Fueled by another Nick Pesarchick pitching gem, the Skaneateles baseball team ripped through archrival Marcellus last Tuesday afternoon in a 9-0 shutout.
After waiting 24 hours for the rain to clear out, the Lakers gave the ball to Pesarchick — and he didn’t disappoint, throwing a two-hit shutout as he fanned 11 Mustang hitters.
Skaneateles quickly took charge with five runs off Marcellus pitcher Joe Cornish in the first two innings, plus more offense in the fifth and sixth innings.
Pesarchick supported his own effort on the mound by earning three RBIs, while Sean Cooney, Jake Bird, Zach Augustine, Jon Chapman and Phil Weiss drove in one run apiece. Bird tripled, as Weiss and Augustine pounded out doubles.
A day later, Skaneateles went to Jordan-Elbridge and needed another great pitching effort, this time from Augustine, to survive a nine-inning classic with the Eagles and win a 2-1 decision.
Augustine met up with J-E’s Teddy Hart, whose previous outing on April 14 involved striking out 19 Port Byron hitters. For five innings, Augustine and Hart kept it 0-0 before both sides scored runs in the sixth inning — Pesarchick getting the RBI for the Lakers, Jeff Donofrio for the Eagles.
And it remained 1-1 through the seventh and eighth innings. Finally, in the top of the ninth, Chapman’s single brought home the go-ahead run, and Augustine closed out his three-hitter with three more outs. He struck out seven J-E hitters along the way.
No late drama was required for the Lakers in Friday’s trip to Solvay, where a steady attack produced 12 hits in a 9-3 victory over the Bearcats.
Skaneateles scored runs in five of the first six innings off Solvay pitchers R.J. Lostumbo and Jake Halliwell. Weiss had three RBIs, with Augustine and Owen Stokes-Cawley each driving in two runs. Bird and Carvalho had one RBI apiece.
Meanwhile, Jake Rothenburg, already the author of a no-hitter this season, gave up five hits on this day, but still went the full seven innings to earn the win.
Saturday’s game at Cazenovia proved far more exciting, as Skaneateles needed a seventh-inning rally to win this battle of Laker teams by a score of 5-4.
They exchanged rallies in the third and fourth innings, emerging with a 3-3 tie. Cazenovia then got to Bird for a run in the bottom of the sixth to sneak in front, 4-3, and move within three outs of an upset.
However, Skaneateles hit Cazenovia pitcher Max Kellish for two runs in the top of the seventh, reclaiming the lead, as Pesarchick came in and got those final outs for the save.
In addition to his mound work, Bird hit a solo home run, with Augustine getting two RBIs and Carvalho also driving in a run. Both Carter Franz and Chris Lortez smacked home runs on Cazenovia’s behalf.
Skaneateles would have a big showdown Tuesday against Westhill, then turn right around Wednesday and face Bishop Ludden (who entered this week at 10-0) before a Westhill rematch on Friday afternoon.
