By far, the Chittenango baseball team’s biggest issue was the way it played inside the OHSL Freedom division. It was 1-3 in league play going into the week, 7-1 otherwise.
And that issue surfaced again during last Monday’s home game against Phoenix, where the Bears lost to the Firebirds 10-7.
They were tied, 3-3, until the top of the fourth inning, when Phoenix erupted for six runs, which chased Chittenango starting pitcher Jon Stevens from the mound.
Shaun Skurpski and Kevin Streeter both had solid relief stints, but the Bears would not catch up, hurt in no small part by its six errors in the field.
Wes Burghardt led the Bears at the plate, earning two triples and finishing with three RBIs. Stevens, Skurpski and Zach Boswell also drove in runs.
When the Bears went to Mexico a day later to make up an April 7 rain postponement, it proved rougher as it lost to the Tigers 17-3.
Mexico decided it early, with eight runs in the first inning and seven more runs in the bottom of the third to make it 15-1, and five Chittenango errors didn’t help as the Tigers eventually got 18 hits on the afternoon.
Jake Bicknell still had a solo home run, with Burghardt and Devin Christopher also earning RBIs. Conrad Dolbear led Mexico with a home run and five RBIs, with teammate Evan Oustrich getting four RBIs.
Chittenango got closer in Thursday’s game against Christian Brothers Academy, but still fell to the Brothers 4-2.
For the most part, pitcher Jeff Pierce did a terrific job keeping CBA’s potent lineup in check, only allowing six hits in a complete-game effort.
However, the one lapse — a three-run rally by the Brothers in the top of the third inning, fueled by Bryant Moore’s home run — proved to be the difference. Chittenango’s runs came in the fifth and sixth innings as Stevens and Bicknell each got one RBI.
Only in Saturday’s game against Jamesville-DeWitt (following a Friday rainout with Fowler) did the slump break, as the Bears outscored the Red Rams 11-8 to get back above the .500 mark, at 8-7 overall.
Up 4-1 through three innings, Chittenango stumbled when J-D scored four times in the top of the fourth to go in front 5-4.
They traded runs to move it to 6-5, but the Bears turned it all around with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, which proved decisive.
Skurpski supplied much of it with a home run and five RBIs, while Stevens went deep for a solo home run. Greg Jasek emerged with two hits and drove in three runs. Kevin Streeter added an RBI and got the win in relief of Stevens.
Chittenango got another shot at CBA on Tuesday before returning home Thursday to face East Syracuse-Minoa.