By PAUL GOTHAM
BATAVIA, N.Y. — Sammy Conte is only a ninth-grader, but he has already established himself as an old hand when it comes to delivering in late-game situations.
The Kendall third baseman, who provided the game winner in the Eagles’ semifinal victory over Oakfield-Alabama, was at it again, Tuesday night.
This time he helped clinch the program’s second trip to the state quarterfinals.
“I wasn’t doing much at the plate earlier in the game,” Conte said after Kendall’s 5-4 win over Geneseo in the Class C qualifier at Dwyer Stadium. “I was just trying to put the ball in play to the right side and move the runner over. That worked.”
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Conte connected on a two-ball, two-strike pitch to score teammate Vinnie D’Agostino from second base.
“I had two very bad swings before that to get me down in the count, so I was thinking he was going to come back with another slider off the plate,” he said. “I saw the fastball, and I attacked it.”
Class C qualifier: WALK OFF! Ninth-grader Sammy Conte delivers. Vinnie D’Agostino scores the game winner. Kendall advances to the Class C state quarterfinal with a 5-4 win. Kendall will play Section VI champion Gowanda. pic.twitter.com/bobtaZvKc4
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) June 4, 2025
Conte’s hit capped a Kendall (23-1) comeback that saw the Eagles erase a three-run deficit and starter Nic Cole go the distance for the win.
“He’s been in tight spots before,” Kendall head coach Tige Noni said of his starter. “He knows how to deal, and he doesn’t let it get to his head. He’s a battler.”
After being touched for two unearned runs over the first two innings, the junior right-hander hurled five shutout innings to close the game.
“I was starting to figure out what the batters’ tendencies are and what pitches I can throw and get swings and misses on,” he said. “Once I started to figure out the sequencing for the game, I got into a groove. It’s really hard to stop that.”
In the fourth, Cole surrendered a leadoff single and then retired the next three batters on strikes. Geneseo put two aboard with one out in the fifth. Kendall ended the threat with unconventional 6-4-3-2 double play.
In the seventh, Cole hit a pair of batters and when it looked like he had reached the end of the line, he responded with his 11th and 12th strike outs of the night.
“It was the crowd,” he said. “The crowd started cheering, getting loud. It brought my energy back up. Last two pitches were probably the hardest balls I threw all night. The crowd really helped out.”
Geneseo (18-5) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Brady O’Brien reached on an error, stole a base and moved to third on an Oren Ray ground out. Tyler Churchfield brought in the first run of the game with a single.
Kendall responded in the home half. Jonny Conte reached on a hit by pitch. CJ D’Agostino took advantage of an error to get on base, and Vinnie D’Agostino singled to score Conte.
Luke Davis had an RBI single, and Bryce Patterson brought in two with a base hit to give Geneseo a 4-1 lead in the second.
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth.
CJ D’Agostino led with a single for Kendall. Vinnie D’Agostino was hit by a pitch. Cole drove in the first run of the inning with a single and gave way to pinch runner, Andrew Cole. A balk made it a 4-3 game, and Cole came home on a wild pitch to tie the game.
Vinnie D’Agostino led the seventh with a double, and Nic Cole was intentionally walked. Conte followed with the game winner.
Kendall will play Section VI champion, Gowanda in the state quarterfinals on Saturday. That game is scheduled for an 11:00 first pitch at Dwyer Stadium.
Kendall last reached regionals in 1999 when the Eagles beat Frewsburg.
Kendall played Tuesday night without seniors Gavin Braun and Colby Hughes.
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