NTL BASEBALL: ATHENS SPLITS PAIR OF SLUGFEST; FALLS IN FINALS AT LUMBER YARD CLASSIC (April 3, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
CORTLAND — East High scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a wild 15-13 win over Athens in the championship game of the Lumber Yard Baseball Classic here Saturday afternoon at the Gutchess Lumber Sports Complex.

The Wildcats advanced to the finals with a 16-9 win over Lansing.

"Having all these rainouts up to this point, it was great to get out and play some baseball," said Athens coach Charlie Havens.

"We played two excellent baseball teams at an awesome facility, he noted. "It was a totally enjoyable day.

"This type of competition will only make us better down the stretch," added Havens.

Opening Round
Athens 16, Lansing 9
Junior Kam Wheeler pitched five strong innings of relief, and Athens used a big two-out rally in the fourth inning in a come-from-behind, 16-9, win over Lansing.

"Connor (Davidson) was injured sliding into home safely and then starting pitcher (Duncan) Thetga got hit with a liner by the leado-ff hitter and did his best to battle, but just wasn’t his usual self," said Havens. "So guys needed to step up and boy did they.

"Kam Wheeler pitched excellent and Shea Davidson had a day at the plate and behind it.
 
"It was also great seeing (Brady) Flynn get going and (Alex) McQuay raked," added Havens.

The Bobcats scored two runs in each of the first three innings and led 6-4 heading into the fourth inning.

Junior Alex McQuay led off the top of the fourth inning with a triple, but the next two batters struck out.

Junior Brendan Cooke belted an RBI triple, then scored on a passed ball to tie the game at 6-6.

Junior Brady Flynn re-ignited the rally with a single, and sophomore Hunter Brennan followed with a single up the middle.

Wheeler helped his own cause with an RBI single to give the Wildcats the lead for good, at 7-6, and senior Eli Hobday followed with a single. An outfield error on Hobday's hit allowed one run to score to make it 8-6.

Freshman Zeke Noble kept the rally going with a two-RBI double to extend the lead to 10-6, and McQuay followed with an RBI double to make it 11-6.

Freshman Shea Davidson capped the rally with an RBI single to left field to push the lead to 12-6.

Lansing answered with a pair of unearned runs to close the gap to 12-8, but the Wildcats answered.

With one out Brennan singled, and scored two pitches later on an RBI triple by Wheeler to make it 13-8. Wheeler scored on a dropped third strike that allowed Hobday to score.

McQuay drove in the final run of the rally with a two-out RBI single to make it 16-8.

Wheeler pitched out of early trouble in the fifth inning, then gave up an unearned run in the sixth, before retiring the Bobcats in order in the seventh, including strike outs of the last two batters.

Wheeler gave up four runs — one earned — on five hits, while striking out five and walking two to earn the win.

McQuay tripled, doubled and singled, scored three runs, and had two RBI and Flynn stroked three singles, scored one run, and drove in one run to pace Athens' 16-hit attack.

Wheeler tripled and singled, scored two runs, and knocked in two runs in the win, while Shea Davidson singled twice, scored one run, and drove in one run, and Brennan singled twice and scored two runs.

Cooke tripled, scored one run, and drove in two runs for the Wildcats, while Noble doubled, scored one run, and had two RBI, Hobday singled, scored two runs, and drove in one run, sophomore Ty Owen singled and scored one run, and senior Nick Grazul and junior Connor Davidson each crossed the plate once.

Championship Game
East High 15, Athens 13
Both teams had multiple big innings, but East High's seventh-inning rally was the difference in a wild 15-13 win here in the finals of the Lumber Yard Baseball Classic.

"It was a wild game, with so much back-and-forth," said Havens. "It was an absolute slugfest.

"(Brendan) Cooke hit two absolute bombs," noted Havens. "Our offense had us in front, but never enough to be comfortable. 

"East High was a team that played with high energy," added Havens. "They were a fun team."

The Wildcats took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run to left field by junior Brendan Cooke, and an RBI single by freshman Shea Davidson.

However, East — part of the Rochester City School District — answered with seven runs — six unearned and all with two outs — in the top of the second.

Athens had an answer as well, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning to tie the game at 7-7.

Junior Alex McQuay led off the bottom of the second with a single, then seniors Eli Hobday and Nick Grazul were each hit by pitches to load the bases, and Cooke cracked a line-drive grand slam to center field to tie the game.

East plated a run in the top of the third to take an 8-7 lead, but Athens answered once again.

With two outs in the bottom of the third, Grazul singled and advanced to second on an outfield misplay. After Cook was intentionally walked, Flynn hit a line-drive two run triple to center field to give the Wildcats to a 9-8 lead.

Junior Kam Wheeler followed with an RBI single to cap the rally at 10-8.

East closed the gap to 10-9 with a run in the top of the fifth, but a RBI singles by Flynn and Shea Davidson, sandwiched around a run-scoring error gave Athens a 13-9 lead after five innings. The Wildcats, who had the bases loaded with one out, left them loaded.

After East scored a run in the top of the sixth to close the gap to 13-10, Grazul led off the bottom of the inning with a double, and Flynn stroked a one-out single. Flynn took second on defensive indifference to put runners on second and third with one out, but the Wildcats stranded them there.

Again, East did all its damage with two outs in the top of the seventh, rapping out four two-out hits to pull ahead.

Freshman Zeke Noble and junior Duncan Thetga stroked one-out singles in the bottom of the seventh, but they were stranded there.

Cooke homered twice, scored four runs, and had six RBI, and Flynn was 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs scored and three RBI to pace Athens' 18-hit attack, while Grazul had three hits, including a double, and four runs scored, and Shea Davidson stroke three singles and drove in two runs.

Wheeler had three hits and one RBI for the Wildcats, while Noble had a pair of singles, McQuay singled and scored one run, Thetga added a single, and Hobday crossed the plate once.

Athens, now 2-1, hosts Wyalusing Saturday at noon.

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IN PHOTO: Athens junior Brendan Cooke. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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