Baldwinsville’s baseball team knows that, in right-hander Cody Kaestle, it has a proven pitcher that could measure up to the vaunted aces (Pat Merryweather, Scott Blewett) of recent vintage that helped produce a state Class AA championship two seasons ago.

In fact, during last Monday’s game at Cicero-North Syracuse, Kaestle tossed a complete-game two-hitter – and lost, because the Northstars’ left-handed ace, Steven Theetge, was even better in a 1-0 decision at the Gillette Road complex.

It marked the second time in as many weeks that Theetge won a 1-0 decision, having done the same on April 13 against Syracuse, when he allowed just three hits, struck out 10 and won when Stephen Kires doubled home the game’s lone run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Here, amid the chilly, windy conditions, neither team would get a hit in the first three innings, Kaestle and Theetge only surrendering one walk apiece.

By the bottom of the fourth, it was still 0-0. Leading off, C-NS’s Christian LaLomia got the game’s first hit, but was forced at second, putting Chad McArdell on first as Theetge, the clean-up hitter, strode to the plate.

Here, Kaestle made his lone mistake, grooving a pitch that Theetge drove to the wall for a double. Even with his relative lack of speed, McArdell tore around third base for home, with the throw seemingly set to beat him by at least 30 feet – but the throw was mishandled, and McArdell scored.

Kaestle didn’t allow anything more, overcoming a pair of hit batsmen by coaxing a series of groundouts.

Billy Clifford double with two out the top of the fifth to break up Theetge’s no-hitter. But he struck out Tom Scarfino and ended up retiring the last seven batters he faced, finishing it off with a called strike three on Andy Chajkowski.

B’ville’s trend of close decisions continued on Wednesday afternoon, against Central Square, but this time the Bees came out on top, holding off the Redhawks 7-6.

Even in the cold, wet conditions, B’ville’s bats came to life thanks to two-run rallies in the first, third and fourth innings that created a 6-1 lead. Chajkowski earned a pair of RBIs, as did Charlie McAllister, while Clifford, Pat Dubiel and David Marsell drove in one run apiece.

After Central Square closed the gap to 6-4, the Bees added a run in the sixth that would prove decisive, because the Redhawks scored twice in the top of the seventh before Nick Borek recorded the final out, having relieved Frank Mayoski after Ben Webb pitched 4 1/3 innings, striking out five.

In yet another close contest on Saturday afternoon, B’ville again struggled at the plate against Rochester McQuaid, but did just enough so that, with tremendous pitching from Clifford, Scarfino and Carson Hayes, the Bees beat the Knights 1-0.

This was part of a McQuaid twin bill against Section III teams (it beat Auburn 4-1), and for six innings neither side could get on the board. Hayes worked four innings and gave up four hits, while Scarfino also surrendered two hits and Clifford worked a hitless inning.

Together, they kept the Knights scoreless, and with the game still 0-0 in the top of the seventh, B’ville notched the game’s lone run on a double by Dan Engels that scored Clifford, who had walked for the second time. Engels’ double was one of just two Bees hits, the other coming from Dubiel.

Games against Liverpool, West Genesee, Central Square and Fayetteville-Manlius are all on tap for the Bees, who are 6-2 entering this week’s play.