By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A broken strap on Jessie Crye’s face mask caused a delay prior to the bottom of the seventh inning.
That was about the only thing that slowed the Avon senior on Friday night.
Crye struck out 16 and hurled a one-hitter to earn MVP honors as the Riverhawks claimed the Section V Class B2 championship with a 2-1 win over Wellsville, Friday night at Gates Chili.
The championship was the first since Avon won back-to-back titles in 2021 and ’22 and avenged a loss to Wellsville in the B2 final a year ago.
“It feels so, so good,” the FGCU commit said. “My seventh and eighth grade years, I won with my sister (Joleigh). It feels so good to be on the mound, in the circle, because she was in a circle when we won it then. But I feel so good that I got my team to win one too.”
Crye retired the first 10 batters she faced on strikes. The first Wellsville hitter to reach came as a result of a dropped third. An error after that put runners on first and second with one out. She fanned the next two batters to end the threat.
“I felt really smooth and confident in my motion through the first couple of innings,” the right-hander said. “I was working on my spin, working on throwing strikes, trusting my defense.”
Wellsville broke through in the sixth when Brynn Hallock connected on a one-out RBI single to make it a 2-1.
With runners on the corners, the situation was eerily similar to the way the championship unfolded a year ago.
“That was the play they beat us on last year,” said head coach Jill Terry. “They squeezed on us. We didn’t get the ball and ended up slipping. That was the difference.”
This time Crye fielded a bunt from Hailey Cowburn. Avon catcher Kyleigh DeRider alertly came out from behind the plate to take a throw from Crye. DeRider tagged out Kennedy Perry in a rundown.
“We worked for an hour and a half the other day on that exact situation,” Terry said. “Every kid knew where that ball was gonna go…The kids executed it perfectly. It was good to see. It was a proud moment.”
Avon took a 1-0 lead in the third. Payton Rice reached on an error to lead the frame. After a single from Crye, DeRider moved the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Rice came home on a Rylie Miller RBI groundout.
Avery Boor made it 2-0 game with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning that proved to be the game winner.
“It’s pretty special,” Terry said of the championship. “I’ve had these guys for a long time. This was my sixth year coaching them, and it’s to do that after last year coming up a little short. It feels good.”
Charley Pierce and Violet Phillips added a single apiece for Avon in the win.
Wellsville had won five straight sectional titles heading into Friday’s action.
Avon will Waterloo in the regional qualifier.
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