Knowing that all sorts of tough competition awaits them in its Section III Class B title defense, the Solvay softball team continued to make loud, bold statements to all possible challengers.
That included neighbor and rival Westhill, who paid a visit last Monday afternoon and, once again, fell victim to the Bearcats’ potent combination of big bats and strong pitching from Jackie Gardner as it beat the Warriors 15-1.
For a while, Westhill pitcher Nina Scramale did keep Solvay quiet, and it was 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when the Bearcats gained three runs.
But that was just the appetizer as, in the fifth, Solvay got to Westhill reliever Melissa Newcomb for eight runs to break the game open, and added three more runs in the sixth.
Brenna Poli had four hits, including a double, and drove in four runs to pace Solvay’s attack. Chelsie Delperuto added a triple and three RBIs. Brandi Pidkaminy scored three runs as she, along with Nicole Antonacci, Molly McGuire and Lauren Nichols, each had one RBI.
Gardner, improving to a remarkable 43-0 in three seasons of regular-season competition and 11-0 this spring, held Westhill to four hits in her complete-game effort and recorded 10 strikeouts, putting her past triple digits for the season as her total reached 103 K’s.
Now the Bearcats turned its attention to Marcellus, and revealed, perhaps, the scariest aspect of its success – the fact that its second pitcher could dominate, too, as freshman Lauren Nichols took center stage in a 4-0 shutout over the Mustangs.
Nichols proved that, at her best, she could dominate as much, if not more, than Gardner in the pitcher’s circle. She gave up just two hits, both of them by the Mustangs’ Shannon Donahue, and amassed 10 strikeouts while limiting Marcellus to two walks.
As for Mustangs pitcher Molly MacLachlan, she also pitched quite well, containing the potent Solvay lineup much of the game, with two exceptions. The Bearcats hit for two runs in the bottom of the third and two more runs in the sixth, Delperuto smashing a two-run home run and Poli adding an RBI as Antonacci scored twice.
Solvay then blanked Bishop Ludden 13-0 on Wednesday afternoon, scoring three runs in each of the first two innings and not letting up until it had added four runs in the seventh, Gardner limiting the Gaelic Knights to two hits as she made it 44 straight regular-season wins.
Earlier in the week, Marcellus had handled Phoenix 9-2, taking charge with four runs in the first two innings and using a four-run rally in the sixth to get clear.
MacLachlan, who held the Firebirds to six hits and struck out five, also drove in a pair of runs. Meghan Witkowski, Clare Manahan and Jennie Delia each scored twice, with Witkowski hitting a solo home run as she and Dominique Weeks had one RBI apiece. Rylie Spicer added two hits, including a triple.
After the loss to Solvay, the Mustangs roared back to form Wednesday, smashing Phoenix 16-3, using a six-run third inning to take charge and scoring in every inning after. Delia doubled, tripled and drove in two runs, with Laura Finn adding three hits and two RBIs. Manahan, Spicer and Dominique Weeks each matched that two-RBI total.
That set up Thursday’s showdown between Marcellus and Ludden, and the Mustangs won again, 2-0, to improve to 11-4 on the season.
MacLachlan and Gaelic Knights counterpart Cazzandra Griglock both pitched well, but Marcellus poked across runs in the first and fourth innings, Donahue getting two of her team’s four hits and adding an RBI. MacLachlan, limiting Ludden to five hits, earned five strikeouts without surrendering a walk.
Meanwhile, Westhill took its turn romping past Phoenix 11-0, scoring in every inning except the fifth as Scramale held the Firebirds to three hits. Newcomb hit a home run and got two RBIs, with Katie Lobello also driving in two runs. Jordan Tucker, Maggie Liberati and Claire Diefendorf had one RBI apiece.
