Barbulean, Forney lead Mendon to Class A title

By PAUL GOTHAM

BATAVIA, N.Y. — Tournament MVP Cameron Barbulean struck out 16 and hurled a three-hitter to lead top-seeded Pittsford Mendon (17-6) to the 2025 Section V Class A title with a 7-1 victory No. 7 Eastridge (14-10), Sunday at Dwyer Stadium.

The senior left-hander retired the side on strikes in each of the first four innings and improved to 5-2 on the season.

“When the lights are on, Cam is at his best,” said third-year Mendon head coach Shaun Caveny. “Big stage, big moments, Cam comes through for us. With him on the mound today, I liked our chances. I knew how good he was going to be.”

After giving up a run in the third, Barbulean set down the next nine batters he faced.

“I threw fastball, curveball, splitter today,” he said. “I kinda stayed around my fastball and curveball because that’s what was working best.”

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LAURA ACCIAIO.

Colden Forney highlighted a two-out rally in second-inning when the Vikings scored three runs.

Leading 1-0, Jack Albanese drew a walk and Noah Sansone put runners on the corners with a base hit. Forney followed with a double.

“With two outs, you’re just trying to put the ball in play and let something happen,” said the senior shortstop who is committed to play at Fordham University. “I got a fastball up, and I took it to the right-center gap. I didn’t think it was going to drop. Wind was blowing. I thought it was going to hang up there.

“I got my guys in and that really gave us the momentum.”

Barbulean capped the inning with an RBI double for a 4-0 lead.

“Those two are as tough as nails,” Caveny said of Forney and Barbulean. “There’s a reason Colden is going to Fordham and Cam is going to Clarkson to play baseball because those guys are built for those situations. I never doubt in any type of situation that those two are going to come through for us.”

Class A: Colden Forney plates 2 with a two-out double. ⁦@MendonVikinBase⁩ 3-0 in the second. pic.twitter.com/dAvj4lDrgO

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) June 1, 2025

Class A: Colden Forney connects on his second double of the day. Noah Sansone scores on the play. One out in the sixth, ⁦@MendonVikinBase⁩ 5-1. pic.twitter.com/9he8c3shDN

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) June 1, 2025

Tournament MVP Cameron Barbulean finishes it off with a complete-game 3-hitter (16 strikeouts). ⁦@MendonVikinBase⁩ defeats Eastridge, 7-1 to clinch the 2025 Class A title. pic.twitter.com/nIPszQwkHN

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) June 1, 2025

The title was the fifth in Mendon program history, and the first since 2001.

“I just couldn’t think of a better group of guys to do this with,” said Forney. “Everybody has been clicking. Everything came together.”

A .500 team (4 wins and 4 losses) in late April, Mendon closed the regular season winning eight of nine to claim the top seed. The Vikings have outscored opponents in the postseason by a combined 31-4.

“Fall, winter, spring they never stop working,” Caveny said of his team. “They just get after it. It’s all on them. It’s all their hard work coming to fruition and finally achieving their goal.”

Eastridge won four of five to close the regular season. In the semi-finals, the Lancers beat a Honeoye Falls-Lima team that had knocked off reigning champion, Pittsford Sutherland.

Sunday’s appearance in a sectional final was the first since 2019 for Eastridge.

“It’s been a grind,” said Lancers’ head coach, Chris Taylor. “We got a lot to be proud of. There’s a lot more work to be done.

“We got a lot of personality in our dugout. We got a lot of dogs. Love to go to battle with them every day. It’s been our motto all year. We knew we’d have to pitch, play defense and get some timely hitting. That’s what got us to here. Today, we didn’t quite get those timely hits, throw the ball where we needed to, or catch it when we needed to. That’s why the score was 7-1.”

Xzavier Hughey scores from first on Evan Bishop’s two-out double inside the first-base bag. Mid 3: ⁦@MendonVikinBase⁩ 4 ⁦@eridge_baseball⁩ 1 pic.twitter.com/gG7QS3Ifiz

— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) June 1, 2025

Mendon’s Sansone finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Forney was 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Aidan Lerner-Morelle singled and scored. Jo Jo Martin went 2-4 with an RBI. Sam Harrigan was 2-4.

James Dietz and Benny Calixto had a single apiece for Eastridge.

Game time temperature was in the mid-50s.

With the win, Mendon clinched a spot in the state quarterfinals and will face Section VI champion, Amherst. That game will be played at Innovative Field on Friday, June 6th. A 4 p.m. first pitch is scheduled.