OFA loses duel of division leaders in baseball, lacrosse
May 4—Efforts to derail a division leader by OFA were both denied in NAC Central Division Baseball and NAC Division I Boys Lacrosse action on Friday night.
At the Ron Johnson Field host OFA (5-4) dropped a 13-7 decision to Massena (8-1) which matched (9-1) Canton, a 17-6 winner over Potsdam, in the race for the Division I Lacrosse title.
At Mills Park in Gouverneur the host Wildcats (7-1) shaded OFA (6-3) 2-1 in eight innings , stopped the Devils six-game league win streak and opened a two-game lead in the division race.
BOYS LACROSSE
Massena 13 — OFA 7: The Raiders took a 9-6 halftime lead and played lockdown defense in front goaltender Owen Converse (10 saves) in the second half allowing just one goal.
"Massena's defense played very well and made some nice adjustments to shut us down in the second half. We struggled with our passing and they won so many ground balls," said OFA Coach Andrew Roddy.
"It was a great job on their part after we scored six goals in the first half. The have some very skilled players."
Drew Smutz with three goals and three assists, Myles Cook with three goals and Duffa Thompson with one goal and three assists led the Raiders' offense. Dom Murtaugh scored two goals and his second proved to decisive coming just 12 seconds after Theodore Hewko cut the difference to 11-7 with 7:19 to play with what proved to be OFA's only goal of the second half.
Murtaugh won the draw, controlled the ball, and then scored on a solo rush on goal.
Miles Cook closed out the scoring with an over-the-shoulder flicked after being set up directing in front of the net by Smutz.
Andrew Bertram made eight saves in goal for the Devils.
BASEBALL
Gouverneur 2 — OFA 1: Hayden Stowell won a brilliant pitching duel with Cam Griffith and the Wildcats reversed their only loss in Central Division play. Both right-handers struck out eight, allowed six hits and pitched into the eighth inning where Ashton Currier scored the winning run on an overthrow on a pickoff attempt.
"It was just a great game. Cam Griffith pitched seven and one-third innings," said OFA Coach Brooks Brenno who considered the game extension of the play which produced six straight wins after an 0-2 start.
Currier delivered two singles and a double and scored both Gouverneur runs. In the fourth inning he doubled and scored on a single by Jude Wilson. Hayden Stowell singled twice for Gouverneur and allowed OFA's lone run came when Tyler Sovie led off the game with a homerun.
Sovie also singled and Hayden McDonald, Logan VanGordon and Cam Griffith all singled.
Carthage 9 — Canton 8: Another eight inning game saw Carthage nip Canton 9-8 by scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. T. Storm pitched 7 1/3 innings of relief to get the win.
E. Mosher doubled three times and drove in three runs for the Comets and J. Brock singled three times to produce three RBIs. Zadock Roiger lined two singles and a double for Canton, Charlie Todd singled twice and drove in two runs and JJ Ahlfeld singled twice with two RBIs.
SOFTBALL
In NAC Central Softball action on Friday Canton (7-1) stay tied in the loss column with 9-1 Gouverneur in NAC Central race by defeating Potsdam 23-7.
Tessa Alguire, Ellie White and Marilisia Salvi-Miguel all pitched two innings in the victory where Shaylee Olmstead led the winning offense with a homerun, a triple and two singles.
Alguire doubled and singled and White rapped a triple and two singles. Chloe Baxter, Jenn Larrabee and Maya Thomas all singled twice. Rachel White singled three times for Potsdam.
