All of the rain that fell early last week backed up schedules for the area’s quartet of Onondaga High School League Liberty division baseball teams, but they made up for it with a busy stretch by week’s end.
And a local showdown took place on Friday between rivals Skaneateles and Marcellus, with the Lakers getting the best of it as it turned back the Mustangs 6-2.
Marcellus actually got to Skaneateles ace Cregg Scherrer for both of its runs in the bottom of the second to take a 2-0 lead, but Scherrer blanked the Mustangs from there, striking out eight in 5 1/3 innings before James Musso took over in relief.
By then, the Lakers were in front, having scored three times in the top of the third and adding a run in the fifth before scoring twice in the seventh. Jack Canty and Jimmy Liberatore each had three hits, Canty driving in two runs as Tommy Reed, Emil Sander, Jack Carlisle and Jack Whirtley had one RBI apiece.
Each side had played the day before, Skaneateles beating Phoenix 15-1 while Marcellus took a 10-5 loss to Bishop Grimes.
Only needing five innings to finish off Phoenix, the Lakers broke out for seven runs in the third inning and six runs in the fourth. Canty went three-for-three with four RBIs. Carlisle and Luke Viggiano each drove in two runs.
Against Grimes, Marcellus led 2-0 through one inning, but the Cobras took charge with all of its runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings,. Despite three runs in the bottom of the seventh, Marcellus could not catch up as Jacob Walters got two RBIs.
But after it lost to Skaneateles, Marcellus had its own big win over Phoenix on Saturday, a 16-4 decision where Hugh White had three hits and three RBIs. Aiden Shea got four hits and drove in two runs, with Jack Flynn and Ryan Worden also earning a pair of RBIs.
Skaneateles kept its own hot play going on Saturday, blanking Jordan-Elbridge 5-0 as Canty held the Eagles to three hits and only walked one. Viggiano, Liberatore, Reed, Musso and Nate Wellington each got credit for an RBI.
That same day, Westhill went through wildly contrasting results. First, the Warriors handled Jordan-Elbridge 12-0 as Jack Knapp held the Eagles to three hits, the same total that Philip Zollo and Ryan Bennett matched as they got three RBIs apiece.
Then it completely turned around a few hours later when Solvay met Westhill and the Bearcats won 11-0, with the Warriors on the wrong end of a three-hit shutout authored by Mason Sands.
Solvay scored three runs in the first and second innings, adding two runs in the fourth and three runs in the sixth as Sands and Antonio Gonzalez both got two RBIs, with Robby Clark, Alex Gallardo, Carter Lee and Josh Florczyk also driving in runs.
Before all this, Westhill went to Hannibal last Wednesday and won 14-4, peaking with four runs in the first inning and six runs in the fourth as Justin Bistrovich led with a single, double and three RBIs.
Zollo, Bennett and Ben Coates each finished with two hits and two RBIs, with Jake Zawadzki and Brandon Amidon-Crawford also driving in runs. Nate King pitched and struck out eight, only allowing three hits.
Solvay got going at Mexico, a big second inning the key to a 6-4 win over the Tigers. The Bearcats scored four times in the top of the second, though it would still need single runs in the fourth and sixth innings to withstand Mexico’s comeback attempt.
Blaine Franklin doubled and drove in three runs, with Clark adding a pair of RBIs. Lee walked three times and scored three runs as Sands pitched four innings before a strong three-inning relief stint from Caden Salvagni.
Then Westhill took a turn against Mexico on Friday, giving up a pair of first-inning runs to the Tigers but quickly answering, especially in a seven-run third inning that made the difference in a 10-2 victory.
Zawadzki got two hits, as did Walker Blossey and Justin Bistrovich. Zollo and King both drove in two runs as pitcher Nick Bistrovich blanked Mexico from the second inning onward, gaining 11 strikeouts and only giving up two hits and four walks.
