News & notes

 The Albany FireWolves need to win tonight in Buffalo to force a deciding 3rd game in the National Lacrosse League finals after losing to Buffalo, 12-8, Friday at MVP Arena. The game will again be only available via streaming on ESPN+. Face-off is at 7:30 pm.

Up the hill at the Washington Avenue Armory, the Albany Patroons defeated the Jamestown Jackals for the 2nd time in a week, but this time, it was a close one, 128-124. The Pats remain at home to entertain Connecticut tonight at 7.

And, in Glens Falls, the Florida EverBlades beat the Adirondack Thunder, 2-1, to take a 1-0 lead in the ECHL Eastern Conference finals. Game 2 is tonight at 7 as well.

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It used to be that fireworks night would guarantee a sellout crowd at Bruno Stadium for the Tri-City Valleycats' home opener. Not this year.

There were plenty of empty seats in the grandstand sections for Friday's game vs. the Washington Wild Things. However, despite the use of a pitch clock, like in major league baseball, the teams slogged through 10 innings in just a shade over 4 hours before Washington won, 13-11, after Tri-City battled back from a 10-2 deficit after 4 innings to force extras.

Valleycat starter Wes Albert was knocked out of the game with a leg injury after a collision at first base in the 2nd inning. It's unclear if/when he'll make his next start. Reliever Justin Dill, activated from the bereavement list before the game, entered with his team already in a bit of a pickle.

The teams will play again tonight at 6:30 pm, with Tri-City wearing their Spanish-language variant uniforms.

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It's a good thing the regional rounds of the NCAA softball tournament are round robin. Otherwise, Siena & UAlbany would be done for the season.

Siena fell to Texas, 5-0, while the Lady Danes lost to Texas A & M, 6-2.

Back at home, RPI was eliminated from the Division III tournament after losing to Husson, 2-1, in 8 innings.

It wasn't a good day for Albany on the diamond, as the baseball team lost to Maine, 7-5.  They'll need to win today to earn a spot in the America East tournament next week.

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Friday's sectional scoreboard:

Flag football:

Shenendehowa 25, Niskayuna 20.

Albany 21, Saratoga 6.

It'll be Shen at Albany on Monday.

Troy @ Shaker & Bethlehem @ Columbia have not been reported.

Baseball:

Class AAA semi-finals:

Saratoga 9, Shaker 1.

Shenendehowa 2, CBA 1.

Game 2 in each series is today.

Class B 1st round:

Taconic Hills 4, Cobleskill-Richmondville 3

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George Washington University split a doubleheader with St. Joseph on Friday to close the regular season, winning the 1st game, 4-0, then dropping the finale, 4-1. Brett Young (Albany Academy/Siena) went 1-8 for the doubleheader, 2-12 in the series, as St. Joseph's shut down on of GWU's hottest hitters.