Though the season is just a few weeks old, the Christian Brothers Academy softball team is getting used to playing close, low-scoring contests — and getting used to winning them, too.
The Brothers pulled this off again in last Thursday’s trip to East Syracuse-Minoa, where, again, the combination of Jordan Sheridan’s pitching prowess and a timely rally produced a 2-0 victory over the Spartans.
Molly O’Brien’s RBI double in the first inning quickly put CBA in front 1-0. ESM pitcher Mallory Martino then shut the door for a while, but in the bottom of the fourth, Maggie Fennell’s single produced another run for the Brothers.
All the while, Sheridan was baffling a solid ESM lineup, holding them to three hits, all singles, and keeping the Spartans off the board.
Three days earlier, the Spartans met Fowler and had all kinds of fun at the plate on its way to beating the Falcons 23-7.
With a 1-0 lead going into the top of the second, ESM nearly went twice around the order on its way to picking up 11 runs, as poor Fowler defense (it made seven errors) added to the margin. Amy Barkauskas had two RBIs as Mallory Martino and Julie Maselli split pitching duties.
By stark contrast, CBA had to survive a tense battle with Fulton last Tuesday, beating the Red Raiders 1-0, the second time in seven days the Brothers had won by this margin, as it did the same against Marcellus on April 7.
This time, Sheridan outdueled Fulton ace Jessica Palmitesso, allowing just three hits in her shutout. Palmitesso was just as strong — except for the sixth inning, when CBA notched the only run, helped by Claire Golegly’s double.
