A split of four games that closed out the regular season left the Skaneateles baseball team with a mark of 13-7 going into the Section III Class B playoffs.
The winning part commenced on Wednesday afternoon, when Skaneateles put a damper into Cazenovia’s late playoff bush, claiming the latest battle of Lakers teams by a 10-2 margin.
Trailing 1-0, Skaneateles bolted out in front with four runs in the bottom of the third inning, then added three runs in the fourth and three total runs in the two innings that followed.
Zach Augustine hit the game’s only home run, scoring three times and finishing with three Rbis. Matt Carvalho had three of his team’s 10 hits, while Pat Roberts added a pair of hits as Sean Cooney and Tom Jones drove in one run apiece.
On the pitcher’s mound, Ryan Prochna emerged as a new threat, going six innings and allowing just five hits while striking out five. Nolan Cunningham worked the last innings.
Two days later, against Jordan-Elbridge, the Lakers struck again, downing the Eagles 10-0 as Roberts and Augustine combined on a four-hit shutout, Roberts going six innings and striking out five.
Skaneateles gained a 2-0 lead, then put it away with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Cooney hit a solo home run as Augustine picked up three RBIs. Roberts and Brandon Barron each drove in two runs as Carvalho contributed a triple.
If nothing else, the wins got the Lakers away from Westhill, who beat Skaneateles for the second time in as many weeks last Monday in a 13-5 decision.
Zach Augustine first struggled in the bottom of the second inning, as the Warriors broke a 1-1 tie with five runs. Skaneateles fought back within 7-5, but the Warriors used six runs in the bottom of the sixth to get clear.
Trying to help his own cause, Augustine posted a double and two RBIs, while Pat Roberts and Matt Carvalho also drove in runs. Westhill teammates Mark Syron and Dan Karleski both hit home runs, with Syron earning three RBIs.
But just as the Lakers were picking up momentum through those back-to-back wins, it ran into Marcellus Saturday afternoon and could not keep up in a 12-6 loss to the Mustangs.
Combined, Cunnigham and Tom Jones allowed 12 hits as Marcellus earned multiple runs in five of the first six innings. At the plate, Augustine and Jones each had two hits, with Carvalho earning an RBI. Roberts and Owen Stokes each scored a pair of runs.
Skaneateles earned the no. 5 seed for the Section III Class B playoffs, and is hosting no. 12 seed Utica-Notre Dame in the first round. The winner gets Canastota or Mount Markham in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
