Maybe it was better for the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team not to get caught up in the struggles it was facing through a brutal late-April gauntlet of games, all crowded up against each other. When the Bees fell 10-6 at Liverpool last Monday afternoon, it marked the team’s third defeat in five days, coming after losses to Fayetteville-Manlius and West Genesee. Though the Liverpool game made up a snowed-out April 7 meeting, it wasn’t much warmer 13 days later as rain, wind and cold temperatures greeted both sides. Given the slow track, both teams slogged through the first half, the Bees seeing an early lead slip away as it went to the break with a 4-4 tie. Gradually, Liverpool’s defense took charge, limiting the Bees’ attack. Only Evan States (three goals) and Billy Ward (two goals) broke through in any consistent way, as Tim Hayden got the other goal. Niko Manning and Dave Middlemore earned assists. Liverpool got clear behind Derek Thomas putting up three goals and three assists and Mitch Long adding three goals and one assist. Pat Briggs, in goal, made eight saves. The skid ended a day later, at Nottingham, where the Bees beat up the Bulldogs 21-3. By halftime, it was already 12-2, and B’ville did not let up in any way as its reserves also took turns adding to the margin in the late going. States finished with four goals and one assist as Ward got a three-goal hat trick. Colin Kaval and Kevin Whitcomb each had two goals and two assists, while Cookie Caloia and Nick Gaworecki each had two goals and one assist. Manning, A.J. Wood, Tom Lefancheck and Tim Hayden also scored, with Tom Lawrence, Kyle Styer and Alex Gailor each getting one assist. B’ville found a tougher ride on Thursday night, against Oswego, but did enough to earn a 12-9 victory over the Buccaneers. To prevail, the Bees first had to break out of a 3-3 first-quarter tie, playing some of its best defense of the season over the next two periods as it seized an 8-5 advantage. That would prove enough, as Oswego could only match B’ville’s late production. States, with four goals and two assists, and Ward, with three goals and four assists, accounted for much of the damage. Styer scored twice, while Hayden got a goal and two assists. Manning and Caloia also scored as Kaval and Tom Foederer earned assists. Briggs made 13 saves. Brett McClelland led the Bucs with three goals and one assist. This set up the Bees for Saturday’s game against Auburn, who had just dropped a tough 7-6 decision to Fayetteville-Manlius but still had a solid 6-2 record to defend. Here, B’ville put things together and, in one of its best efforts of the season, fought past the Maroons 13-12. Proving as hot as the rising temperatures, B’ville set a swift pace, nearly matching F-M’s game total against Auburn’s defense in the first quarter alone while building a 6-3 lead. By halftime, the margin had grown to 10-6. When B’ville cooled down in the third quarter, the Maroons pulled within one, 11-10, and by the late stages of regulation had pulled into a 12-12 tie despite Briggs stopping them enough times with his 21 saves. With 1:11 left in regulation, States put home his fifth goal to break the deadlock, and Auburn could not answer. Aside from States, Wood had the big performance, scoring four times and adding an assist. States and Wood made the Maroons pay for its attention to Ward, who had one goal and three assists. Styer, Caloia and Gaworecki scored, too, with Styer adding two assists. Kaval, Hayden and Casey Cooligan each joined Caloia and Gaworecki in the assist column. Auburn had Connor Entenmann put up four goals and two assists, with Andrew Chadderdon adding three goals and one assist. B’ville improved to 5-3 with this win, and would visit Central Square Tuesday before coming home Friday for a rematch with Liverpool.