Still harboring some post-season ambitions, the Skaneateles softball team earned a key win at Cazenovia last Monday, going to eight innings to prevail 10-5.
What made this win so remarkable was the fact that Cazenovia crushed Skaneateles 28-2 in their first meeting on April 2. Nearly a month later, everything turned around.
Skaneateles immediately went to the lead with four runs in the top of the first inning and got another run an inning later. The visitors clung to a 5-2 lead until the bottom of the fifth, when Cazenovia scored three times to tie it, 5-5.
It stayed that way until the top of the eighth, when Skaneateles erupted for five runs, which proved decisive. Jackie Leslie and Emily Call each scored twice, while Erica Nye’s pair of triples led to two RBIs. Call and Chelsea Hamilton also drove in runs.
Hamilton also pitched for Skaneateles, going all eight innings. She gave up six hits and three walks, but recorded nine strikeouts.
Then Skaneateles made it back-to-back wins on Wednesday afternoon, handling Jordan-Elbridge 10-1 behind a strong pitching effort from Hamilton, who recorded 12 strikeouts.
In the top of the third, the Lakers got on the board with Hamilton’s run-scoring triple. Then she walked home when Molly Kerstetter smashed a two-run home run.
Not stopping there, Skaneateles tacked on three more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, too, as Call singled, doubled, scored twice and earned a pair of RBIs. Hamilton kept the Eagles off the board until the bottom of the seventh, losing the shutout, but nothing else.
The win streak halted Friday during an 8-0 defeat to Marcellus. Skaneateles never recovered from Mustangs slugger Tabby McBride hitting back-to-back three-run home runs in the third and fourth innings and only had four hits off Marcellus pitcher Molly MacLachlan. Kerstetter, Leslie, Nye and Kristin Didio earned those hits.
At home all of this week, Skaneateles will take on Homer, Syracuse West and Hannibal.
