Nice, dry weather (at least most of the week) gave all of the area’s softball teams ample opportunity to get in as many games as possible before plunging into this week’s Section III playoffs.
Still at no. 2 in the state Class B rankings, Solvay witnessed pitcher Lauren Nichols earn her third no-hitter of the spring, done at the expense of Marcellus as the Bearcats prevailed by a 5-0 margin.
Other than walking Alyssa Cook, Nichols didn’t let anyone in the Mustangs’ lineup get on base, amassing 15 strikeouts. Meanwhile, Solvay got to Marcellus pitcher Isabel Rodolico in a gradual manner, with single runs in the third and fourth innings, plus two runs in the fifth before an additional run in the seventh.
Caitlin McCann picked up three hits, including a double, scored twice and drove in a run. Maya Martineau also had three hits and two runs scored, with Delana Thomas adding two hits. Nichols, Sam Farruggio and Nadea Davis had one RBI apiece.
Nichols went from there to a one-hit gem in Wednesday’s 6-0 shutout of Cazenovia, where Danielle Tedesco singled, but no other Laker managed anything similar as Nichols earned 14 strikeouts this time around.
Again, the runs came piece by piece in five straight innings, with a two-run third the lone real outburst. McCann hit a solo home run as she got two hits, as did Nichols, Thomas and Martineau, with Farruggio and Nadea Davies joining Thomas and Martineau in the RBI column.
Marcellus, meanwhile, got its own 8-4 victory over Skaneateles on Wednesday afternoon, though it was tied, 2-2, before the Mustangs recorded six runs in the fourth through sixth innings.
Sydney Lewis went three-for-three, including a triple, and earned three RBIs. Cook added three hits and two runs scored as Caroline Trytek got two hits, scored three runs and joined Evelyn Webster in the RBI column,
In Friday’s wild 10-9 win over Syracuse, Marcellus led three different times, at 3-0, 5-3 and 7-6. Each time, Syracuse came back, and took two leads of its own, at 6-5 in the sixth inning and 9-7 in the seventh, before the Mustangs pulled it out with three runs of its own in the bottom of the seventh.
Emily Welch produced three hits and four RBIs, with McKenna Donegan also getting three hits and three runs scored as she, along with Lewis and Rodolico, drove in single runs. Cook had two hits and two RBIs. Syracuse’s Mackenzie Natal produced a triple, two singles and five RBIs.
Westhill got a possible post-season preview when it met South Jefferson last Tuesday afternoon. It turned into a pitcher’s duel, and Katie Lobello did quite well, but the Warriors still lost, 2-0, to the Spartans, who had ace Alexis Gayne amass nine strikeouts in her complete-game effort.
A day later, the Warriors lost again, 10-1, to Christian Brothers Academy, who scored twice in each of the first two innings before a four-run fourth inning broke it open. Leah Diefendorf drove in Westhill’s lone run and had both of her team’s hits. CBA got three hits from Maria Oliva and two RBIs apiece from Emily Hall and Bridget O’Hern.
In Saturday’s action, the Warriors beat Pulaski 3-2, scoring the decisive run in the bottom of the sixth. Then it prevailed 7-1 over Chittenango by scoring twice in the first inning and four times in the sixth inning to put it away as Bella Lavigne had three RBIs and Tess Hogan scored twice.
Bishop Ludden continued to put up lots of runs in last Monday’s game against Port Byron, yet saw a big late lead get away in a 16-11, eight-inning defeat to the Panthers.
The Gaelic Knights were up 5-0 through three innings and 11-5 through five innings. Ally Weigand’s three hits led to three runs scored and four RBIs as Bridget Brogan, Meghan Wilkinson and Jade Regner got one RBI apiece. Kaitlyn Kibling joined Wilkinson and Regner in scoring two runs.
Yet Port Byron stormed back, lighting up Ludden’s pitching trio of Kibling, Regner and Ally Royal for three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie it, 11-11, and then five runs in the top of the eighth to win it. Rileigh Gray led the comeback with four hits, three of them doubles, and four RBIs.
On Wednesday, Ludden lost, 7-4, to Homer. Mostly thanks to a three-run third inning and Weigand’s three RBIs, the Gaelic Knights led, 4-1, before the Trojans got five runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull ahead for good. Mackenzie Conklin led Homer with a triple and four RBIs.
Jordan-Elbridge played last Tuesday against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, falling 10-5 to the Rebels. Mia Arms, Elizabeth Baker and Megan Whalen had two hits apiece, with Gabriella Bard scoring a pair of runs as she and Ranait McGuire earned one RBI apiece. Bailey Van Gorden also scored a run.
A 13-0 defeat to Pulaski followed on Wednesday afternoon, but on Friday J-E broke the skid by handling Hannibal 11-2, Baker pitched and held the Warriors to four hits while also getting a single, double and RBI at the plate. Megan Bard went three-for-three as she, along with Arms, McGuire and Mollie Yard, drove in runs.
On Sunday, right after a 15-0 defeat to CBA, J-E found out it had the no. 20 seed in the Class B sectional bracket and would face no. 13 seed Chittenango. Marcellus, the no. 11 seed, would visit no. 6 seed South Jefferson as no. 10 seed Westhill gets no. 7 seed General Brown.
Above them all, Solvay, who blanked Skaneateles 10-0 Saturday with Thomas throwing a three-hit, 10-strikeout gem as Nicholas, Farruggio and Martienau had two RBIs apiece, starts out at the top seed, awaiting its first sectional game – which could be a rematch with Skaneateles if the Lakers beat Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.
Bishop Ludden, picking up the no. 9 seed in Class C, visits no. 8 seed Port Byron in its first-round contest.
