderland 9, Shenendehowa 5.

Class B:

Niskayuna 20, South Glens Falls 2.

Ballston Spa 16, Bethlehem 5.

Class C:

Burnt Hills 27, Scotia 5.

Averill Park 8, Glens Falls 7.

Class D:

Schuylerville 19, Voorheesville 2.

Stillwater-Mechanicville 15, Johnstown 3.

Saturday at Siena:

Ballston Spa vs. Niskayuna 10:30 am.

Burnt Hills vs. Averill Park, 1 pm.

Shaker vs. Guilderland, 3:30 pm.

Schuylerville vs. Stillwater-Mechanicville, 6 pm.

Softball:

Class A:

Glens Falls 11, Ichabod Crane 8.

Averill Park 12, Schalmont 0 (5 innings).

Class B:

Chatham 2, LaSalle 0.

Hoosick Falls 3, Tamarac 1.

Class C:

Galway 10, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 3.

Greenwich 15, Schoharie 8.

Class D:

Argyle 13, Salem 0 (6 innings).

Fort Ann 9, Duanesburg 0.

Saturday at Lansingburgh:

Averill Park vs. Glens Falls, 11 am.

Hoosick Falls vs. Chatham, 1:30 pm.

Fort Ann vs. Argyle, 4 pm.

Galway vs. Greenwich, 6: 30 pm.

Baseball:

Class D:

Duanesburg 6, Hartford 5 (11 innings).

Class C:

Saratoga Catholic 2, Maple Hill 0.

The pairings have been announced for the state flag football championships.

Class A: Shaker will play a team to be announced tomorrow at 7 pm at SUNY-Morrisville.

Class B: Columbia will play Fayetteville-Manilus tomorrow at 5 pm at SUNY-Morrisville.

Class C: Catskill faces Northeastern Clinton Saturday at 6:30 pm at AuSable High.

News & notes

 Shenendehowa didn't have to look far to find their next men's basketball coach. Just an old foe.

Andrew Platek, who starred for Guilderland, and whose college resume includes stops at North Carolina & Siena, and most recently was an assistant at Niskayuna, was hired today to succeed Paul Yattaw, who stepped down after the season ended in March. Platek, I believe, will be the youngest coach in the Suburban Council when play starts this winter.

The Tri-City ValleyCats dropped another one on Monday, a rare Monday, in fact, 6-3, to Mississippi to start a 6 game series. The 'Cats welcomed back Wes Albert from the inactive list, but he has yet to pick up a win this season. Albert was credited with three innings pitched, and saw his record drop to 0-3. Game 2 is tomorrow at 12 noon.

Monday's sectional scoreboard:

Baseball:

Class AA:

Bethlehem 5, Columbia 0.

Mohonasen 6, Troy 0. Troy's season is over after a late season surge lifted them into the sectionals.

Mohon & the Eagles begin a 3 game series Friday at 4 pm.

Class A:

Averill Park 9, Broadalbin-Perth 1.

Scotia 6, Ravena 2.

The Tartans & Golden Knights headline Thursday's doubleheader at the Joe.

Class B:

Taconic Hills 3, Chatham 1.

Cairo-Durham 5, Schuylerville 1.

An all-Patroon Conference final leads off Thursday's action.

Class C:

Maple Hill 9, Waterford 0.

Saratoga Catholic 5, Greenwich 3.

The Wildcats & Saints will duel tomorrow at 7 pm.

Class D:

Hartford 10, Fort Ann 0.

Duanesburg 8, North Warren 2.

The finals will kick off action tomorrow at 4.

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats were rained out Saturday vs. Brockton. The teams will play today at 5 pm, but last night's rainout will be made up as part of a doubleheader when the Rox return to Troy July 3-5.

Update: Tonight's game has also been postponed, and will be made up at a later date.

The first sectional finals are now set in Section II baseball.

The AAA semifinals Friday & Saturday saw Saratoga sweep Shaker, and Colonie do likewise with Albany, at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam. The Wolfpack & Blue Streaks will meet at Bruno Stadium starting Friday at 7 pm.

The rest of Saturday's sectional results:

Men's lacrosse:

Class A:

Saratoga 13, CBA 10. Saratoga will play Shaker on Wednesday.

Shenendehowa 9, Colonie 5. Shen vs. Guilderland on Wednesday. The Dutchmen were awarded a forfeit over Albany when the Falcons withdrew at the last minute.

Class B:

Niskayuna 22, Troy 3.

South Glens Falls 17, LaSalle 3.

Ballston Spa 17, Columbia 3.

Bethlehem 13, Queensbury 5.

Next Saturday at Siena:

Niskayuna vs. South Glens Falls.

Ballston Spa vs. Bethlehem.

Class D:

Voorheesville 9, Greenwich-Cambridge 8. The Blackbirds visit Schuylerville on Wednesday.

Johnstown 15, Hoosick Falls 5. The Sir Bills will play Stillwater-Mechanicville on Wednesday.

Troy High sports review, through May 23

 "In a season that's become improbable, the impossible has happened!"----Vin Scully.

"All good things must end."--Geoffrey Chaucer.

"The best laid plans of mice & men often go astray."---Robert Burns.

There's a reason for those three quotes, as you'll see as we go along.

Flag football:

Final record: 11-3.

Troy shut out Ballston Spa on Tuesday to reach the Class B title game, then took Columbia to double overtime before falling short of the title, 12-6.

Thank you, Frank Rogers, for laying the foundation. Good luck at Union College.

This is where the oft-quoted line from Chaucer fits.

Softball:

Final record: 15-5.

Robbed of a home game due to politics, Sean Geisel's club couldn't hold a lead vs. Queensbury on Thursday, losing, 7-1.

Chaucer fits here, too, as does Burns.

Women's lacrosse:

Final record: 10-7.

Queensbury ended the historic 1st varsity season for the Troy women, 24-3, on Wednesday. Nothing will take away the significance of this year's efforts.

Men's lacrosse:

Final record: 5-11.

Zach Gill's first season ended this afternoon as the Flying Horses fell to Niskayuna, 22-3, after downing Amsterdam at home on Wednesday.

Baseball:

Current record: 8-12.

Here's where Vin Scully's famous quote kicks in. Trevor McCarthy's underachieving crew upset Queensbury, 3-2, on Friday, as they continue their late season surge.

Next: Troy makes its first appearance in sectional play at Joe Bruno Stadium in years, as they'll play Mohonasen for the 3rd time this season on Monday, weather permitting.

The sports review returns in September.

News & notes

 The last of Section II's tennis titles was decided Thursday, when Bethlehem upset Shaker, 7-2, to win the Class AA title. Now, it's on to state play for the Eagles.

Thomas Wolfe famously wrote that you couldn't go home again.

U'Mier Graham would like to debunk that theorem.

The former Green Tech star, who played as a graduate student at the Knox School this season, is returning home to play for Dwayne Killings at UAlbany next season. The Great Danes can use the hometown connection, to be sure.

Friday's sectional scoreboard:

Flag football:

Class C final:

Catskill 20, Holy Trinity 10. The Kats avenged an early season loss to the Pride in the opener at CBA.

Class B final:

Columbia 12, Troy 6 (Double overtime). Frank Rogers has coached his final game at Troy, as he heads to Union College in the fall to start up their flag football program.

Class A final:

Shaker 27, Colonie 6.

Baseball:

Class AA:

Bethlehem 4, South Glens Falls 3. The top seed is gone in an upset, as it was not a good day in the north country.

Troy 3, Queensbury 2. Some karmic justice after Queensbury ended the seasons for Troy softball & women's lacrosse the previous two days.

Niskayuna 12, Ballston Spa 7.

Mohonasen 11, Columbia 9. Mohon gets a 3rd crack at Troy in the semi-finals, having split the season series.

Monday at Bruno Stadium (weather permitting):

Mohonasen vs. Troy.

Niskayuna vs. Bethlehem.

Class A:

Averill Park 8, Lansingburgh 2.

Broadalbin-Perth 3, Glens Falls 2.

Ravena 5, Ichabod Crane 4.

Scotia 5, Cohoes 2.

Monday in Guilderland:

Averill Park vs. Broadalbin-Perth.

Scotia vs. Ravena.

Class B:

Taconic Hills 5, Granville 1.

Chatham 8, Coxsackie-Athens 1.

Schuylerville 3, Fonda-Fultonville 2.

Cairo-Durham 9, Hoosick Falls 8.

Monday in Saratoga:

Taconic Hills vs. Chatham.

Schuylerville vs. Cairo-Durham.

Class C:

Maple Hill 5, Stillwater 1.

Waterford 11, Schoharie 7.

Saratoga Catholic 15, Hadley-Luzerne 2 (5 innings).

Greenwich 15, Lake George 0 (5 innings).

Monday at Lansingburgh:

Maple Hill vs. Waterford.

Saratoga Catholic vs. Greenwich.

Class D:

Hartford 17, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 1 (5 innings).

Fort Ann 16, Middleburgh 11.

Duanesburg 10, Germantown 0 (5 innings).

North Warren 1, Argyle 0.

Monday at Adirondack Community College:

Hartford vs. Fort Ann.

North Warren vs. Duanesburg.

Brayhans Barreto didn't have it Friday as the Tri-City ValleyCats opened a series vs. Brockton at Bruno Stadium.

After 5 innings of no-hit ball vs. Quebec a week ago, Barreto was wild over three innings vs. The Rox, who touched him up for 8 runs, all earned over that span. Derek Bender (Albany Academy/Coastal Carolina) got it started after Barreto walked the bases loaded, and crushed a grand slam to right. Tommy Kretzler (Colonie) walked with 1 out, but was doubled off first on a Scott Seeker liner to first baseman Brayden Jobert to end the frame.

After Brockton doubled its lead to 8-0 in the 3rd, Tri-City finally answered with 4 runs of their own, and gradually began to claw their way back into the game against Zach Eldred (Columbia/SUNY Brockport). Ranko Stevanovic homered in the 5th to cut the deficit to 8-6, and in the 6th, Jobert scored on a single by Jake Reinisch (Shenendehowa/Wake Forest). However, the Rox put the game away in the 7th against Michael Riley with three insurance runs. Jobert drove in Connor Hext in the home 7th to close the scoring, as the Rox won, 11-8.

The teams will try to resume the series tonight at 6:30 pm, weather permitting.