News & notes

Three years after his twin brother, Ian, was drafted by Atlanta, Shenendehowa alumnus Ben Anderson, having finished his junior season at Binghamton, was selected Wednesday by the San Diego Padres, who are no strangers to Section II, having drafted pitcher Tim Stauffer a few years back.

Ian is currently pitching for the Braves' AA farm team in Mississippi, and could be a year or two away from the majors. Ben's journey begins later this month.
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State regional play began in softball & baseball on Thursday, and for the Section II teams that played, the theme was, well, taking no prisoners, as all five teams that played won in blowout fashion.

We'll start with baseball.

In Class A, Ballston Spa shut out Massena, 10-0, to advance to the quarterfinals, where they'll host Whitesboro at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam on Saturday at 12:30 pm. If the Scotties win, they will play the winner of a game between Clarke & Sayville at Union-Endicott High on June 14, with the title game the next day.

Over in Class B, Schuylerville blew away Northeastern Clinton, 11-1, and will host Ogdensburg Free Academy at the Plumeri Sports Complex Saturday at 1. A win here, and the Black Horses would play the winner of a game between Le Roy & Medina.

I should note that both Ballston Spa & Schuylerville were seeded second in their respective classes, as was Shenendehowa in Class AA.

They'll be playing a double-header at Plumeri for Section II fans on Saturday, as Class C champion Fort Plain shut down Norwood-Norfolk, 11-0. They'll host Ticonderoga on Saturday at 4.
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In softball, only two Section II teams saw action.

In Class B, Ichabod Crane crushed Ogdensburg Free Academy, 14-2. The Lady Riders will travel to SUNY-Plattsburgh tomorrow to play Plattsburgh High, even though it's a de facto home game for Plattsburgh.

Over in Class C, Chatham battered Ticonderoga by the same 14-2 score. Next stop is SUNY-Potsdam to play St. Lawrence Central.

Fort Ann, the D champ, plays today vs. Crown Point, while Colonie & Ballston Spa begin play tomorrow.
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A quick reminder that the 518 Futures All-Star Game will be played tomorrow at Bruno Stadium at 6 pm. Coupled with the Albany Empire playing another home game at Times-Union Center, the Troy Fighting Irish, who open their season at Lansingburgh High tomorrow vs. Ithaca, will be hard pressed to fill the bleachers, much less get any sort of attention from the press. Stay tuned.

Setting the stage for the state tournaments

Ten teams from Section II will begin state regional play over the next three days, as all roads lead to the state title games on June 15.

Baseball:

Class AA:

Following a thrilling, extra-inning victory over Niskayuna on Monday, Shenendehowa gets a first-round bye in state play, and will take on Fayetteville-Manilus at Onondaga Community College on Saturday at 5 pm.

Class A:

Ballston Spa begins state play today against Massena at Salmon River High. First pitch is set for 5 pm. The winner plays Whitesboro on Saturday at a site to be decided. If Ballston Spa wins, the game will be played at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam.

Class B:

Schuylerville, after nearly a week's rest, will play Northeastern Clinton today at 4, with the game being played at the Plumeri Sports Complex in Albany. The Black Horses are the only Section II team hosting a game within their own section. The winner will play Ogdensburg Free Academy on Saturday. If the Black Horses win, they'll go right back to the Plumeri Complex.

Class C:

Fort Plain is in Canton, outside of Syracuse, today to play Norwood-Norfolk. If Fort Plain wins, they'll return to the Capital Region to play Ticonderoga at the Plumeri Complex on Saturday.

Class D:

Whitehall plays Livingston Manor Saturday in Saugerites (Cantine Field). It's also the first game of the day, with first pitch at 1 pm.
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Softball

Class AA:

Colonie opens vs. Cicero-North Syracuse on Friday at 5, with the game set for Carrier Park in East Syracuse.

Class A:

Ballston Spa, like Colonie, gets a bye, but the Lady Scotties' first game isn't until Saturday at 4 against the winner of Jamesville-DeWitt vs. Franklin Academy.

Class B:

Ichabod Crane plays Ogdensburg Free Academy today at 5.

Class C:

Chatham will play Ticonderoga today at 4:30  at Moreau Recreational Park. The winner goes to SUNY-Potsdam to play St. Lawrence Central on Saturday.

Class D:

Fort Ann is also at Moreau, but their game is tomorrow, as they'll play Crown Point at 4:30.
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Best of luck to our Section II teams.

Softball recap, 6/4

All 5 Section II softball titles were decided on Tuesday in two different venues.

At Luther Forest Sports Complex, Malta:

AA: Colonie 17, Bethlehem 4.

A: Ballston Spa 3, South Glens Falls 2.

B: Ichabod Crane 3, Schuylerville 1.
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At Moreau Recreation Center:

C: Chatham 5, Lake George 3.

D: Fort Plain 5, Whitehall 2.
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Notes: Fort Plain has now won nine straight Class D softball titles. What I can't figure is how the women remained in Class D while the men moved to Class C and won a baseball title on Saturday. At the same time, Whitehall was denied a sweep in Class D, as the men won the D baseball title. Ballston Spa is the only other school besides Fort Plain to sweep in baseball & softball this season, as Schuylerville was also denied in Class B.

For whatever reason, Section II insists on having the title games played at Luther Forest and Moreau because they have multiple diamonds where the games can be played simultaneously. Well, here's a news flash for the people in charge of Section II. We've got a venue closer to home for many of these ladies.

What I'm thinking of is having some of the title games moved to Knickerbocker Park in Troy, which is practically next door to Lansingburgh High. 'Burgh has a turf field, while Knickerbocker Park has two grass diamonds. Catholic Central plays their home games at Knickerbocker Park, and teams from the Colonial Council (i.e. Ichabod Crane, Cohoes) are familiar with the Knick and 'Burgh.

Something to think about.

The Longest Arm of the Law

This is what's known as saving the best for last.

The Class AA championship game at Joe Bruno Stadium featured yet another pitchers' duel, this one between Shenendehowa's Branden Disonell and Niskayuna's Sam Morra. If this doesn't further whet your appetite for when the Tri-City Valleycats begin their home schedule in less than two weeks, I don't know what does.

Shen drew first blood in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Patrick McGuire walked. With one out, Morra fanned Ben Lavery, but catcher Rob Schneider couldn't hang on to the ball, and Lavery reached. Schneider had similar problems catching a third strike against Chase Carroll, but was able to complete the play before Lavery came up. As a result, McGuire was on third, and scored when Jake Reinisch forced Lavery at second.

It took Niskayuna until the home half of the third inning to answer. Aaron Whitley was hit by a pitch, with two out, and had an idea of taking a step toward Disonell, suggesting there'd been some earlier drama between the two. The last time these two teams played, also at the Joe, just last month, there were no hints of issues between Whitley & Disonell. Whitley stole second, and scored on a single by Jacob Hand to tie the game.

After an error by Nick Lemire allowed Cole Hedden to reach, Disonell settled down, and induced a comebacker from Tim Schaffer to end the frame.

From that point, the pitchers & defense took over. Oh, did it ever. Shen right fielder Sam Law, who'd robbed Jack Murray of an extra base hit in the third before the drama with Whitley began, made another diving grab in the sixth, this time stretching into foul territory to catch a drive from Chris Erickson. In the seventh, he robbed Morra of what could've been an extra base hit if the ball had not drifted into foul territory. And so it went. Until the ninth.

Lavery led off the Shen half with a ground ball that Cole Hedden muffled for his second error of the game, and this time, it would prove costly. A couple of pitches later, Reinisch went shopping at the Gap, as they say on ESPN, and Lavery scored all the way from first on a triple. After a walk to Tom Krill, Niskayuna manager Chris Bianchi shuffled the defense, with Morra moving to left field, Murray to third, and Hedden took over the pitching. He didn't have complete command on Friday against Guilderland, and it was more of the same tonight. Lemire reached on a force play when Reinisch was thrown out at the plate.

Then came one of the most oddball plays of the season. With two out, two runners in scoring position, and four runs already home, Hedden unleashed a wild pitch that Schneider took a week to find, enabling both Law & McGuire, who'd had run scoring hits, to come home. Hedden's night was over, as Bianchi came back out to pull him in favor of Shawn Vena with a count of 2-2 on Carroll. Carroll subsequently walked, but Lavery struck out to end the inning. In all, six runs scored.

Morra went six-plus, giving up two runs, while striking out nine. Hedden poured gasoline on the fire in 2/3 of an inning, with a strikeout and two walks, to go along with four runs.

Disonell, meanwhile, went the distance, striking out ten while walking just two on four hits, as Shen takes home another AA title, 7-1. State play awaits the Plainsmen, starting later this week.

For the Silver Warriors, however, it's a case of where did everything go wrong, and at such a bad time. Did Bianchi leave Morra on the mound too long, since he was grinding in the seventh & eighth innings, his tank nearing empty? Maybe. Hedden wasn't the answer tonight. His error opened the floodgates in the ninth, and putting him on the mound exacerbated things. Not a good way to end the season.

While Section II's champions move on, Bruno Stadium will host the first 518 Futures All-Star Game on Saturday night at 6 pm.

News & notes

Without much fanfare, the Freihofer's Run For Women marked 40 years on Saturday with the 41st annual edition. It's just too bad none of the local television stations can be bothered to carry the race live.

Elaina Robb of Watertown, Massachusetts won the main race. Section II had a healthy presence, and the highest finisher was Kelsey Chmiel of Saratoga, who finished fifth behind Robb. Chmiel is heading for North Carolina State in the fall after she graduates later this month.
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To borrow from "The Blues Brothers", the Albany Empire are on a mission from God.

The Empire are 6-0 after beating Washington, 58-48, on Saturday afternoon at the Times-Union Center. That the games are also on local television isn't hurting attendance at all. The Empire also have a radio deal, so the team is retaining a tradition that dates back to the Firebirds nearly 30 years ago.
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Hard to believe, but there is still one women's lacrosse team from Section II still playing.

Bethlehem reached the state semi-finals on Wednesday, but as of press time, the result of any semi-final game has not yet been reported. We should have an update before the end of the day.

Last year's bridesmaids, this year's champions

Last year, Ballston Spa contended for the Class AA title in baseball, and fell short, losing to Columbia. This year, both schools moved down to Class A, and the Scotties reached the title game, bent on going from bridesmaid to bride. First, though, they had to deal with Averill Park.

The Class A title game at Bruno Stadium drew the largest crowd of the weekend, as the fans were about evenly split between the two Suburban Council rivals, even though this amounted to a de facto home game for Averill Park.

Scotties senior hurler Michael Poirer got the start, and was brilliant in extricating himself from one difficult situation after another in the first three innings. The same cannot be said for Averill Park junior pitcher Anthony Childrose, who couldn't get out of the third inning.

In the first, with one out, Luke Gold singled, and back to back walks loaded the bases for the Scotties. A sacrifice fly by Chance Checca gave Ballston Spa a 1-0 lead. Two more walks by Childrose led to another Scotties run in the second. After giving up a lead-off double to Donovan Rhoden in the third, and a single to Checca, Childrose was pulled in favor of Wesley Duscher. A passed ball and back-to-back hits by Colman Hinman and Anthony DeVizzio put three more on the board, giving Ballston Spa a 5-0 lead after three.

Childrose was charged with all five runs on three hits, with one strikeout and five walks in two-plus innings.

In the fourth, Averill Park began to peck away at the lead. After being held without a hit through the first three innings, Avery Pascucci picked up the first hit of the night for the Warriors. A two run double by Ethan Simard put Averill Park on the board, but they still trailed, 5-2, after four innings. In the fifth, they inched even closer, and knocked Poirer from the game after consecutive walks to Anthony Carucci and Pascucci. Alex Yash plated Carucci with a single off Jake Manderson, who had moved from catcher to replace Poirer.

Manderson, however, slammed the door shut, allowing only a double to Ian Ziesue the rest of the way. Manderson retired the last seven batters to face him.

Ballston Spa put the game away with four runs in the sixth, finally solving Duscher. For his part, Poirer went four-plus, allowing three runs on three hits, while striking out three. Problem was inconsistent control, leading to six walks. Ballston Spa advances to state play with a 9-3 win.

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Earlier, defending Class D champion Fort Plain, moving to Class C this season, got a dominant pitching performance from junior pitcher John Cortese while the offense teed off on Hoosick Falls pitching. Cortese fanned 14 in five-plus innings as the Hilltoppers blew out the Panthers, 10-0, in six innings. Fort Plain, despite the class change, wins another sectional title.

The Class AA title will be decided between old rivals Shenendehowa and Niskayuna on Monday.

High School Fridays: Three for the price of two

Hall of Famer Ernie Banks famously said, "let's play two". Section II, after the rains spoiled the Class AA semi-final between Guilderland and Niskayuna on Thursday, said, let's play three on Friday.

With most parents at work, the Dutchmen & Silver Warriors completed business in front of a sparse crowd at Joe Bruno Stadium Friday afternoon, picking up at the point of the game's suspension on Thursday night, with Guilderland leading, 1-0, with one out, and a runner on 1st against Cole Hedden.

The Niskayuna senior rebounded by striking out Mason Steward, and, after a walk to Henry Li, induced a groundout from Malachi Flaherty to end the frame.

Niskayuna evened the score in the second against Guilderland starter Dylan Jones. With one out, Chris Erickson walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jimmy Joyce then hit a grounder to second, but Erickson beat the throw home to tie the game. Strangely, Joyce was credited with a base hit, instead of a fielder's choice. Well, at least he wasn't the umpire.

In the home fourth, back-to-back hits by Tim Schaffer and James Murphy put the Silver Warriors in business with nobody out. Erickson hit a sacrifice fly to bring Schaffer home, making it 2-1.

Jones unraveled after that. A hit batsman & a walk loaded the bases. With two out, Aaron Whitley drew a bases loaded walk, plating Murphy to make it 3-1.

After allowing a lead-off single to Flaherty to start the sixth, Hedden moved to third base, and Sam Morra came in from the outfield. Morra slammed the door, allowing only a single in the seventh, and picked up the save, as the Silver Warriors advance to face Shenendehowa on Monday night. Hedden went five-plus innings on the mound, giving up just the one run, his four strikeouts counter-balanced with six walks.
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The Class D title game, then, had a lot to live up to. With the AA game added to the bill, everything else was pushed back, as Whitehall players were arriving during the first game.

Starter Ethan Patch was in a pitchers' duel with Hartford-Fort Edward's Mitch Raymond at the beginning. Patch bent, but didn't break through three innings, allowing only a pair of walks and a hit batsman while striking out six.

The Railroaders, looking for their first title in 30 years, broke through against Raymond in the third. After Raymond hit Jacob Moore with a pitch to start the inning, Austin Barnao doubled, moving Moore to third. Thomas Fish reached on an error, one of six against the Tanaforts' defense, which caved in at that point. Three runs in the third, and five more in the fourth, were more than enough for Patch, who pitched into the sixth before trading places with first baseman Matt Redmond, son of coach Keith Redmond. Thomas Fish pitched the seventh, and although he gave up three runs, finished the game, sending the Railroaders to state play for the first time since 1989, 9-4.
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Schuylerville hadn't won a sectional title since 2005. Between them & Mechanicville, the bleachers were close to full, almost like a typical Friday night during Valleycats season, which, oh by the way, starts in two weeks.

First pitch wasn't until after 8 due to the earlier games, and, again, we started with a pitchers' duel, this one between Mechanicville's Jacob Popeil and Schuylerville's Alex Vallee.

In the home fourth, Rocco DeVito split the gap in right center field for a triple, and scored a couple of pitches later on a single by Matt Wertman. After a base hit by Jacob LaFountain, Popeil lifted a fly to short, dropped for an error. Wertman scored on the play. Two batters later, LaFountain came home on a force play when Vallee's toss to catcher Jack Harshbarger was late, giving Mechanicville a 3-0 lead through four.

However, running the bases may have drained Popeil, who had carved up the Schuylerville offense like a veg-a-matic through four innings with eight strikeouts. Vallee started the rally with a double, then scored on a hit by Jack Bodnar. Back-to-back hits by Brady Eugair & Christian Petralia brought the Black Horses closer. Popeil, however, in trying to pick off Petralia, threw the ball away, the momentum shifting permanently to Schuylerville. Vallee ended the inning, as the Black Horses batted around, by striking out, giving Popeil ten K's through five innings, but Schuylerville now had a 5-3 lead.

Vallee didn't allow another hit in the final three innings, striking out thirteen total, including the last five in a row, as his fastball began to sing like, well, Rudy Vallee, for you old-timers out there. Schuylerville added seven runs against Popeil and two relievers in the seventh, sealing a 12-3 victory.

State play awaits Schuylerville & Whitehall next week. The Class C & A finals are scheduled for today, weather permitting.

"High School Fridays" returns in September.