*CHENANGO VALLEY BASEBALL - 2008 SECTION IV CLASS B CHAMPIONS*

CV celebrates by showering head coach Dave Tidick. | Photo by Collin Herko

Chenango Valley Warriors: 10
Lansing Bobcats: 4

It was quite a long season to get to this. In addition to being the #1 team in the state in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association rankings, the Chenango Valley Warriors varsity baseball team won the Section IV Class B final over Lansing 10-4, avenging last year’s loss in the finals to the same team 13-6.

Leading the Warriors was senior Dan Pendleton (a.k.a. “The Ronan Cannon”), who pitched six innings, striking out seven, giving up only one hit and one earned run. It was a stellar performance on the mound from one of CV’s ace pitchers.

As always, the bats in the CV dugout put in some hard work as seniors Derek Ferry and Derek Stupski, along with junior catcher Brian Stinson had two-RBI nights and combined to score four of CV’s ten runs. Ferry opened the door in the first inning with a two-out, RBI-double to make it 4-0 after a Stinson double and a Pendleton sacrifice fly plated one each. Ferry again sparked offense for CV in the third, drawing a walk with two outs. After a Vince Palmieri single, designated hitter Kyle Christoffersen blasted a double down the left field line to score Ferry and set up what would be a four run inning for CV. Lead off man Mike Biviano then walked, followed by a pitch that clipped Eric Bidwell’s helmet to load the bases when Stupski hit an RBI-single through the left side of the infield. Stupski would come through again in the fifth, hitting (more like pounding) an RBI-triple that missed HR territory by a few feet, and later scoring on a sacrifice fly from Pendleton. Expect Chenango Valley to continue this offensive strength as they move into the state playoffs next week.

Chenango Valley is now 22-1, their only loss coming against AA Horseheads in the STAC semi-finals. On Monday, they will face the Christian Brothers Academy, the Section III winner in Syracuse.

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From the Press and Sun-Bulletin:

Top-seeded Chenango Valley came from behind twice in a 7-6 victory Saturday over visiting Chenango Forks in the quarterfinal round of Section 4 Class B baseball playoffs.

Dan Pendleton pitched four innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out seven for the 20-1 Warriors, who’ll be back home for a semifinal at 4:30 Tuesday against Unatego. The other semi will pit Lansing against Trumansburg.

CV answered Forks’ first-inning run with two of its own and, after the Blue Devils made it 4-2 in the third, the Warriors responded with five in their half– during which Brian Stinson hit a two-run home run and Mike Biviano tripled.

D.J. Smith’s two-run homer in the seventh drew the guests within 7-6, and they went on to position runners on first and second with one out. But Pendleton retired the next two batters on a strikeout and pop-up, respectively.

Leadoff batter Biviano was 3-for-4 for CV, which has played three consecutive one-run games. Chris Ballard 2-for-4 with an RBI for Forks.

Softball
Chenango Valley Warriors: 9
Windsor Black Knights: 3

From the Press & Sun-Bulletin :
Chenango Valley made it look easy.

The visiting Warriors scored in every inning but the sixth, handing top-ranked Windsor its first loss, 9-3, in a Southern Tier Athletic Conference softball game Monday.

Dani Koltz homered, Shannon Kane had four hits and Siera Sheehan pitched 4 2/3 shutout innings in relief of Koltz for the victory.

Sheehan and Chenango Valley (16-1, 12-1 STAC) both avenged a 2-0 loss to Windsor on April 24 that bumped CV from first to third in the Class B state rankings.

“It’s nice to come in and shut a team like this down,” Sheehan said. “Especially since they were the team that beat you.”

The player who hit a two-run homer off Sheehan in that game, Windsor first baseman Abby Hanrahan, was on crutches Monday after suffering a knee injury Sunday in the championship game of the Canastota Tournament.

Hanrahan, who leads the team in homers and RBI, went for a foul ball in the sixth inning and stopped short of the fence when her “feet went out from under her,” said Windsor coach Bill Waldron.

“It was hard turf that we played on,” Waldron said. “She’s going to have an MRI tonight. If it’s not a torn ACL or MCL then she’ll be sidelined for the next two weeks, maybe (be back) in time for sectionals. But if it’s torn, she’ll obviously be out for the season.”

Windsor (20-1 overall, 12-1 STAC), ranked No. 1 in the state in Class B, had clinched the East Division a few weeks ago. CV clinched the Central on Saturday.

“In reality the victory probably didn’t mean much,” said CV coach Eric Coleman, whose team will play in the STAC playoffs next week. “But we wanted this game. I couldn’t take the hunger away from these girls.”

CV had four hits in the first, plus an RBI fielder’s choice from Lauren Roberts and a sacrifice fly from Mikala King that made it 2-0. Kane had an RBI single in the second and Abby Pierce an RBI groundout in the third to make it 4-0.

Windsor’s Meghan Tucker, who held the Warriors scoreless in the first meeting, played left field and freshman Cara Martin got the start.

Both players pitched Sunday in Canastota.

“It was Cara’s turn to pitch,” Waldron said. “I just wanted to see what she would do in a big situation like this.”

Windsor’s offense gave Martin some support in the bottom of the third when Kristin Waldron had an RBI single and Tenley Halaquist followed with a two-run double to make it 4-3.

Sheehan then relieved Koltz and got back-to-back groundouts to leave the tying run stranded on third.

“When I’m not doing good, Siera is always there to pick me up,” Koltz said.

CV added more runs in the fourth as Roberts laced a two-run, two-out double to right-center that made it 6-3. She finished with three RBI.

Sheehan managed to escape a few more jams, including one in the sixth inning with the bases-loaded and two out, when she got Jessie Smith to pop out to third base to end the inning.

In the seventh, Koltz hit a two-run home run that rolled past the center and right fielders for the game’s final runs.

“CV came ready to play,” Bill Waldron said. “They wanted to prove a point that they can play with us and beat us. And to their credit they came out more ready than we were.”

Baseball
Chenango Valley Warriors: 7
Windsor Black Knights: 2

From the Press & Sun-Bulletin :

Eric Bidwell tossed a five-hitter and Dan Pendleton had two hits and three RBI as Chenango Valley clinched the Southern Tier Athletic Conference’s Central Division title with a 7-2 victory at Windsor on Monday.

Bidwell struck out seven and walked three for CV (17-0 overall, 13-0 STAC), which can complete a perfect STAC regular season with a victory over Chenango Forks on Wednesday.

Three of the four STAC division champions have now been determined. Horseheads clinched the West Division title Monday with a 5-4 victory over Elmira Southside. Windsor had already clinched the East Division title.

Only the Metro Division champion, where Vestal and Maine-Endwell are tied for first, has not been determined yet. The STAC playoffs are next week.

Pendleton had an RBI single in the first inning, then added a two-run single in the third inning as the Warriors scored four runs in the inning to take a 6-0 lead.

Justin Topa added three hits for CV.

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Dan Pendleton makes contact for CV. | Photo by Collin Herko

Chenango Valley Warriors: 19
Seton Catholic Central Saints: 1

More highlights to come….

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It’s official. After several weeks of uncertainty about where senior basketball standout Matt Mullins will be playing next season, he has announced he will be a BU Bearcat. The 6′1″ guard from Chenango Valley, who averaged 18.1 PPG last season and led the Warriors to the New York State Class B Final Four in Glens Falls, will be suiting up for the NCAA Division I Binghamton University Bearcats and head coach Kevin Broadus come this winter. He and the rest of the BU team will compete in the America East Conference along with schools like Boston University and the University of Vermont. From the Press & Sun Bulletin:

“Matt Mullins, a Chenango Valley senior and two-time Press & Sun-Bulletin All-Metro selection, will join Binghamton University’s basketball program as a walk-on for the 2008-09 season.

“It’s always been my goal to play at the Division I level, and I want to thank coach (Kevin) Broadus for giving me the opportunity to achieve that goal,” said Mullins, scoring leader for a CV squad that reached the Final Four of Class B state playoffs.

“Walk-on is just a term, it means he doesn’t have a scholarship,” Broadus said. “But if he plays better than a scholarship player, then he’s going to play.”

GO WARRIORS…and GO BEARCATS

Teammates congratulate Brian Stinson on a 2-run HR. | Photo by Collin Herko

Chenango Valley Warriors: 10
Chenango Forks Blue Devils: 4

As the Warriors entered the top of the seventh inning they were tied 4-4 with their rivals from across the river, but by the end of the seventh it was clear who was the undefeated team. The Chenango Valley Warriors varsity baseball team beat the Chenango Forks Blue Devils 10-4 Friday night at Chenango Forks High School. CV is now 11-0 on the season. CV came out strong, scoring two runs in the first inning, and another two runs in the third on a towering 2-run HR by Brian Stinson that rolled almost all the way to the CF parking lot. The next three innings, CV cooled down and Forks (2-7) heated up. Geoff Daniels and DJ Smith each got hits to help Forks rally to score one run in the 4th, and two runs in the 6th to tie the score. In the top of the seventh, a walk from Eric Bidwell and Derek Stupski, and a single by Dan Pendleton loaded the bases for Stinson. He smoke a bases-clearing, three RBI triple to center field to make it 7-4 CV. Taylor Howard reached first on an error, and then Vince Palmieri hit a two out, three-run HR to make it 10-4 CV. Starting pitcher Pendleton led the Warriors for 6 and 2/3 innings, turning the ball over to Stupski to get the final out of the inning. Stupski struck out four in 1 1/3 innings getting the win for the Warriors (11-0). Chenango Valley’s next game is Monday night at Owego.

Chenango Valley Longball Club:
Mike Biviano (1) - vs. Binghamton
Brian Stinson (2) - vs. Norwich, CF
Derek Stupski (3) - vs. Norwich, Oneonta (2)
Derek Ferry (2) - vs. Owego, Oneonta
Brian Eggleston (1) vs. Oneonta
Kyle Christoffersen (1) vs. Oneonta
Taylor Howard (1) vs. Oneonta
Vince Palmieri (1) vs. CF


Justin Topa making contact for CV. | Photo by Collin Herko

Dan Pendleton dealing for Chenango Valley. | Photo by Collin Herko

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Demetra Kermidas making contact for Chenango Valley. | Photo By Collin Herko

Windsor Black Knights: 2
Chenango Valley Warriors: 0

It was the showdown of the unbeaten teams Thursday night, as the Chenango Valley Warriors varsity softball team (1st in NYS Class B rankings) lost to the Windsor Black Knights (2nd in NYS Class B rankings) 2-0. The only runs of the game were scored on a outside fastball taken to deep right-center by Windsor’s Abby Hanrahan for a homer. It was a pitchers duel with CV’s Siera Sheehan, who has not given up a run in all of her previous starts this season, against Windsor ace Meghan Tucker who struck out six Warriors in this game. When Chenango Valley (6-1, 4-1 STAC) had two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, they managed to get two runners on base to bring the winning run to the plate, lead-off hitter Dani Koltz, who popped out down the third base side to the unusually tall shortstop for Windsor to end the game. Even with this loss, the CV softball team has outscored opponents 58-8 in seven games this season. They host Susquehanna Valley (5-1, 4-1 STAC) tomorrow at 4:30.

Mikala King on defense for CV. | Photo by Collin Herko

Siera Sheehan dealing for the Warriors. | Photo by Collin Herko

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