OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Brocton/Cassadaga Valley's Jackson Crowell delivers to the plate during Saturday's CCAA Division 2 game against Maple Grove in Bemus Point.

BEMUS POINT – The best Brocton/Cassadaga Valley could do over a 20-hour span Friday and Saturday was give itself a shot at sharing a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 baseball title.

The Bulldogs took care of business.

Jackson Crowell threw a complete-game five-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts as Brocton/Cassadaga Valley completed a two-game sweep of Maple Grove with a 7-0 victory Saturday.

“I’ve said all year that it was going to take until the end of the year to figure out who was who and where we could go. When you put two teams together at such a quick rate like we did, it takes a little bit to learn about each other … build the friendships,” Brocton/Cassadaga Valley head coach Rob Fetterick said. ” … Right now, we’re playing really well. I’m interested to see where we can get to this year.”

The Bulldogs improved to 8-4 and tied the Red Dragons in the league standings with the win. Now they’ll wait for Westfield’s result against Clymer/Sherman/Panama on Monday in Panama to see if they are league champions or not. With a win, the Wolverines would win the title outright, but a Wolfpack upset would create a three-way share of the crown.

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Brocton/Cassadaga Valley's Ray Santiago steals third as a throw gets away from Maple Grove third baseman Wil Bryant during Saturday's CCAA Division 2 game in Bemus Point.

“It’s playoffs now. League titles are league titles. Our bigger thing is we want to be in the sectional championship,” Fetterick said. ” … I’ve been in this long enough to know that league championships don’t get you anything.”

Brocton/Cassadaga Valley’s lineup got going the second time through the order Saturday against Maple Grove starter Gavin Darr. No. 9 hitter Drew Gustafson was hit by a pitch to open the top of the third inning and he later advanced to second on a passed ball. Crowell was then hit by a pitch with one out and an errant pickoff throw allowed both runners to move up a base. Sophomore Nico Blattenberger followed with an RBI single to left field to break up the scoreless tie.

“They transferred into Brocton and had to sit last year with the rules. I think they are learning a little bit more about high school baseball,” Fetterick said of Nico and his brother, Allen. “As a sophomore, (Nico’s) really starting to come into his own behind the plate too. That’s great to see from such a young kid.”

After Crowell raced home on a passed ball and a strikeout, Nick Sweet walked and courtesy runner Jacob Walker stole third before Chris Furman’s RBI infield single and an error made it 4-0.

That was plenty of run support for Crowell, who pitched around a leadoff walk in the first inning and back-to-back one-out singles in the second inning to keep the game scoreless until his offense got going.

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Brocton/Cassadaga Valley shortstop Evan Ludwig catches a pop-up during Saturday's CCAA Division 2 game against Maple Grove in Bemus Point.

“We ran into a good pitcher and we didn’t have our ‘A’ game today,” Maple Grove head coach Pete Pannes said. “That’s the result.”

The Bulldogs added two runs in the fourth inning. Ray Santiago led off with a single and Anthony Gatto singled with one out. With two outs, Santiago scored on a wild pitch and Nico Blattenberger followed with an RBI single.

“We do see a bad inning every now and then,” Pannes said. “We try to overcome it, but we lost our discipline today.”

Maple Grove loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Crowell got out of the jam with his sixth strikeout of the game.

“He’s been a gamer all year. Kids follow him because he’s a leader. He’s a confident kid who carries himself with a lot of confidence,” Fetterick said. “He closed out the last couple of innings with a bunch of strikeouts. Nothing is too hard for him. He’s really worked and blended in with the rest of the boys.”

In Brocton/Cassadaga Valley’s seventh, Nico Blattenberger led off with a walk and Walker stole second with one out before Furman reached on an error that plated the final run of the game.

Now the Bulldogs will wait to see if their late-season work is enough for a share of the title, or if a sweep at the hands of the Wolverines earlier this month put them too far behind in the standings.

“(C/S/P head coach) Matt (Hair) is a great coach and he’ll do everything he can to get those kids ready. Westfield and those kids have wanted that for a while,” Fetterick said. “That’s a good fight. They got us in extra innings, but that’s good for (Westfield’s) program to have a little success.”