ONONDAGA COUNTY – In consecutive games, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse softball teams were both scheduled to take on undefeated Baldwinsville for early superiority in the SCAC Metro division.
Prior to that, the Warriors, rebounding from April 23 defeats to Victor and Williamsville North, went to Marcellus last Monday and prevailed in a 1-0, eight-inning classic over the Mustangs.
All through regulation, the two pitchers did their parts, with Cassie Wiggins allowing eight hits but constantly finding her way out of trouble as Liverpool couldn’t do much against Marcellus ace Aubrey Fraher.
However, in the top of the eighth Ava Falvo reached base and Joelle Wike drove her home, one of just two hits on the afternoon. Then Wiggins closed out her complete-game shutout that included 11 strikeouts.
Great as that win was, what Liverpool did on Thursday against undefeated Baldwinsville was far more impressive, the Warirors teeing off on the Bees in a 13-0 shutout.
Even though B’ville carried a 9-0 record into the game, Liverpool lit up Bees pitchers Taylor Tripodi and Bella Hotchkiss, getting 18 hits and scoring multiple runs in five different innings.
Falvo, Joelle Wike, Jenna Wike and Lauren Ragonese each finished with three hits, and every Warriors batter got at least one hit as Tristen LaForte doubled and drove in three runs. Falvo and Joelle Wike had two RBIs apiece.
What made this remarkable was that B’ville had floored C-NS 17-1 earlier in the week. A three-run first inning and six-run third inning had C-NS in trouble before it netted its lone run in the top of the fourth, but B’ville kept adding to its total.
Between them, pitchers Sydney Puttkamer and Eva Farone allowed 21 hits, four each by Bella Nazdan and Ayla Fleming as Bella Hotchkiss earned three RBIs and pitcher Taylor Tripodi limited the Northstars to three hits while striking out 14.
To its credit, C-NS turned it around Thursday and crushed Fayetteville-Manlius 23-7, a close game broken wide open when the Northstars netted 10 runs in the top of the fifth, with nine more runs in the next two innings.
All told, there was 30 hits, five each by Farone and McKayla Barrett, who combined for seven RBIs. Farone also scored five runs as Paige Pangaro got four RBIs. Riley Barrett, Danielle Filapello and Tahlia Gerardi had four hits apiece, with Filapello and Gerardi each tallying three RBIs. Bella Julian drove in a pair of runs.
Playing in a doubleheader Saturday at the Gillette Road complex, C-NS split those games, falling 10-2 to Section V’s Victor, but handling West Genesee 12-2 as it used 11 runs in the third through fifth innings to get away.
