A modification was made to the Section III Class A baseball playoffs that will affect Jamesville-DeWitt, East Syracuse Minoa and Christian Brothers Academy, What was originally a double-elimination format through the entire tournament is now so only when eight teams get out of the first round.
Entering the tournament as the top seed, J-D not only had a bye straight into double elimination, it was in the same half as CBA, the no. 4 seed who met Mexico in the first round, and ESM, the no. 5 seed who drew Camden for its first game of the playoffs.
J-D won its ninth straight last Monday with a 5-0 shutout of Oswego. Josh Kowalczyk limited the Buccaneers to four hits in six scoreless innings, earning nine strikeouts before.
The Red Rams weren’t spectacular at the plate (six hits), but scored in four straight innings, starting in the bottom of the third. Casey Kretsch and Ian Crawford each had two hits, Kretsch adding two RBIs as Connor Kinahan also drove in a run. Parker Wing, Matt Cappelletti, Luke Smith, Andrew LeClair and Mark Toscano each scored runs.
But then the win streak halted a day later with a 4-3 defeat to Central Square, who stayed patient and, with J-D up 1-0, struck for two runs in the bottom of the fifth. A tense exchange followed, the Rams twice tying it, at 2-2 and 3-3, and the Redhawks twice providing an answer, including a run in the bottom of the seventh to prevail.
Cappelletti was the only J-D batter to notch two hits as Smith, LeClair and Gavin French got one RBI apiece. Kretsch pitched in relief of Will Havens, who went 4 1/3 innings. For Central Square, Chris Mazzotti had three hits and Kyle Young earned a pair of RBIs.
CBA illustrated the dangers of a single-elimination setup in last Tuesday’s game at Cortland, trailing until the late going before pulling out an 8-3, eight-inning decision over the Purple Tigers.
An early 2-0 lead for the Brothers disappeared when Cortland scored three times off Dom Spinoso in the bottom of the fifth. And CBA still trailed, 3-2, when it got the tying run in the top of the seventh before breaking through for five runs in the eighth.
Eric Little went three-for-four with a double and three RBIs. Jack Lester added three hits and a walk, driving in two runs as Jake Maser scored twice and got two RBIs. Meanwhile, Mike McCully was superb in relief, tossing three scoreless innings and striking out five after Spinoso’s nine-K, six-walk effort.
Then, on Wednesday, CBA did take a 6-5 defeat, to Homer, who scored five of those runs in the third and fourth innings off Jack Sheridan but still needed a run in the seventh to withstand the Brothers’ late comeback. Bryce Moore finished with three hits as he and Sheridan both drove in a pair of runs.
ESM took over late in last Monday’s game at Central Square, beating the Redhawks 7-1, but only after the sides were tied 1-1 after four innings. Two runs in the fifth inning, plus three in the sixth and another in the seventh, helped the Spartans get clear.
Ryan Seburn had quite an outing on the mound, striking out a career-best 15 in just 5 1/3 innings before Tim Crouse took over in relief. Jack Silmser had three hits, with Seburn and Colin Williams each getting two hits. Jeff Loder doubled and drove in two runs as Williams and Jimmy Griffin had one RBI apiece.
As Central Square beat J-D a day later, ESM was busy defeating Auburn 11-7. This game was 2-2 going to the bottom of the third, but then the Spartans erupted for eight runs and the Maroons could not recover against Tanner Waldman, who went six innings to earn the win.
Sam Jenkins and Zach Grevelding each finished with three RBIs, while Seburn and Nolan Penoyer both got two hits and drove in one run apiece. Griffin and Jason Sweredoski also got RBIs as Loder and James DePaul both scored two runs.
Then, on Friday, ESM lost, 6-2, over the same Homer side CBA had lost to earlier in the week. Jenkins and Penoyer had first-inning RBIs, but from there the Spartans got shut out as it managed just five hits.
The Trojans built a 4-2 lead through three innings and added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Grevelding took the loss, lasting just 2 1/3 innings before Ricky Neuser took over and pitched the rest of the way.
CBA would play twice on Saturday, falling 12-3 to Class AA top sectional seed Liverpool, but defeating Mexico 8-2 as ESM fought its way past Marcellus 6-5 with a run in the bottom of the seventh after the Mustangs tied it with two runs in the top of the seventh, erasing the 5-3 lead the Spartans established with a four-run fourth inning.
Bishop Grimes began its week with a strong 6-1 victory over Hannibal, keyed by the pitching effort of Matt Tarby, who in seven innings held the Warriors to four hits and earned seven strikeouts.
Single runs in the second and third innings got the Cobras in front, but a three-run fifth inning provided a cushion, and Tarby, helping his own cause, finished with three hits, scored twice and earned an RBI. Shawn Gashi and Liam Cavanaugh each drove in two runs as Joe Wike had three hits and scored twice. David Cifonelli added an RBI.
Grimes then reached the .500 mark (5-5) in the OHSL Liberty division by edging Chittenango 6-5 a day later, and then won again on Friday, pulling away to top Cazenovia 6-2 as it scored twice in the top of the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie right after the Lakers had pulled even in the bottom of the fourth.
A pair of seventh-inning runs doubled the margin as pitcher David Cifonelli threw a complete game, overcoming seven Cazenovia hits. Matt Vonden Steinen produced two hits and two RBIs, while Shawn Gashi and Liam Cavanaugh also drove in runs. Skyler Gashi scored twice, matching his brother.
For its sectional Class B tournament (of the single-elimination variety), Grimes drew the no. 12 seed, but would have to survive a game with no. 21 seed Clinton in order to get into the main bracket and face no. 5 seed Holland Patent.
