Through its early-season tear, the Bishop Ludden baseball team had rarely been tested or put in a stressful situation.
Skaneateles wanted to change that on Thursday afternoon — but Matt Pirro wasn’t cooperating with those intentions. Nearly perfect, Pirro’s superb pitching pushed Ludden to a 4-0 victory over the Lakers.
Already 2-0 on the season, Pirro had not yet delivered the sort of domination that makes him one of Central New York’s top hurlers — at least until Skaneateles showed up.
Through five innings, the Notre Dame-bound Pirro did not allow a single baserunner. Eventually, Skaneateles did produce a pair of hits, but that was all as Pirro piled up 10 strikeouts and didn’t walk anybody.
Ludden won with a pair of runs in both the first and third innings off Nolan Cunningham. Chris Davis had two RBIs, with John Rooney adding a double and RBI of his own.
Before this, the Gaelic Knights overcame some early woes against Jordan-Elbridge last Monday with some trademark offense in a 12-2 victory over the Eagles.
J-E actually had a 2-1 lead when, in the bottom of the fourth, Ludden finally got to Eagles pitcher Zach Frost, scoring four times. An inning later, the Gaelic Knights settled matters with seven more runs as it batted around.
Ryan O’Kane, unstoppable early this season, had two doubles and an RBI. Aaron Maher also stayed hot, driving in two runs to join Chris Davis in that category as Rooney and Mike DePalma each got one RBI.
Ludden’s softball team also continued to tear through its early schedule, going to Onondaga last Monday and recording an impressive 8-1 victory over the Tigers.
The Gaelic Knights scored twice in the third inning to pull in front, then added four runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth.
Korey Kibling, who pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts, double and earned two RBIs, while Grace Rooney and Kayla Kibling also drove in runs.
A day later, Ludden had its first real scare, from Weedsport, but still did enough to earn a 2-1 victory over the Warriors.
Both teams scored in the first inning, after which it settled into a pitcher’s duel where Rooney and Weedsport’s Jordan Roe traded zeroes. Roe had also driven in her team’s run and had two doubles.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ludden got to Roe for the go-ahead run, and Korey Kibling worked a scoreless seventh for the save. Kayla Kibling tripled, one of just two hits the Gaelic Knights managed, as Beth Jerome earned an RBI.
Properly scared, Ludden proceeded to beat Fabius-Pompey 8-2 on Thursday, erasing a 2-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the fourth innings.
Again, the Kibling sisters stood out, as Korey pitched and Kayla led the attack with a double and three RBIs. Jerome, Grace Rooney and Kim Balla joined Korey with one RBI apiece.
Ludden’s softball team will meet Tully on Thursday, amid a stretch where the baseball Gaelic Knights are on the road three times (weather permitting), visiting Hannibal and Jordan-Elbridge before a Saturday visit to Marcellus.
