The Cicero-North Syracuse softball team could not quickly put its 2-1 defeat to Baldwinsville on April 3 behind them due to the bad weather that kept them off the field for nearly a week.
But when it dried up and the Northstars were back in action last Wednesday afternoon, it gave the ball to Megan Tully and she responded with the first no-hitter of her varsity career in a 13-0 shutout over the Oswego Buccaneers.
By no means was Tully overpowering in the pitcher’s circle, giving up six walks and seeing her defense commit an error. But Tully more than made up for it with 11 strikeouts and escaping trouble whenever it came up.
At the plate, C-NS stayed patient and then, up 3-0, broke the game open by batting around in the bottom of the fifth inning and scoring six times.
Rachelle Walters led the way with a double and four RBIs. Katie Scott and Jess Callisto each drove in two runs. Beth Bonin had two hits and scored twice. Khaliyah Flournory managed two hits.
Unlike C-NS, Liverpool had to wait until last Thursday afternoon to make its season debut, but it didn’t seem to affect the Warriors one bit as it smashed past Auburn 18-2.
What was a modest 1-0 lead turned a lot more lopsided when Liverpool piled up six runs in the second inning and five more runs an inning later on its way to 17 hits overall.
Peyton Bellrose, who pitched two innings in relief of Dana Nicoletti, doubled twice, scored four runs and finished with four RBIs. Alicia Hansen doubled and drove in three runs while also crossing the plate four times, with Jenna Wike, Nicole Cerrone and Alexis Lamison managing two RBIs apiece.
The Warriors rolled again on Friday against the same B’ville team that beat C-NS, earning a 10-0 shutout behind Bellrose, who pitched superbly and held the Bees to just three hits.
At the plate, Liverpool got runs in each of the first five innings, capped by three-run rallies in the third and fourth. Bellrose hit a home run as she, along with Hansen, Ericka Sadowski, Jenna Wike and Taylor Charles, each got two hits.
To cap off its 3-0 week, the Warriors topped Central Square 8-1 on Saturday afternoon, using a four-run third inning to take charge as Hansen doubled, singled and produced a pair of RBIs.
Katie Yudin also drove in two runs as she and Nicoletti both got three hits. Also, Nicoletti pitched, surrendering four hits and two walks, but making up for it with 11 strikeouts.
Now Liverpool could turn its full attention to Monday’s scheduled showdown with C-NS – who had gone to a tournament at the BAGSAI complex in Binghamton and had won its division.
In the opening round, the Northstars romped past Vestal (Section IV) 11-2, sprinting out to a 4-0 lead by the second inning but still requiring a five-run sixth inning and two runs in the seventh to get away.
Gabriella Corasaniti and Alyssa Neuser combined on pitching duties, holding Vestal to five hits. Morgan Phillips was a home run short of a cycle as she singled, doubled, tripled and managed three RBIs, with Lauren Floyd adding three hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Walters also drove in two runs, with Callisto and Neuser getting one RBI apiece.
Then, in the finals, C-NS prevailed in a tough 5-3 decision over Section I power John Jay-East Fishkill. The game was 0-0 when the Northstars broke out for four runs in the top of the fourth, and added a run in the sixth even as John Jay was trying to rally.
Bonin set the tone by going three-for-four, including a double, and earning a pair of RBIs. Paige Critella added three hits and scored twice as Lauren Floyd got two hits, with Callisto and Lauren Floyd adding one RBI apiece. Tully, despite some late struggles, held John Jay to six hits and earned 12 strikeouts.
