Avoiding all kinds of possible weather dilemmas, the Baldwinsville softball team waited until April 12 to take the field for the first time in 2011.
The wait was worth it for Bees fans – at least in the initial sampling of results, starting with last Tuesday’s trip to Rome Free Academy and a 6-0 shutout of the Black Knights.
Liz Campbell, working at the newly-established distance from the pitcher’s circle to home plate (43 feet, instead of 40 in years past), stymied RFA with her variety of tosses. All told, the Black Knights had just four hits, and Campbell struck out 10.
Still, it was close most of the way, B’ville only leading 1-0 when it got a run in the top of the fifth inning. Then, in the sixth, the Bees broke the game open with four runs off RFA pitcher Hannah Wasco.
Danielle Sayler had three of B’ville’s six hits, adding an RBI as Kaitlyn Massett also drove in a run. Sarah Richards scored twice as Sayler, Maggie D’Eredita, Sydney Carlucci and Amy Sidorakis also scored runs.
Two days later, in the home opener against Utica Proctor, B’ville provided another steady effort and beat the Raiders 7-3.
Never trailing, the Bees scored twice in the first inning. Then, with the score 3-1, B’ville got its winning margin by scoring four times in the bottom of the fourth to back up Campbell’s two-hit effort that featured 12 strikeouts.
Massett tripled and drove in two runs. Emily Brissenden also had two hits as she, along with Lindsay Varga and Paige Altman, earned single RBIs.
Early in the school-break week, B’ville plays in the Oswego Tournament before returning home next Saturday to face Binghamton.
