by TYLER HATHAWAY
HONEOYE FALLS, N.Y — For the fifth consecutive season, the Wellsville Lions sit atop Section V.
“It feels amazing,” said Wellsville head coach Gia George. “I’m so proud of this team, they’re so special.”
Top-seeded and defending NYS Class B champion Wellsville rallied to defeat No. 3 seed Avon by a score of 2-1 to win the 2025 Section V Class B2 softball championship on Thursday night. The win gave the Lions their fifth sectional title in a row.
“We had a ton of girls graduate last year, and they were the heart of this team,” said pitcher MaKenna Dunbar. “We knew that it was going to be tougher this year than previous years, so it’s great that we came out on top.”
The Lions fell behind 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning, but responded immediately. After Lindsay Stuck walked and then worked her way to third base, Teagan Burke laid down a bunt and Stuck took off to take home. She scored, and the game was tied at one heading into the fifth inning.
After a scoreless fifth inning, and knowing a run would put Wellsville three outs away from a title, George had a message for her squad before they took their sixth inning at-bats.
“This is it. End the game right here. It’s about who wants it more. Leave it all out on the field.”
And the Lions took that message to heart. Dunbar sat on a changeup from Avon pitcher Jessie Crye and powered it into deep centerfield, resulting in a leadoff double.
“[Avon’s] pitcher is unbelievable,” said Dunbar. “She got me on that pitch a few times, made me look silly. I kind of knew it was coming, so I just sat on one where I knew I could drive it and I did what I could with it.”
Two at-bats later, Kennedy Perry connected on a double of her own that scored Dunbar and gave Wellsville its first lead of the game.
In the seventh inning, Dunbar brought the momentum from her at-bat in the previous inning to her pitching. The senior right-hander tossed six straight strikes and picked up two strikeouts to put Wellsville one out away from victory. However, Avon’s Violet Phillips then put together a nine-pitch at-bat that culminated in a triple. Suddenly, the tying run was 60 feet from home.
George called time, and went out to the mound to talk to both her pitcher and her infield.
“Take a breather,” she told her girls. “We’re okay. Just get us a ground ball Makenna, and (to the infielders) let’s make the play behind her.”
But Dunbar did not force a ground ball. She threw three straight strikes, good for her 11th strikeout, and sealed the win for the Lions.
“I’ve really worked on keeping my composure as the years have gone by,” said Dunbar about the final inning. “I just tell myself that I need to keep myself calm and do whatever it takes to help my team win.”
“She is a true leader,” George said of Dunbar. “She’s our pitcher, everyone looks to her, she’s a senior. She brings our team up, she has so much energy. She is the true definition of a leader to our team.”
Rounding out the stats for Wellsville, Stuck and Hailey Cowburn each placed singles. Cowburn also got on base once via a walk.
For Avon, Crye tossed six innings and struck out six batters. At the plate, she had a lead-off triple in the fourth inning and came around to score off of an RBI by Rylie Miller. Abigail Schutz and Kyleigh DeRider each singled.
According to George, the entire program deserves credit for the prolonged success.
“It starts young. We have a strong youth program, and the kids play travel. It’s all the coaches; the youth coaches, the travel coaches, everyone. I have a good modified coach, a good JV coach. It all plays into it.”
George was formerly the JV coach for the Lions before being named the varsity coach heading into this season.
“I couldn’t have done it without everyone before me,” said George. “Everyone before me paved the way to where I am.”
Wellsville (19-2) advances to the Regional Qualifier where will face Class B1 champ Haverling. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 start time on Saturday, at MCC.
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