Steady offensive production helped the Canastota baseball team overcome whatever rust might have accumulated as the snow melted.
In Friday’s warmer conditions, the Raiders pounded out 12 hits against New York Mills and took full advantage of eight errors from the Marauders to produce a 10-2 victory in a game made up from the April 5 snows.
Three first-inning runs set the tone, and Canastota would use two-run outbursts in the third and fourth innings to pull clear and give room to pitchers Kyle Savage and Matt Ghezzi, who allowed just three hits between them.
James Lesher led the Raiders at the plate, hitting a triple and earning two RBIs. Joe DiGeorge doubled, while Ghezzi and Kody Parkhurst also drove in runs.
Playing again Saturday, against Westmoreland, the Raiders succeeded again, using a dramatic seventh-inning rally to beat the Bulldogs 5-4.
Trailing 2-1 in the fourth inning, Canastota tied it, only to see Westmoreland go back in front, 4-2, with two more runs in the top of the fifth.
Patiently, the Raiders whittled away with a run in the sixth, then got two runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull out the victory.
Mike Hibbard earned two RBIs to anchor Canastota’s attack, while Ghezzi, Savage and Matt Owens gained one RBI apiece.
This followed the postponement or movement of games the Raiders were supposed to play against Herkimer, Adirondack and Tully. Canastota is set to play Waterville, Cooperstown and Sherurne-Earlville this week.
