Baldwinsville’s softball team continued to make solid progress, and nearly upended the defending Section III Class AA champions.
When the Bees met Cicero-North Syracuse last Friday at Gillette Field, it kept pace all the way before taking a 6-5 loss to the Northstars.
B’ville trailed, 2-0, when it got a run in the second inning, then scored three times in the top of the third to seize a 4-2 lead and chase starting pitcher Erica Gigliotti from the mound.
Quickly, CNS tied it, 4-4, then got two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull back in front. Now trailing 6-4, the Bees sneaked across a run in the top of the sixth, but could not get back even, paying the price for three errors as the Northstars went error-free.
Katie Ducharme gave B’ville a jolt at the plate with a home run and three RBIs, while Kristen Biedermann also drove in a run.
This proved to be the Bees’ lone blemish in an otherwise strong week of work, which started by defending its home field last Wednesday in a chilly 6-2 victory over Utica Proctor.
The raw conditions suited Bees pitcher Cassie Williams, who gave up seven hits, but did not let the Raiders put together a big rally.
By the time Proctor got on the board, B’ville already had a 3-0 lead, and would add to it in the late stages.
Carley Nicoletti smacked a home run, one of 10 Bees hits, and finished with two RBIs, while Ducharme doubled and drove in two runs. Kristen Baldino added a double and RBI as Emily Brissenden had a double of her own.
Right after the CNS thriller, B’ville returned home Saturday and put together a strong effort to beat the Auburn Maroons 5-3.
The third inning proved crucial as the Bees, trailing 2-1, went ahead for good with a three-run outburst, just as it did against CNS. Auburn would pull back within 4-3, but a sixth-inning tally gave B’ville some insurance.
Combined, Williams and Ali Niemiec gave up just four hits. Nicoletti gave the Bees a solo home run, her second round-tripper of the week, while Niemiec, Ducharme and Katrina Conklin also drove in runs.
B’ville is home this week for games against Oswego and Rome Free Academy before a rematch with CNS on Saturday.
