New York: Guilderland slugger on HR tear

Zanotta touched all the bases a phenomenal 11 times in April, capped by a grand slam, two solo homers and a triple to drive in nine runs and beat Averill Park 18-4 on the last day of the month.

"I've had people at games, or on their way to the game, say that they don't want to miss an at-bat from Matt," Guilderland coach Doug LaValley told The Times Union. "He is totally locked-in right now. Every swing is beautiful."

Zanotta, who bats left-handed, drove in 38 runs in just 43 April at-bats. His slugging percentage was a preposterous 1.488.

"I can do something if they give me something. I'm not going to force it," Zanotta said.

While Zanotta is the undisputed hit king of Section II this season, the Rochester area has its own phenom at the plate this season in Aaron Freida. Freida, the centerfielder for Pittsford Sutherland, is batting in the neighborhood of .400 while batting leadoff this year. That figure by itself is hardly extraordinary, but what makes Freida special is what he does when he’s not putting the ball in play.

Freida has been hit by a pitch in each of the Knights' 14 games so far this season.

"Every single one has been right at me," Freida told the Democrat and Chronicle. "I don't have a 14-game hitting streak, but I've been on base every game."

Reeling from consecutive losses to Columbia, Shenendehowa and Ballston Spa last week in the Albany area, the Bethlehem Central (Delmar) softball team entered the weekend with a chance to get back the momentum built up during an 8-0 start. Never mind getting back on track. The Eagles shifted into high gear and became a runaway train.

After tuning up with a 7-0 win vs. Averill Park on Friday on the strength of two Mary Beth Dombrowski home runs, Bethlehem, ranked 18th in the state in Class AA, swept its way to four more weekend victories in Binghamton to win the 16-team James "Ace" Morabito Memorial Invitational. The Eagles won the title Sunday with a 10-0 triumph versus No. 19 Horseheads.

Bethlehem (13-3) beat No. 7 Cicero-North Syracuse 2-1 and John Jay 7-0 on Saturday. With her team donning pink uniforms presented by coach Karen Gentile at Sunday's breakfast, junior Toni Edwards threw two shutouts on the final day of the tournament, beating Baldwinsville 5-0 and then holding Horseheads to two hits.

Dombrowski was selected the tournament MVP. Baldwinsville topped Mechanicville 3-0 in the third-place game, and Valley Central's Jane Pinckney threw a perfect game to beat Vestal 7-0 for fifth place.

Saratoga Rowing Association squads won finals in the girls junior eights, girls second eights and girls senior quads on the final day of the NYSSRA championships in Saratoga Springs, but their nine-year reign in the senior eights ended at the hand of the Albany Rowing Club.

Avenging a loss last weekend in the Section II championships, Albany RC (comprised largely of competitors from Bethlehem High) navigated the Fish Creek course in 5:35.90 to Saratoga's 5:41.29. Saratoga's future looks bright, however, as its junior eights, made up entirely of freshmen, won in 5:38.90. Top finishers will return for the Scholastic Rowing Association of America national regatta May 28-29.

Buffalo clubs won three straight lightweight races midway through the day. Canisius won the boys lightweight eight, the West Side Rowing Club took the girls lightweight eight, and St. Joe's earned the boys lightweight four with coxswain crown. It was the fourth win in five years for the Canisius lightweight eight.

* No. 1 Manhasset downed No. 2 Cold Spring Harbor 7-2 as the state's top two Class C boys lacrosse squads clashed during the Day of Champions at Manhasset. Midfielder Pat Moroney and attackman Matt Tompkins scored twice apiece in the first half. Junior goaltender Frank Morelli made 14 saves in the game and Ricky Buhr won 10 of 13 faceoffs.

* J.T. Hauck scored with 24 seconds left as host Webster Thomas edged Class B No. 1 Canandaigua 11-10 in boys lacrosse, ending the Braves' 30-game winning streak. Hauck, a senior, finished with two goals and two assists and scored the tying goal at 4:39 of the fourth quarter. Senior attackman Jack Hinderland added four goals, and Zach Crawford scored three. Brandon Thomson and Tom LaCrosse scored hat tricks for Canandaigua, the defending NYSPHSAA Class B champion.

* Lancaster's Melissa Kurzdorfer broke the state girls shot put record with a throw of 49 feet, 9.5 inches at the Hartford Invitational on Saturday in New Britain, Conn. The throw was an inch better than the 1984 mark by Bellport's Cheryl Klein. Kurzdorfer, a Kent State recruit, also broke meet records in the discus (159-8) and hammer (192-8).

* Jordan Yamoah cleared 15-11.75 to set meet and Dutchess County records in the pole vault and help Arlington to a share of the boys team crown with St. Anthony's in the Loucks Games at White Plains. Peekskill senior Daquan Brickhouse, a first-team all-state basketball player in Class A, won the high jump with an effort of 6-8.

Jon McClement was approved as Albany's fourth football coach in four years. Robbin Williams was picked to become coach last month but withdrew from consideration by the school board amidst questions about the accuracy of his resume.

McClement has coached boys basketball at the school for three years, has been a football assistant at Albany and Voorheesville, and has considerable other experience. He coached Voorheesville to the NYSPHSAA 2002 girls Class C basketball title and was an assistant with Albany on the 1997 girls Class A state title team. He's been a football assistant for 19 seasons.