News & notes

 If it sounded like you were at the wrestling matches instead of Bruno Stadium for the Tri-City ValleyCats' home opener vs. Quebec, there's a good reason for that.

Brian Cady is back.

Cady was MIA during the Section II basketball sectionals at HVCC, but there was no mistaking his voice issuing from the PA booth at The Joe. The "Round Mound of Sound" has been the PA voice of the 'Cats for a bit, but last night was more pronounced than usual to get the fans fired up.

On to the game.

1st pitch was delayed to 6:42 pm due to the opening night intros of both teams. It's an annual thing that you get used to. Quebec drew first blood in the 3rd with 2 outs. Arturo DeFreitas drew a walk, and moved to 2nd on a wild pitch by Tri-City starter Austin Dill. David "Bend it like" Mendham then deposited a 2 run homer over the left field fence to give the Capitales a 2-0 lead. Quebec added a run in the 3rd on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Halopian.

Quebec starter Francis Ferguson held the 'Cats scoreless through 5 innings. In the 6th, reliever Halley Gollert gave up a solo homer to "Well dressed" Amani Larry to get Tri-City on the board. In the 7th, with Aaron Whitley (Niskayuna) on board, David Glancy launched a 2 run homer, after the Capitales had scored in the top half, to get within a run at 4-3.

Tri-City had a chance to win it in the 9th after Arlo Marynczak (Bethlehem) held the Capitales scoreless in the top half of the frame. But, with 2 outs, Cooper Morgan got Larry to fly out to center to seal the win for Quebec, sending the 'Cats to their 3rd straight loss.

Game two will start on time tonight at 6:30.

The Uncle Sam baseball tournament has indeed returned as well, with day 1 taking place Friday at Lansingburgh. The hosts blew away Tamarac, 14-2, in 5 innings, and LaSalle did the same to Troy High, 11-1, also in 5. The Knights & Cadets meet again tomorrow at 12:30 pm., with the Bengals & Flying Horses playing the consolation game, presumably at 10 am.

Back to the ValleyCats for a moment. Apparently, they couldn't find any black or brown foam to create a replica head for Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs, so they instead went to the vaults for a Jerry Jennings head for the Mayor's Race in the middle of the 6th inning. Had a feeling something like this would happen. We'll look further into it.

The rest of Friday's high school scores:

Men's lacrosse:

Voorheesville 10, Troy 9. The Blackbirds sweep the season series.

Softball:

Warrensburg 8, Fort Edward 7.

Albany Academy 14, Convent of The Sacred Heart 4 (5 innings).

Voorheesville 10, Fonda-Fultonville 2.

Troy 22, Holy Names 0 (5 innings). 

Niskayuna 8, Albany 2.

Columbia 11, Saratoga 9.

South Glens Falls 9, Amsterdam 0.

Ichabod Crane 2, LaSalle 0.

Taconic Hills 3, Catskill 0.

Hudson Falls 13, Gloversville 1 (5 innings).

Mohonasen 3, Lansingburgh 1. Mohon recovers after getting blown out by Troy on Thursday.

Coxsackie-Athens 7, Cairo-Durham 6.

Hoosic Valley 15, Stillwater 4.

North Warren 8, Hartford 5.

Greenwich 10, Tamarac 4.

Whitehall 12, Granville 3.

Argyle 2, Fort Ann 0.

Hadley-Luzerne 8, North Warren 2.

Ballston Spa 2, Shenendehowa 1. The game was played at Luther Forest in Malta, where one or both teams could return in the sectionals later this month.