News & notes

 Broom service hasn't arrived for the Tri-City ValleyCats just yet.

The NY Boulders avoided being swept Sunday night, as they pounded out 20 hits in a 19-8 win over the 'Cats in front of just over 3,000 fans at Bruno Stadium. The 'Cats hit the road this week at Quebec & Brockton before returning home on June 23.

Former Union College star Shayne Gostisbehere is a Stanley Cup champion.

Gostisbehere and the Carolina Hurricanes claimed the Stanley Cup Sunday night as the 'Canes defeated Las Vegas to win their 2nd title. Shayne started his NHL career in Philadelphia a number of years back.

Congratulations to Shayne & the Hurricanes.

Ana Gold (Ballston Spa/Duke) went 0-1 with 2 walks and a run scored, as the Carolina Blaze (3-1) took down the Texas Volts, 9-1 in 6 innings on Sunday in a game delayed from Saturday due to the Volts suffering from transportation issues in getting to Durham and the Duke campus. The conclusion of this miniseries takes place tonight at 7 on ESPN2.

At the College World Series, we're keeping an eye on Georgia's Michael O'Shaughnessy, a CBA graduate. The senior transfer from Davidson is currently hitting .287 with 20 homers and 55 RBI. The Bulldogs will play SEC rival Oklahoma in a winners' bracket game tonight at 7 (ESPN).

Basketball season is officially over in the 518, as the NY Phoenix were eliminated from the 94x50 league playoffs in a 115-95 loss to Jersey Shore on Saturday night. There's always next year.

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats said goodbye to pitcher Nate Nabholz prior to Saturday's game vs. the NY Boulders. Nabholz, with 3 saves on the season, had his contract transferred to the San Francisco Giants, who will assign him somewhere in their farm system. Best of luck to Nate.

Then, the 'Cats gave Nabholz a going-away present in the form of a 13-5 beatdown of the Boulders on Star Wars Night at Bruno Stadium. Jake Reinisch, David Glancy, & Josh Leslie all homered, as Mason Martinez picked up his 2nd win.

The 'Cats will go for the sweep today at 5 pm.

In addition to watch parties for the just-concluded NBA Finals, they're holding watch parties here in the 518 for the FIFA World Cup, and in a most unlikely place in Albany.

Fans got to see Team USA's 4-1 win over Paraguay under the stars at Jennings Landing How cool is that? With basketball season finally over, I'd guess any future watch parties will be at MVP Arena.

The high school sports season came to an end on Saturday as well........

Softball:

Class B final:

Chatham 13, Dobbs Ferry 2. The Panthers scored 3 in the 7th to lock down the B title.

Class C:

Deposit-Hancock 4, Galway 3.

Class D:

Oakfield-Alabama 4, Windham-Ashland-Jewett 1.

A word about Windham-Ashland-Jewett. Despite being based in the boundaries of Section II, the district is in Section IV due to geographical reasons.

Like, seriously? The district is in Greene County, along with Cairo-Durham & Catskill. They play in Section IV's Delaware League, and had a breakout season. Good thing they did schedule some games against their territorial rivals, else they'd have stayed below the radar.

Baseball:

Class C:

Saratoga Catholic 4, Kendall 1.

Class D:

Duanesburg 9, Fillmore 4.

Section II closes out with 5 state titles on the day, as we'd previously reported Averill Park sweeping the Class A titles. By the way, NYSPHSAA still has AP identified as the "Warriors" instead of the current "Golden Knights". Someone's not paying attention.

News & notes

 "All good things must come to an end."-Geoffrey Chaucer.

After a narrow escape at Michigan earlier this season, the Albany Firebirds saw their 20 game win streak end at MVP Arena at the hands of the Arsenal, 57-39, on Friday night. Sam Castronovo had 4 TDs, including a rushing touchdown, but was also responsible for 4 Firebird turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 lost fumbles) that proved to be costly.

MVP Arena will host a watch party for tonight's Game 5 of the NBA finals between the Knicks & San Antonio (WTEN, 8:30 pm).

A correction from earlier this week. Last night's Mets-Braves game was not on WTEN, but instead on Apple TV. The Mets won, 7-5, behind 6 RBI from Bo Bichette. Game 2 is today at 4 on SNY.

The Tri-City ValleyCats got back on the winning track Friday, downing the NY Boulders, 7-1. Game 2 is tonight at 6:30, but good luck finding a ticket, as it's Star Wars night, and that usually is a sell-out, especially with post-game fireworks.

State regional results from Friday & today:

Women's lacrosse:

Friday:

Class A semi-final:

Penfield 18, Shaker 4.

Class B:

Victor 17, Queensbury 8. Victor went on to win the title earlier today.

Class C:

Jamesville-DeWitt 7, Burnt Hills 2.

Softball:

Friday:

Class AAA:

Lancaster 17, Saratoga 2 (6 innings). Lancaster overpowered the Lady Streaks with 12 runs in the 6th to put this one away.

Class A:

Averill Park 6, Maine-Endwell 2.

Class B:

Chatham 8, Susquehanna Valley 7.

Class C:

Galway 1, Pine Plains 0.

Class D:

Windham-Ashland-Jewett 1, Fort Ann 0.

Today:

Class A final:

Averill Park 6, Pearl River 3.

Baseball:

Friday:

Class A: 

Averill Park 9, Grand Island 0.

Class C:

Saratoga Catholic 5, Tuckahoe 3.

Class D:

Duanesburg 13, Bridgehampton 0 (5 innings).

Today:

Class A:

Averill Park 5, Plainedge 0.

News & notes

 Troy High was planning an exhibition soccer tournament for Thursday to commemorate the start of the 2026 World Cup tournament. However, the tournament was postponed in anticipation of inclement weather that didn't come until much later. It's been rescheduled for June 24, with a 1:30 start at Picken Field.

The Tri-City ValleyCats return home tonight for a series vs. the NY Boulders, weather permitting, at 6:30 pm, after the 'Cats fell to Three Rivers, 11-10, on Thursday night, snapping a 3 game winning streak. Jake Reinisch (Shen/Wake Forest) & Amani Larry homered for the 'Cats.

It was not a good day for Section II at SUNY Cortland on Thursday, as all 4 men's lacrosse teams were eliminated in the state semi-finals.'

Class A:

West Genesee 12, Shaker 5.

Class B:

Victor 17, Niskayuna 9.

Class C:

Jamesville-DeWitt 20, Burnt Hills 3.

Class D:

Marcellus 18, Schuylerville 4.

The women will have their semi-finals today, along with baseball & softball in Binghamton. Shaker sophomore Olivia Zayas, we should note, is the daughter of NYSPHSAA boss Robert Zayas, so figure he'll be at today's game.

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats have finally won a series.

David Glancy hit his team leading 6th homer of the season, Dylan Broderick extended his hitting streak to 16 games, and Austin Dill went 7 strong innings to help the  'Cats topple Three Rivers, 7-2. The teams will close the series tonight at 6:55 pm

However, we caution ahead of time to not only bring sunscreen, but umbrellas for Friday & Sunday's games, with rain in the forecast.

MVP Arena in Albany hosted a watch party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks rallied from a 29 point 2nd half deficit to defeat San Antonio, 107-106, setting up an opportunity to clinch the title for the first time since 1973 on Saturday. With the Firebirds playing tomorrow night instead of Saturday, the chances are MVP Arena will again host a watch party.

You probably know by now that the AUSL, with 6 teams instead of 4 as was the case last year, has decided to end the barnstorming, and each of the 6 teams have home fields this year. Ana Gold (Ballston Spa/Duke) is one of the faces of the league, per ESPN promotional ads, and is back on familiar ground, as the Carolina Blaze are playing their home games at Duke's softball field in Durham, North Carolina. The Blaze are 2-0 after beating the expansion Portland Cascade, 11-2, in 5 innings on Wednesday night. Gold went 3-3 with a walk, a run scored, and 3 RBI, and is currently hitting .600 on the season, heading into the series finale tonight. The Blaze will get a day off before hosting the Texas Volts on Saturday (12 noon, ESPN). Today's game, by the way, will air on CBS Sports Network (Spectrum channel 315).

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats scored 5 runs in the 5th inning, leading to a 10-6 win over Three Rivers on Tuesday night. The teams will meet again tonight, just before 7 pm.

While Section II lacrosse, softball, & baseball teams will vie for state titles starting tomorrow, a state title was claimed in golf.

Hayden Knapp, a sophomore at South Glens Falls, finished at -2 to win the individual championship on Monday.

Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

The closest Section II player behind Knapp was Maria Glavin of LaSalle, who finished 9th at +8.

On the men's side, Francisco Cupp of Saratoga was the highest finisher for Section II, placing 4th at -2 behind Ryan Liu of Manhasset (Section 8). Tanner LaTorre (Ichabod Crane) finished at +9 in a tie for 25th place. Troy's Joey Degnan was in a tie for 27th at +10.

Renovations have been completed on the tennis courts at Central Park in Schenectady, which explains why this year's men's tennis sectional finals were held on neutral campuses. The Section II finals figure to be back in Schenectady next year. The Schenectady City Council, however, is tabling the idea of pay-for-play fees, which., reportedly, are rarely enforced. Why bother with them, then, and open the courts to the public?

So they brought back the Uncle Sam baseball tournament. Let's not wait another 10 years for it to return

 I just don't get the seeming lack of interest in making the Uncle Sam baseball tournament an annual thing.

The 2026 edition, played May 15 & 17 at Lansingburgh High, and won by LaSalle, should signal the start of an annual tradition. This year, Tamarac, based in the Cropseyville suburb, replaced Catholic Central as the 4th team representing the city, along with Troy High.

By this time next year, Catholic Central will be just an elementary school in Latham, with the high schoolers moving to Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady, having already ended decades old sports rivalries with the other city schools, so Tamarac would make a perfect substitute.

But, then, there is a question of whether or not Lansingburgh would host the tournament every year. 'Burgh has hosted the last two, the 2017 edition being played next door at Knickerbacker Park. LaSalle plays most of their home games at Geer Field, home of South Troy Little League, and as such, wouldn't be suitable for the tournament. They try to play at least one home game a year at Bruno Stadium, weather permitting, but the tournament would have to be scheduled prior to the start of the Tri-City ValleyCats season, since they host the Section II baseball semi-finals & finals, as was the case two weeks ago. Troy, like 'Burgh, has a turf field in their sports complex on Burdett Avenue, and added a couple of electronic scoreboards in the last decade. The only thing missing would be a secondary PA system on that side of the complex.

The easy solution would be to work out a deal with the 'Cats and Hudson Valley Community College to schedule the tournament the weekend before the 'Cats begin their home schedule.

But, in this era of equality, what about a Uncle Sam softball tournament? Troy, 'Burgh, LaSalle, & Emma Willard would be the four teams. Lansingburgh hosted the Section II softball championships for the first time this year, with Troy hosting the Class A semi-finals. Emma Willard, like Tamarac, would represent the Wasaren League, while the others are in the Colonial Council.

In this case, the four schools could rotate hosting the tournament, given Emma Willard's close proximity to Troy High. Weather, of course, would be a factor, though this year's tournaments were not affected by weather all that much, surprisingly.

Something to think about.

News & notes

 Shaker is not getting a state flag football championship.

The Lady Bison fell to Half Hollow Hills East, 26-12, Sunday afternoon at SUNY Cortland.

For what it's worth, Yorktown captured the Class B title, and Pioneer won the Class C title. Congratulations to all three teams.

The Tri-City ValleyCats snapped a four game losing streak in beating Ottawa, 7-5, on Sunday. Arlo Marynczak (Bethlehem/Siena) earned his 3rd save. The 'Cats are heading to Canada to play Three Rivers starting Tuesday.

Speaking of the 'Cats, Aaron Whitley (Niskayuna) landed on SportsCenter's top 10 plays on Friday with a highlight reel catch in the loss to Ottawa, and made a case for another one on Sunday. The 'Cats return home to play the NY Boulders on Friday.

There was one other local connection on Saturday at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Festival.

Eddie Fazzone owns Buttah, who won the 6th race. Fazzone, based out of Schenectady, merited a feature article in the Daily Gazette on Sunday. Congratulations, Eddie.

The NY Phoenix closed out their home schedule with another win on Sunday at M & T Bank Arena. The playoffs await after a season ending road trip.

The Mets will be back on WTEN on Friday while Fox begins coverage of the World Cup soccer tournament.

News & notes

 Saratoga native Cherie DeVaux added the Belmont Stakes to her resume Saturday night, as Golden Tempo won the Belmont at Saratoga. Count on Golden Tempo returning "home" to the Old Spa next month for the annual summer meet.

The Tri-City ValleyCats might be feeling somewhat embarrassed after a 10-7 loss to Ottawa at Bruno Stadium Saturday, such that they haven't done a game recap as of press time.

The series finale, weather permitting, takes place today at 5 pm.

WROW's Ben Patten didn't get the memo on the Albany Firebirds.

In reading a list of events set to take place on his Saturday morning show, Patten included the Firebirds' game vs. Beaumont, which, of course, took place Friday. Well, to be fair, we assumed the game was to have been last night, too, 'til we saw the YouTube video Saturday morning.

Saturday's state regional results:

Flag football:

Class A semi-final:

Shaker 20, Penfield 13. The Lady Bison return to Homer High today to play Half Hollow Hills East. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 am.

Women's lacrosse:

Class A:

Shaker will play Penfield at SUNY Cortland, Friday at 9 am.

Class B:

Queensbury will play Victor at SUNY Cortland, Friday at 11:30 am.

Class C:

Burnt Hills 19, Massena 1. The Lady Spartans await the winner of Jamesville-DeWitt vs. Honeoye Falls-Lima, which has not been reported as of press time.

Class D:

Canton 9, Schuylerville 6.

Men's lacrosse:

Class A: 

Shaker plays West Genesee Thursday at 7 pm at SUNY Cortland.

Class B:

Niskayuna 14, Fayetteville-Manilus 13. Victor is next for Nisky, Thursday at 4 pm at SUNY Cortland.

Class C:

Burnt Hills 18, Massena 10. The Spartans play Jamesville-DeWitt Thursday at 4:30 at SUNY Cortland.

Class D:

Schuylerville 11, Potsdam 10. Next for the Black Horses will be Marcellsu, Thursday at 6:30 at SUNY Cortland.

Softball:

Class AAA:

Saratoga will play Lancaster, Friday at 1 in Binghamton.

Class A:

Averill Park 9, New Hartford 1. The Golden Knights hit Binghamton on Friday to play Maine-Endwell at 10 am.

Class B:

Chatham 9, Canton 0. The Panthers will next play Susquehanna Valley, Friday at 4 in Binghamton.

Class C:

Galway will play Pine Plains, just after 5 pm on Friday.

Class D:

Fort Ann 6, Crown Point 0. Next for Fort Ann will be Windham-Ashland-Jewett, Friday at 11:30 am.

Baseball:

Class AA:

West Genesee 2, Bethlehem 1.

Class A:

Averill Park 4, New Hartford 0. Next stop is Binghamton University for the Golden Knights, where they'll play Grand Island Friday at 4 pm.

Class B:

Notre Dame 7, Taconic Hills 5.

Class C:

Saratoga Catholic 7, Chapel Field Christian 0. Next for the Saints will be Tuckahoe, Friday at 1 at Mirabito Stadium.

Class D:

Duanesburg 1, Bolton 0. Duanesburg goes to Union-Endicott to play Bridgehampton, Friday at 1.

News & notes

 Cable Guide waited until the last minute to sub in the Mets-Padres broadcast for Fox programming from 9-10 pm last night. Next week, with the World Cup getting underway, the Mets likely will be back on WTEN, but we'll see.

For the record, the Mets defeated San Diego, 5-0.

Friday's state regional results:

Men's lacrosse:

Class A:

Shaker 15, Plattsburgh 5. The Bison await the winner of today's game between Penfield & West Genesee, with the semi-finals taking place on Thursday at SUNY Cortland.

Women's lacrosse:

Class B: 

Queensbury 20, Potsdam 0. The Lady Spartans will face either Victor or Fayetteville-Manilus next Friday at SUNY Cortland.

Baseball:

Class AAA:

Liverpool 3, Saratoga 1.

Softball:

Class AAA:

Saratoga 2, Cicero-North Syracuse 0. The Lady Streaks will play either Lancaster or Corning-Painted Post next Friday in Binghamton.

Class AA:

Fayetteville-Manilus 6, Columbia 5.

Class C:

Galway 18, Ticonderoga 1 (5 innings). Galway awaits the winner of today's game between Tuckahoe & Pine Plains in the semifinals next Friday.

The Tri-City ValleyCats wasted a strong start by Wes Albert, who went 6 innings, and could not come back from a late Ottawa rally, falling to the Titans, 7-6, in 10 innings. Arlo Marynczak (Bethlehem/Siena) blew the save in the 9th, allowing 3 runs. Jake Reinisch (Shen/Wake Forest) was 1-4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Game 2, weather permitting, is tonight at 6:30 pm.

Another night, another win for the Albany Firebirds.

With a rare Friday home game at MVP Arena, the 'Birds blitzed Beaumont, 45-12. The Renegades briefly led in the first quarter before Albany took control for good.

On the first of back-to-back 14 race cards at Saratoga, Flavian Prat had 3 winners, Irad Ortiz, Jr. & Luis Saez had two apiece, and Chad Brown (Mechanicville) saddled a pair. Today's card begins at 11 am.

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats still haven't won a series yet this season.

The struggling 'Cats dropped a 9-8 heartbreaker to Sussex County on Thursday afternoon, despite homers from Jake Reinisch (Shenendehowa/Wake Forest) and Ranko Stevanovic (a grand slam, the 2nd ValleyCat slam in the series), and two defensive gems from Aaron Whitley (Niskayuna). Sussex County goes to 4-2 on the season vs. Tri-City.

The 'Cats will try to turn things around vs. Ottawa tonight at 6:30.

Marcus Jackson will continue his college basketball career outside the 518.

Jackson will play for Mercyhurst next season after spending the last three years between UAlbany & Siena.

Dylan Davis hasn't yet reached the winner's circle at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes festival, but, on Thursday, Flavian Prat & Manuel Franco had 8 of the 11 winners between them, with 4 each. Tyler Gaffalione had 2 and Irad Ortiz, Jr. had the other.

Racing at Saratoga continues through Sunday.

Windham-Ashland-Jewett advanced to the Class D state semi-finals with a 10-1 win over Chapel Field on Thursday. They'll next play the winner of Fort Ann vs. Crown Point, taking place tomorrow, next Friday at 11:30 am in Binghamton.

Former Shaker star Tommy Kahnle is back in the major leagues. 

Kahnle was called up by Boston on Thursday from AAA Worcester, just in time for a weekend series against the Yankees. We'll be keeping an eye on that.

News & notes

 They are just underway at Bruno Stadium this morning, as the Tri-City ValleyCats will try to win the series vs. Sussex County after losing, 17-9, in a nearly 4 hour marathon on Wednesday.

While the Frontier League uses a pitch clock, like everyone else, the pace of play is still an issue, though you can chalk up yesterday to the 26 runs scored between the two teams on a hot June morning. The league doesn't have the ABS system, either, but maybe that'll be added down the road.

Troy High's Julian Monk has qualified for state regionals in track, and will compete on Saturday after winning his race on Wednesday afternoon.

NEPSAC has claimed some more Section II basketball players.

The Albany Times-Union reports today that Shaker's Giada & Sofia Lanni will play for former Catholic Central star Julie McBride at the Hoosac School in Hoosick Falls next season. The sisters have been reclassified as juniors for next season, meaning they will be part of the Class of 2028. On the men's side, Marcelin Mukendi, has also reclassified as he transfers to the CATS Academy in Boston for next season. He, too, will graduate in 2028. The Lannis are spending the summer playing AAU ball with the NY Havoc, with soon-to-be-ex-teammates Malia Jackson & Jayla Geter.

Wednesday's state regional scoreboard:

Softball:

Class B:

Chatham 9, Saranac 2. The Panthers await the winner of today's game between Canton & Marcellus, and will host that game Saturday at Lansingburgh, with a 2 pm start. The A game between Averill Park & New Hartford starts at 12 noon.

Curiously, Windham-Ashland-Jewett, based in Greene County, doesn't play in Section II, but they, too, have qualified, playing in Class D, and will play Chapel Field today at 1:30 at Monroe-Woodbury. In case you wonder, ye scribe has kin in Greene County.

We're keeping a close eye on the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga, running through Sunday. Dylan Davis (Saratoga) didn't win any races on Wednesday, but had three mounts finish in the money (2 2nd's & a 3rd). He has 5 mounts on today's 11 race card, while sister Katherine has 2.

With the NBA finals on ABC tomorrow, the Mets-Padres game will air on WXXA, with a 9:40 pm first pitch. It'll be the first WPIX feed on Fox23 since the pre-season, as the Mets have already had a national game on Fox last month.

News & notes

 Contrary to what we wrote yesterday, the Belmont Stakes Festival at Saratoga opens with a 10 race card today, and the 1st race goes off at 12:35, instead of the traditional 1 pm. 

The Albany Times-Union has discontinued its annual handicapper's challenge series with Capital Region OTB, and instead welcomed a new reporter to the racing beat in Matt Donato, whose picks appear alongside those of Sam Hollingsworth beginning today.

The Tri-City ValleyCats opened their homestand with a 12-5 blowout over Sussex County on Tuesday at Bruno Stadium. The 'Cats scored 10 runs in the 7th & 8th innings, highlighted by a David Glancy grand slam, to put the game away. Game two is just getting underway as we write this morning.

Averill Park needed 6 innings to advance in the Class A softball state regionals after blowing out Peru, 12-0, on Tuesday. The Golden Knights await the winner of New Hartford vs. Gouverneur, taking place today, with the quarterfinal set for Lansingburgh on Saturday.

Meanwhile, we now have the pairings for the Class AAA & AA baseball & softball state regionals:

Softball:

Class AAA:

Saratoga vs. Cicero-North Syracuse at Carrier Park, Friday @ 5 pm.

Class AA:

Columbia vs. Fayetteville-Manilus, also at Carrier Park, Friday @ 5 pm.

Baseball:

Class AAA:

Saratoga vs. Liverpool at Onondaga Community College, Saturday @ 6 pm.

Class AA:

Bethlehem vs. West Genesee at Onondaga CC, Saturday at 3 pm.

News & notes

 The Tri-City ValleyCats closed out a week's run in Mississippi by splitting a doubleheader with the Mud Monsters on Saturday.

The 'Cats won the opener, 6-3, with Arlo Marynczak (Bethlehem/Siena) picking up his 2nd save. However, Mississippi won the nightcap, ending Tri-City's modest 3 game winning streak, 15-5. The 'Cats return home on Tuesday.

The Albany Firebirds came out of the bye week, and it was business as usual, as they thrashed Oceanside, 69-33, at MVP Arena Saturday night, opening a 3 game homestand.

Katie Izzo captured the Delightful Run For Women in roughly 15 1/2 minutes Saturday morning. The weather wasn't as much of a factor as had been assumed, as it was mere sprinkles for much of the morning.

Saturday's high school scoreboard:

Flag football:

Class C:

Northeastern Clinton 7, Catskill 0.

This leaves Class A champ Shaker as the only Section II team left, and they'll play Penfield at Homer High next Saturday at 9:30 am.

Softball:

Class A final:

Averill Park 13, Glens Falls 1 (6 innings).

Class B final:

Chatham 7, Hoosick Falls 0.

Class C final:

Galway 10, Greenwich 7.

Class D final:

Fort Ann 3, Argyle 1.

Baseball:

Class AA championship, best of 3:

Mohonasen 9, Bethlehem 0. Series tied at 1 game each.

Class AAA championship, best of 3:

Saratoga 11, Colonie 3. Series tied at 1 game each.

Men's lacrosse:

Class A final:

Shaker def. Guilderland.

Class B final:

Niskayuna def. Ballston Spa.

Class C final:

Burnt Hills def. Averill Park.

Class D final:

Schuylerville def. Stillwater-Mechanicville.

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 Evan 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.

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.

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.

News & notes

 UAlbany women's lacrosse has taken a huge hit after its season ended earlier this month, according to the Albany Times-Union.

14 players, including the 6 who missed the NCAA tournament game, have entered the transfer portal. Ouch. Talk about needing to rebuild.

Yeah, this transfer portal thing is out of control.

Former Duanesburg star Allison O'Hanlon never played a minute at Siena due to injury, but she's poised to make a comeback at the Division II level at Daemon, according to media reports. We'll see if the comeback tour makes it to the 518 next season.

The Tri-City ValleyCats still haven't won a series this season. 

The 'Cats dropped a 4-2 decision to Three Rivers on Thursday afternoon. With starter Stephen Still gone (Baltimore), I've a suspicion that, in due time, Arlo Marynczak (Bethlehem/Siena), currently in the bullpen, could move back into the rotation. The 'Cats open a series with Brockton tonight at 6:30.

Thursday's sectional scoreboard:

Softball:

Class AAA:

Guilderland 9, Shaker 4. The Lady Dutch will play Shenendehowa at Queensbury next Thursday.

Class AA:

Queensbury 7, Troy 1. The sting of being robbed of a post-season home game hurts Troy again.

Bethlehem 6, Ballston Spa 5.

Burnt Hills 1, South Glens Falls 0 (9 innings).

Columbia 10, Niskayuna 0.

Next Thursday at Lansingburgh:

Queensbury vs. Columbia.

Burnt Hills vs. Bethlehem.

Class A:

Ichabod Crane 10, Cobleskill-Richmondville 0.

Glens Falls 14, Hudson Falls 4 (5 innings).

Schalmont 7, Ravena 5.

Averill Park 10, Cohoes 1.

Wednesday at Troy:

Glens Falls vs. Ichabod Crane.

Schalmont vs. Averill Park.

Class B:

Chatham 13, Schuylerville 0 (5 innings).

LaSalle 5, Holy Trinity 0.

Hoosick Falls 3, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

Tamarac 13, Canajoharie-Ft. Plain 1 (5 innings).

Wednesday at Lansingburgh:

LaSalle vs. Chatham.

Tamarac vs. Hoosick Falls.

Class C:

Galway 10, Maple Hill 2.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 10, Whitehall 3.

Schoharie 11, Hoosic Valley 10 (8 innings).

Greenwich 13, Saratoga Catholic 0 (5 innings).

Wednesday at OESJ:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. Galway.

Schoharie vs. Greenwich.

Class D:

Salem 8, Northville 6.

Fort Ann 4, Fort Edward 0.

Duanesburg 16, Germantown 1 (5 innings).

Wednesday at Queensbury:

Salem vs. Argyle.

Fort Ann vs. Duanesburg.