Batavia denies Geneva comeback

Batavia looked well on its way to a Western Sun Conference wrestling victory at home on Thursday night.

Then again, the Bulldogs were facing their archrivals from Geneva.

Batavia held a 22-point lead with four matches remaining, but the Vikings rallied with three consecutive pins to slice its disadvantage to four points with one match to go.

Geneva needed a major decision (8 points or more) to send the match into criteria, or a technical fall or pin for the outright win.

The Bulldogs' Andrew Rudd answered the bell at 160 pounds, however, claiming a hard-fought 5-2 victory over the Vikings' Jeff Martens to seal a 34-27 win in Batavia.

Batavia, the defending conference champions, improved to 2-0 in the league and 5-6 overall; Geneva is 2-5, 1-1.

"I was trying to stay in the match, not making any risky moves," said Rudd, who has lost only once on the season. "I just knew that I had to wrestle my match."

"I have all the confidence in the world in Andrew," Batavia coach Tom Arlis said. "He is one of our go-to guys."

The dual meet began at 171 pounds, the home of Batavia returning state qualifier Danny Watson, who had little trouble jump-starting the Bulldogs with a 13-4 major decision.

Geneva was competitive early, winning half of the first six matches.

But all of the Vikings' wins were by simple decisions, and Batavia dominated behind falls by Logan Arlis and Charlie Ryan at 119 and 130 pounds, respectively.

When Tyler Patton subsequently eked out a 2-1 double-overtime win at 135 pounds, the Batavia lead swelled to 31-9.

"Then all of a sudden we were in trouble," said Arlis.

Keith Reilly initiated the Vikings' renaissance with a come-from-behind second-period fall at 140 pounds in which he was nearly pinned himself at the end of opening period.

"(My opponent) picked neutral (to begin the second period), and I only thought about the pin," said Reilly. "I was able to get a takedown right away, and that gave me some confidence. In the second period I loosened up quite a bit."

Geneva 145-pounder Nick Bradberry then reduced the Bulldogs' lead further with a second-period fall of his own.

When Justin Heinz proceeded to make it 3-for-3 with consecutive second-period pins, the once-comfortable Batavia lead was virtually nonexistent.

But Rudd ended the drama once and for all, icing the Bulldogs' victory with his second takedown with 13 seconds remaining to give the home team the victory.

"That's wrestling," Arlis said.

Pat Martin, making his season debut for Batavia at heavyweight, had a potential 12-point swing with a first-period fall.

The Vikings' lone returning state qualifier from last season, Frank Boenzi, has not wrestled yet due to complications from football season.

"We'll have Frank back on Monday," Geneva coach Tom Chernich said. "It could have been completely different had we had Frank."