Better weather would mean far more activity for the Baldwinsville softball team, who was fighting to stay around the .500 mark despite the tough competition that lay ahead.
At 6-6 going into last Monday’s game against once-beaten Central Square, the Bees did a good job of containing the Redhawks’ bats most of the way – except for one inning, which proved the difference in a 6-1 defeat.
Trailing 1-0 after a first-inning Central Square run, B’ville tied it in the top of the third as Jillian Dunn crossed the plate. It was up to pitcher Emma Bernet to maintain that close connection.
In the bottom of the fifth, though, the Redhawks broke out of that 1-1 tie by plating four runs, with Taylor House getting a double and two RBIs. That was enough for Central Square pitcher Abby House, who limited the Bees to five hits and recorded nine strikeouts. Bernet had just two strikeouts.
Visiting West Genesee on Thursday afternoon, B’ville continued to struggle at the plate – but Keeanna Wolcik’s superb pitching allowed the Bees some time to find some production, and it did so, enough for a 3-0 victory over the Wildcats.
All that Wolcik allowed was a single hit – Grace Schnorr’s single – plus a pair of walks, but she otherwise stifled WG’s batters and got strong defense behind her, too.
Wildcats pitcher Allie Nave matched Wolcik until the top of the sixth, when B’ville struck for a single run, and then tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh. Gabby Hahn earned two hits, plus an RBI, while Caroline May also drove in a run. May and Jordan Barbato both scored runs.
This pushed B’ville back to 7-7, with games this week against Auburn, Cicero-North Syracuse and Central Square on the docket.
