In advance of Sunday’s highly-anticipated encounter with its neighbors from Bishop Ludden at Alliance Bank Stadium, the Westhill baseball team began to show off all that it could do, with 61 total runs in three games.
In the case of last Monday’s game at Jordan-Elbridge, that meant a long, productive fourth inning that served as the basis for a 24-7 victory over the Eagles.
J-E had every intention of keeping it interesting as, down 5-1 in the bottom of the third inning, it used a four-run rally to tie it, 5-5.
That only seemed to make Westhill angry — for in the top of the fourth, it stayed at bat for a while, twice going around the order while accumulating 14 runs.
By game’s end, the Warriors had 23 hits, including Pat Lemmo’s home run as he led his side with three RBIs. Mike Mascari doubled twice as he, along with Mike Fagan, Mike McMullen, Mike DeCarr, Nate Nigolian and Ryan Malley, each finished with two RBIs. Greg Schmidt, Dan Lowery and Dan Karleski drove in single runs.
Nick Downs, one of four Westhill pitchers, got credit for the win. J-E’s Christian Berwind took the loss, as Ben Snyder earned two RBIs. Berwind, Colby Auer and Jeff D’Onofrio drove in one run apiece.
Westhill continued to dominate on Wednesday afternoon, when it hosted Solvay and bashed the Bearcats 19-1.
A five-run first inning set the tone, but Westhill really put it away by torching Solvay for 11 runs in the bottom of the third.
Malley and Jake Rush both smacked home runs, with Malley also getting a pair of doubles as he finished with four RBIs. Nigolian’s hits produced a season-best five RBIs as Mascari and Rush both drove in two runs. Schmidt and David Grace drove in runs, too.
On his way to a combined one-hitter with Lemmo, Malley only gave up R.J. Lostumbo’s solo home run in the top of the fifth inning.
To cap off this stretch, Westhill went to Skaneateles on Friday and engaged in all kinds of early destruction during an 18-6 victory over the Lakers.
Two days earlier, Skaneateles had unbeaten Bishop Ludden down 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, only to surrender a three-run, game-winning home run to John Rooney.
Perhaps the shock hadn’t worn off, for Westhill jumped all over the Lakers with seven runs in the first inning, then got seven more runs in the top of the second for a 14-0 lead.
Amid the 19-hit attack, DeCarr (also the winning pitcher) tripled and joined Dan Karleski with three RBIs apiece. Malley hit the game’s only home run as he, along with Mascari, drove in two runs. Nigolian and Dan Manzano earned single RBIs.
Westhill’s game with Ludden is the first of two encounters, the other to be held May 16 or 17 during Utica-Notre Dame’s tournament, where both teams are participating.
Malley, meanwhile, made official his plans to go to Niagara University. He hit above .400 in both his sophomore and junior campaigns, hitting five home runs in 2008 and pitching his way to a 3-0 start this spring.
