Mondays have not proven too kind to the Jamesville-DeWitt softball team, which made it imperative that the Red Rams change that in a key OHSL Freedom division showdown with fast-starting Cortland early this week.
The previous two Monday games for J-D were both defeats, from a 4-2 loss to Oneida on April 17 to, a week later, a 6-2 loss at West Genesee. A quick 1-0 lead for the Rams vanished when WG scored three runs in the bottom of the first off J-D pitcher Shayna Myshrall.
The Wildcats added a run in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to pull clear. Katie Drogo doubled twice, singled, scored two runs and earned an RBI. Olivia Pontello added a double and two RBIs as Abbey Van Horn also drove in a pair of runs. Mya Case had two hits and two runs scored. For J-D, Andrea Sumida and Paige Keeler had two hits apiece, with Sumida and Makenzie Keeler each earning an RBI.
Situated at no. 17 in the state Class A rankings, J-D would take another defeat on Thursday, falling to Baldwinsville 1-0. All game long, Myshrall and Bees pitcher Kayla Young proved brilliant, giving up just three hits apiece, but B’ville netted the only run in the third inning when Kaycee Hawk drove home Allie Hotchkiss.
Then J-D would play twice in the Northstar Invitational Saturday at the Gillette Road complex. In the first game, the Rams dropped a 4-3, eight-inning decision to Shenendehowa (Section II), unable to follow up even after coming from behind to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase a 3-0 deficit.
J-D actually got more hits – eight, to Shen’s seven – but the Plainsmen blanked the Rams until that seventh inning where hits by LeClair and Paige Keeler and a walk to Taylor Roadarmel set up a two-run single by Myshrall and an RBI single by Makenzie Keeler. But Shen’s run in the top of the seventh off Myshrall would hold up.
Right after that, facing long-time Section VI Class B power Eden, J-D rolled olled past the Raiders 9-1, taking charge with a three-run third inning before adding two runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth.
Myshrall, pitching her second game of the day, held Eden to three hits, striking out four. Meanwhile, Sumida’s pair of hits led to four RBIs as Myshrall added two RBIs. Makenzie Keeler also drove in a run as she and Sarina Alexander also earned two hits.
Back on Monday, East Syracuse Minoa took a 3-2 defeat to Homer, who came into the game with an 0-4 record, yet kept things scoreless until it got a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth on Allison Osterhoudt’s double.
Trailing 3-0, the Spartans fought back, scoring once in the sixth and again in the seventh as Julia Jackson and Tori Malbone earned RBIs. But Trojans pitcher Nicole Hotchkiss recorded the final out, having struck out seven to overcome Sam Short’s 12 K’s, though Short allowed five hits and six walks.
In Tuesday’s rematch, ESM got even with Homer in a big way, routing the Trojans 17-4. A four-run first inning set the tone, but the Spartans blew it open with eight runs in the top of the fourth, led by Franchesca Polcaro, who smacked a pair of home runs and got a career-best six RBIs.
Jackson also went deep, part of a four-RBI effort as she, along with Short and Aubrie Williams, scored three runs apiece. Gilliane McCarthy tripled and drove in three runs as Williams got two RBIs. Malbone doubled as she and Shaina Brilbeck had one RBI apiece.
