Perhaps the West Genesee softball team put so much of its energy into that 1-0, eight-inning win at Cicero-North Syracuse on April 17 that it had trouble generating that magic again.
After an 8-3 defeat to Solvay two days later, the Wildcats, in its home opener against Oswego last Monday afternoon, struggled again and took a 3-2 defeat to the Buccaneers.
Though it took leads of 1-0 in the third inning and 2-1 in the sixth, WG could not hold on either time. Oswego pulled even, 1-1, in the fifth, and in the top of the seventh, three outs from defeat, the Bucs got to Morgan Nichols for the tying and go-ahead runs, and watched its pitcher, Molly Malone, successfully blank the Wildcats in the bottom of the seventh.
Allie Nave, whose eighth-inning RBI double beat C-NS, doubled and scored a run here, while Nichols and Tess Andrews added RBIs of their own. Nina Cereo scored a run.
The Wildcats’ brief skid ended a day later as it beat Syracuse East 12-2 in a game shortened to six innings. Trailing 2-0 after East got a pair of runs in the top of the first, WG offered a big response, plating nine runs, before it added three runs in the sixth.
Nave, Nichols and Tess Andrews each had a pair of RBIs, with Andrews scoring three runs. Nichols, managed three hits, one more than she allowed in the pitcher’s circle while earning six strikeouts, as Jackie Liberty, Katie McIntyre and Lexy White drove in one run apiece.
Then, on Friday, WG beat Auburn 10-1, breaking a 1-1 tie by batting around in the bottom of the fourth and scoring six runs, tacking on three runs in the fifth just to be sure.
Nina Cereo smashed a home run, with McIntyre going three-for-four and managing three RBIs. Nichols and Andrews both doubled and drove in two runs, while Jenna Amidon and Nikki Tolenoa also drove in runs. Nichols struck out 14 to overcome Auburn’s eight hits at the plate.
Solvay, who beat West Genesee 8-3 on April 20 before heading to the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, would get tested in Florida, but it began with aJackie Gardner no-hitter in a 16-0 romp over Chapelgate (Md.).
Gardner’s no-hitter included seven strikeouts, plus a pair of hits and two runs scored at the plate. A nine-run second inning highlighted the Bearcats’ assault as Molly McGuire hit a home run and double, earning three RBIs, while Chelsie Delperuto drove in four runs.
Brandi Pidkaminy also went deep for Solvay, while Kiersten DiBello doubled twice as she, along with Gardner and Jordan MIcheletti, had two RBIs.
Two more games followed, and Solvay would take its first blemish on Wednesday in a 9-6 defeat to Millville, from New Jersey. Millville scored four times in the first inning and led 7-1 at one point before the Bearcats made a furious late rally that fell just short. Micheletti had a double and two RBIs, with Delperuto, Brenna Poli and Nicole Antonacci driving in one run apiece.
Not happy with that, Solvay recovered a day later and romped past Magnificate 13-1, using four-run rallies in the first and fourth innings to seize command.
Gardner, who struck out nine and limited Magnificate to four hits, managed three hits and three RBIs. Sydney Cimini got three hits, two of them doubles, and scored three runs. Delperuto, DiBello and McGuire each drove in two runs as Micheletti added an RBI.
