The possibility of an undefeated regular season looms for the Solvay softball team, with a pair of non-league games against Central Square and Oneida next week holding the key to that quest.
In order to make up a postponed April 10 meeting with Skaneateles, the Bearcats played two five-inning games against the Lakers last Monday, easily winning them both.
One of the games saw Jackie Gardner throw a no-hitter in an 8-0 decision, striking out five and only allowing one walk. She also doubled twice and singled at the plate, earning three RBIs as Solvay used four-run outbursts in the first and fourth innings to take charge.
Sydney Cimini also had two hits and scored twice, while Julie Gardner, Nicole Antonacci, Shanen Sullivan and Kiersten DiBello each had one RBI.
Even more power was shown in the second game, a 12-0 rout where Antonacci and Julie Gardner both went deep for home runs, Gardner also tripling twice and getting five RBIs and Antonacci adding three hits and three RBIs. Chelsie Delperuto drove in three runs as Jackie Gardner’s one-hitter included eight strikeouts.
What followed, on Wednesday afternoon, was an 18-1, five-inning takedown of Jordan-Elbridge. In a game shortened by rain, the Bearcats, already up 2-0, peaked with a seven-run outburst in the top of the seventh and then doubled that output in the next three innings.
All told, Solvay had 23 hits, four each from Delperuto, Sullivan and Julie Gardner, as the trio combined for five RBIs. Molly McGuire added a single, double, triple and RBI as Antonacci doubled, tripled and scored three times.
An interesting point of comparison was brought up in the wake of Friday’s game, where Solvay took apart Syracuse East in an 11-0 shutout.
This same 0-13 East team had, 24 hours earlier, nearly shocked Class AA powerhouse Cicero-North Syracuse, getting the tying and winning runs on base in the seventh inning before the Northstars (who were pitching Kalet Lenart instead of ace Sydney O’Hara) escaped with a 4-3 win.
Solvay had no such problems with East, scoring in each of the first five innings, capped by a four-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth, and took advantage of six East errors.
Antonacci and DiBello both smashed triples, and each finished with two RBIs. Jackie Gardner also drove in two runs as pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11. McGuire, Sullivan and Brenna Poli had one RBI apiece as Cimini and Julie Gardner both scored two runs.
The games with Central Square and Oneida are accompanied by league games where the Bearcats would host Cazenovia and Bishop Ludden, making the last week before the Section III Class B playoffs an active one.
