Canandaigua and Irondequoit each enter this weekend on a hot stretch of play.
For the Gray Wolves, it’s been seven wins in their past eight games. Their offense has been the biggest driver of success, as Canandaigua has scored 10 or more runs in five of those victories. Irondequoit has taken four of its past five outings, with the Eagles limiting their opponent to two runs or less in four of those games.
Something has to give when these two Monroe County clubs meet on Friday afternoon. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 3 seed CANANDAIGUA GRAY WOLVES (17-5/Monroe County III/No. 18 NYSSWA Class AA)
vs.
No. 5 seed IRONDEQUOIT EAGLES (12-7/Monroe County II/NYSSWA Class AA Honorable Mention)Z
Friday, Dwyer Stadium, 4:00 pm
How they arrived here: Canandaigua started its run with an 11-3 win over No. 6 seed Gates-Chili before beating seventh-seeded Brighton 11-1 to book a spot in the championship game. Irondequoit defeated No. 4 seed Eastridge 8-1 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, a 12-10 win over top-seeded Pittsford Mendon sent the Eagles to the title game.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM STEVEN TWARDZIK.
Scoring offense: Canandaigua (8.8 RPG), Irondequoit (5.8 RPG)
Scoring defense: Canandaigua (3.8 RPG), Irondequoit (4.3 RPG)
Trends: Canandaigua has won seven of its past eight games, outscoring its opponents 75-37 over that span. Irondequoit has held their opponent to two runs or less in nine games this year, and has also won four of its past five games.
Players to watch for Canandaigua: Cole Harris Jr. P/OF (.462 BA, 30 H, 11 XBH, three HR, 29 RBI, 21 R, 26.0 IP, 2-0 record, 2.69 ERA, two saves, 34 Ks), Tyler Christopher Jr. P/1B (.419 BA, 18 H, five XBH, two HR, 22 RBI, 12 R, 26.0 IP, 3-1 record, 3.23 ERA, one save, 32 Ks), Cormick Schaeffer So. P/3B (.300 BA, six H, three RBI, three runs, 53.1 IP, 8-3 record, 1.84 ERA, 63 Ks), Jack Clark Sr. C (.393 BA, 22 H, four XBH, 25 RBI, four R), Sam Clark Sr. LF (.367 BA, 22 H, four XBH, 21 RBI, 19 R), Austin Kierst Fr. SS (.359 BA, 28 H, four XBH, 13 RBI, 36 R)
Players to watch for Irondequoit: Landon Bryan Sr. (.413 BA, 19 H, six XBH, two HR, 16 RBI, 15 R), Thomas VanGorder Sr. (0.314 BA, 11 H, two 2B, four RBI, seven R), Max Spitz Sr. (.291 BA, 16 H, four XBH, eight RBI, 13 R), Jack Niggli Jr. (.292 BA, 14 H, three XBH, eight RBI, nine R), Alex McLaughlin Sr. P (46.1 IP, 5-1 record, 2.12 ERA, one save, 50 Ks, .186 BA, eight H, five RBI, two 2B, seven R), Brayden Delly Sr. P (27.1 IP, 3-2 record, 3.33 ERA, 20 Ks, .214 BA, six H, seven RBI, two R)
Coaches: Dale Werth (Canandaigua), Joe Kuhn (Irondequoit)
History 101: Canandaigua is back in the championship game for the first time since 2019, a year that saw the Gray Wolves cap off four-straight sectional titles. A win would give them their ninth in program history. Irondequoit is trying to win its first sectional championship since 2000. The Eagles have won Section V five times in program history.
What’s at stake: A spot in the NYS Class AA Far West Regional Qualifier against the winner of Hilton and Webster Schroeder.
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