Early in the week of the April school break, the Oneida baseball and softball teams both stood out. Already a confident bunch thanks to wins in its first two games, the Oneida baseball team had a chance for further growth as it competed in the Lew Bennett Tournament at DeLutis Field in Rome. Up against host Rome Free Academy in the opening round, the Indians got a big clutch hit from Mitch DuBois to deliver a 9-8 victory over the Black Knights. Despite single runs in the first two innings, Oneida trailed, 3-2, when it put together a four-run rally in the top of the third to bolt ahead 6-3. Again, RFA would answer, scoring twice in both the third and fourth frames to reclaim the lead at 6-5. In the sixth, Oneida tied it, only to have the Black Knights answer again. Now trailing 8-7, the Indians put a runner on base in the top of the seventh, and with two outs, up stepped DuBois against RFA’s Derek Murphy. Down to his last strike, the junior found a Murphy pitch he liked and crushed it over the fence for a go-ahead home run. Andrew Hornyak made that slim lead stand up, blanking the Black Knights in the bottom of the seventh as he earned the win in relief of Jeremy Rodriguez. Evan Watson and Dylan VanDresar each had two hits, and Oneida won despite getting just six hits to RFA’s 14. In the final, the Indians opposed Utica-Notre Dame, who had beaten New Hartford 6-1 in the other half of the opening round. Here, the Indians never got close, falling 9-0 as the Jugglers’ Dom Galimo held them to four hits. UND scored in four of the first six innings as DuBois pitched and took the loss. Mad about this result, Oneida turned around in the afternoon and drilled Sherburne-Earlville 13-3, getting six runs in the first inning and 15 hits overall. Hornyak delivered the biggest blow, a grand slam in a four-hit performance that included two doubles, a single and six RBIs overall. If Hornyak wasn’t delivering, then Nate Mallinder was, earning four RBIs as he doubled twice. Brian Chevier added a two-run home run. VanDresar pitched and got the win, with Kyle Armstrong seeing a relief stint. As this was going on, the Oneida softball team is finding the form that helped win a Section III Class A title one year ago. Going up against possible challenger Jamesville-DeWitt on Monday afternoon, the Indians got a pitching gem from Maria Rocco — and needed it to beat the Red Rams 1-0. Rocco, settling into her role as Beth Kann’s successor in the circle, allowed just three hits and earned three strikeouts. Oneida had to make 18 different putouts, but the veteran lineup did not commit an error. The game’s lone run came in the bottom of the second inning. Jenna Didio tripled, then came home when Clare Henry singled. Didio’s single was the only other hit J-D hurler Jenn Keeler allowed in her own three-hit complete-game effort.