Nothing about the Liverpool softball team’s 28-0 destruction of the combined Syracuse West entry on a gloomy Monday afternoon was memorable or useful.
Except that the win gave the Warriors’ long-time head coach, Nick Spataro, 400 for his career, just a few weeks after Cicero-North Syracuse’s Kerry Bennett reached the 600-win plateau.
In all, Spataro has coached 21 seasons at Liverpool, claiming five Section III championships along the way, all from 2001 to 2009. Nine times, the Warriors have made it to the sectional finals, and it reached one state final four.
This game, in particular, featured a long-time Liverpool staple – namely, offensive prowess. The Warriors got runs in each of the first six innings, capped by a 12-run outburst in the top of the sixth.
Not only did eighth-grade Peyton Bellrose pitch and strike out 14 Syracuse West batters, she starred at the plate, too, earning a career-best five hits, including a triple, driving in five runs and scoring twice.
Alicia Hansen went four-for-four, gaining a triple, double, two singles and six RBis while scoring four runs. Carrie Stoddard’s triple, double and single led to five RBIs and three runs scored.
Holly Clark scored a team-high five runs, doubling twice and earning a pair of RBIs. Dana Nicoletti also scored three runs as Brianna Harris and Rachel Castellani added one RBI apiece.
The Warriors got win no. 401 for Spataro in a much more difficult manner, rallying from behind on Wednesday to beat Rome Free Academy 5-2.
Neither side could score until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Black Knights tagged Liverpool pitcher Dana Nicoletti for both of its runs, driven in by Kaysie Gregory and Alex Kimmel.
Up until now, RFA pitcher Halie Schoff had done a sensational job. But the Warriors got to her in the top of the sixth, scoring all of its runs as Stoddard produced a two-run single. Nicoletti, Nicole Cerrone and Allyse Burgos each had one RBI in that rally.
Nicoletti had one of her best pitching efforts of the season, limiting the Black Knights to five hits and striking out 11.
After its big win over Auburn on April 30, Cicero-North Syracuse returned to action Thursday, at Oswego, where Sydney O’Hara again proved strong in a 5-0 shutout of the Buccaneers.
Two days of rest helped O’Hara stay sharp, and she held Oswego to three hits, striking out 12. This more than made up for a rare quiet day at the plate, where O’Hara walked once and got a hit.
C-NS picked up all of its runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Lindsey Silfer and Jenna Tartaro each had three hits, while Morgan Phillips gained two hits and an RBI. Brittany Paul and Brooke Szabo also drove in runs.
