CAZENOVIA – At any advanced level of baseball, including the high school ranks, pitching a no-hitter is a big accomplishment. Pulling off two of them in consecutive games is rare – and even more special.
Cazenovia has done this, with Jack Byrnes following Jack Donlin’s May 4 gem against Homer with one of his own on Tuesday at Robert Dubik Field to defeat Christian Brothers Academy 1-0.
All kinds of circumstances made this performance even more special. It was Cazenovia’s Senior Day and each of the four – Byrnes, Sully Clarke, Jacob Grevelding and Jacob Szalach – would make major contributions.
Also, it was quite an opponent. CBA had started the season winning its first 10 games before a tough 6-4 defeat to a strong West Genesee squad just the day before it came to Cazenovia, and the Brothers boasted a strong, deep lineup of powerful hitters.
None of this affected Byrnes, who had struggled in his last start May 2 against Bishop Grimes but more than atoned for that here, recording 10 strikeouts while overcoming two walks and twice hitting Mike Giamartino.
Defensively, Byrnes got help from Clarke and Szalach, who both made great catches in the outfield, Clarke’s sliding grab in the second inning the best one of the afternoon.
It remained 0-0, with CBA pitcher Ryan Petrie keeping Cazenovia off the board despite two hits apiece from Szalach,and Grevelding, until the bottom of the fifth.
Fittingly, Byrnes started the rally with a single, moved to second and then raced home when Clarke singled. Though Teddy Meade relived Petrie and blanked the Lakers the rest of the way, Byrnes got the last six outs and preserved his no-hitter.
A far more conventional game at Mexico followed on Thursday, Cazenovia defeating the Tigers12-2 as it took charge with seven runs in the top of the first and added five more runs in the fourth and fifth.
Joey Awald went three-for-four at the plate with a double, two singles and three RBIs. Szalach’s pair of singles helped drive in three runs as Donlin, while wild at times with five walks, struck out seven and limited Mexico to three hits.
On the road throughout this last week of the regular season, Cazenovia is traveling to Sknaeateles and Solvay and also has a game agianst Chittenango on Tuesday afternoon.
Chittenango was 6-3 going into the week and would take its own shot at undefeated defending sectional champion Westhill last Tuesday afternoon on its home field amid a stretch of five games in six days.
All Westhill did was score six times in the top of the first inning off Kyle Peryer and go on to rout the Bears 14-2. All Chittenango could manage was two hits and single runs in the first and third innings, each scored by Ben Welch as Cooper Smith was credited with an RBI.
Just before it faced Westhill, the Bears defeated Clinton 8-1 as pitcher Carlos Torres-Carman set a career mark with 16 strikeouts while only allowing three hits.
Chittenango jumped out to a 7-0 lead through four innings as Torres-Carman also got an RBI. Welch led the way, his two hits driving in a trio of runs as Ty Kelly and Zailor Caras each scored twice.
More followed the Westhill game, the Bears going to Homer Thursday and again struggling in a 12-2 defeat to the Trojans as four Chittenango pitchers gave up 13 hits between them. Kelly did get two hits and an RBI.
