Continuing to establish itself as, perhaps, the Section III Class AA championship favorite, the Liverpool baseball team earned a pair of key weekend victories — but then took a hit against a possible post-season foe.
To start with, the Warriors visited Gillette Field to meet archrival Cicero-North Syracuse last Friday night, and rode Aaron Schuldt’s pitching to a 7-4 victory over the Northstars.
Wasting no time, Liverpool got three runs off CNS pitcher Steve Salamone in the top of the first inning, then added three more runs two innings later to take a 6-1 lead.
That was all Schuldt would need. Going most of the way, the senior right-hander improved to 6-0 with six solid innings of work until Matt Wessinger came in late to get the save.
Schuldt also belted out two hits, including a double, and led both sides with three RBIs. Wessinger and Mike Weakley doubled as Weakley, Vince Valentino and Greg Blankenship each gained one RBI. CNS, in defeat, had Joe Ilacqua earn three RBIs.
A day later, the Warriors came back home and handled Central Square, defeating the Red Hawks 11-3.
Central Square lead 2-0 until the third inning, when Liverpool unloaded for four runs, adding another four-run outburst in the fourth inning as the Red Hawks committed six errors.
Joe Yager got error-free defense from his teammates as he earned the win. Weakley, who pitched in relief of Yager, also doubled and drove in two runs as Dom Caruso added two RBIs. Wessinger, Julio Martinez, Adam Bottorff and Alex Klymkow each drove in one run.
Liverpool stayed home Monday to face red-hot Auburn — and could not cool the visiting Maroons down as it won its seventh game in a row, beating the Warriors 10-7.
On its way to clinching a piece of the CNY Counties League American division title, Auburn scored in each of the first four innings, knocking Cory Folk out of the game and putting Liverpool in a 6-0 deficit.
The Warriors got four runs in the fifth inning to cut it to 6-4, but the Maroons answered with a three-run sixth inning and Matt Wild’s solo home run in the seventh, which was more than enough to fend off a late Liverpool charge.
Wessinger, in defeat, hit a home run and finished with two RBIs as Weakley also drove in two runs. Martinez, Blankenship and David Piraino each had one RBI. Auburn finished with 12 hits, twice the Warriors’ number.
In back-to-back road trips this week, the Warriors (15-3, 7-2 league) visit Baldwinsville Wednesday and go to Utica Proctor Friday night.
