West Genesee’s softball team, sailing through the early part of its schedule undefeated, thought it might get a real test during the school break.
The occasion finally arrived Friday afternoon, when the Wildcats went up against Baldwinsville – but by coming up with the runs it needed in the late going, WG earned a 3-1 victory over the Bees.
With two solid pitchers going at it – Ashley Amidon for the Wildcats, Cassie Williams for the Bees – the two sides scrambled for any kind of offense. WG scored in the third, only to see B’ville answer in the fourth to tie it 1-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats got to Williams, scoring twice, and Amidon did the rest, only allowing three hits while amassing 11 strikeouts. Kailey Ritch tripled in a run as Deanna Apps also earned an RBI.
But the Maroons did not offer much resistance as the Wildcats, with all aspects of its game clicking, registered a 9-0 victory to move its mark to 5-0.
WG did not have to face Auburn pitching ace Ali VanGiesen, who had just thrown a no-hitter against Henninger on April 15 and a one-hitter against Cocoran earlier in the week.
Instead, Meghan Fecco took the mound for the Maroons — and WG got to her for three runs in the second inning and six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Christina Sakran had two RBIs as Amidon, Apps, Lexie Myers and Gabby Rivers drove in single runs.
Also pitching well, Amidon and sophomore Ashley D’Avirro constantly kept Maroons hitters off balance as they combined on a two-hit shutout and struck out five between them.
Already, the Wildcats had beaten Henninger 15-7 on Tuesday afternoon, lashing out 16 hits as it built a 7-0 lead early, then used seven runs in the fifth inning to put things away.
Amidon struggled in the late going, but still got the win. Ritch had four hits, including a triple and double, scored a career-best five runs and finished with three RBIs as Deanna Apps and Trish Andrews drove in two runs apiece. Mackenzie Glynn had three hits as Amidon, Lexie Myers and Christina Sakron each scored twice.
WG would play just once more in April, against Nottingham, before a huge game May 3 against defending Class AA champion Liverpool.
