ONONDAGA COUNTY – When the first state softball rankings of 2021 were released, Jamesville-DeWitt sat at no. 9 in Class A, even as it was dominating all of its competition.
Perhaps that caution about its ranking was justified, because when the Red Rams took on Liverpool last Saturday afternoon, it suffered its first defeat of the season, falling 6-3 to the Warriors.
Liverpool entered the game with a 5-4 record, but three of those defeats were to powerhouse Cicero-North Syracuse and it had gone 5-1 against every one else.
Here, Warriors pitcher Cassie Wiggins gave up nine hits, but struck out 14 J-D batters. Gracie Zankowski and Haley Miles each had two hits and two runs scored as the Rams lost despite two his apiece from Katie White, Emma White and Avery Young.
Before this, the Rams blasted Fulton 26-0 for its eighth win in a row, requiring just five innings to get all the runs.
Katie White’s home run and six RBIs set the pace. Katie Dorazio and Amanda Aitken drove in three runs apiece, while Kaira McMahon, Emily Bulone and Amelia Zumbuhl each got two RBIs. Bulone scored five times after her two hits and three walks, with Miriam Zoghby and Maddy Ancone both scoring three runs.
A far closer game followed with Auburn last Wednesday, but J-D pulled it out 5-2, McMahon overcoming nine hits to constantly get out of trouble. Katie White and Emma White each had three hits, with Katie Dorazio scoring twice.
East Syracuse Minoa, who had lost three in a row (including one to J-D) following its 4-0 start, went back to its winning form last Wednesday when it pounded Oswego 24-1.
Amid a 24-hit attack, Morgan Ransom had a home run, three singles and five RBIs. Katie Schmidt and Hannah DeGonzaque both drove in three runs, with Raychel Underwood adding four hits. Alana Day and Olivia Goff both had three hits as Goff, Underwood and Sierra Daly got two RBIs apiece.
But ESM had a setback on Friday, falling 10-6 to Central Square, who kept thwarting the Spartans’ comebacks as a four-run sixth inning by the Redhawks ended up decisive.
Ransom and Daly still drove in two runs apiece, while Carley Cinquemani and Lauren Scheuer did most of the damage for Central Square, combining for seven RBIs.
Christian Brothers Academy ran into state Class B no. 5-ranked Marcellus last Wednesday afternoon and took a 5-0 loss where Mustangs ace Aubrey Fraher threw a no-hitter, the only Brothers baserunner reaching on an error.
Against a potent Marcellus lineup, CBA pitcher Maya Geiss allowed seven hits, but the five walks hurt more as the Mustangs scored twice in the third and fifth innings, plus a run in the sixth.
The rematch on Thursday saw CBA did get five hits, two each by Avery Bowman and Julia DelPino – but only after Marcellus put across 13 runs in a marathon first inning on the way to beating the Brothers 20-2.
Fayetteville-Manlius took a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool last Monday, not getting on the board despite hits from Paige Graves, Gwen O’Connor, Katrina Rivera and Megan Woodridge.
Paige Murphy pitched and got five strikeouts, but the Warriors, behind Cassie Wiggins’ pitching, still broke through as Sophia D’Arcangelis got two hits, Gracie Zankowski scored twice and Sara Miles had two RBIs.
Quiet as F-M was against Liverpool, its bats warmed up with the temperatures and, in last Wednesday’s game against Baldwinsville, the Hornets broke out as it beat the Bees 8-3.
All nine batters in the F-M lineup got at least one hit, with the team getting 16 hits overall as Ella Keyes and Paige Graves led the charge with three hits apiece.
Murphy and Kaleigh Hamilton both singled, doubled and drove in two runs, with Keyes, O’Connor and Morgan Napier adding single RBIs. Woodridge scored twice as Murphy overcame eight B’ville hits in her complete-game pitching effort.
An 8-0 defeat to unbeaten Cicero-North Syracuse followed on Thursday, with Katrina Rivera getting two of the Hornets’ four hits, the other two going to Hamilton and Sophie Woodridge.
