With the spate of rainouts and other weather-related postponements finally behind them, the Cazenovia baseball team could focus on making its mark against a string of OHSL Liberty division foes in a short amount of time.
All of it started with last Monday’s 7-0 shutout over Altmar-Parish-Wililamstown, which proved a showcase for Lakers ace Kevin Ridings. All the Rebels got off Ridings was two hits and one walk, with Ridings earning eight strikeouts by game’s end.
Starting in the bottom of the second, Cazenovia scored runs in four consecutive innings, capped by a three-run fifth. Ridings, who scored twice, and Cyle Dennis each got two hits, with Jacob Schettine and Evan Cornell joining Ridings driving in one run apiece.
In the first of back-to-back games against Skaneateles on Wednesday afternoon, Cazenovia dropped the Laker battle, Skaneateles prevailing by an 11-3 margin, and in the rematch a day later, Cazenovia scored far more runs and still lost again in an eight-run decision, 21-13.
The second game had Skaneateles gain six runs in the top of the second and Cazenovia answer with five runs in the bottom of the second. Even as the exchange continued, Skaneateles gradually increased its lead, to 13-8, and with a five-run fifth inning, it pulled out of Cazenovia’s range.
Still, Cazenovia managed 14 hits, two each by Ridings, Cooper Holgate and Casey Fenton, as Evan Begley doubled and earned three RBIs. Holgate also drove in three runs, with Fenton, Ridings, Matt Mistur, Paul McLaughlin, Eric Ketcham and Alex Marshall earning one RBI apiece.
Ridings was back on the mound Friday, and Cazenovia rode him to a 3-1 victory over Jordan-Elbridge, getting all it needed at the plate from two runs off Eagles starter George Richardson in the third inning, plus a fifth-inning insurance tally after J-E cut the lead to 2-1.
Fenton drove in two of the Lakers’ three runs. Ridings had the other RBI and limited the Eagles to five hits, overcoming four walks thanks to strong defense around him.
Chittenango had started its week last Sunday with an 8-1 defeat to East Syracuse Minoa, the Spartans getting control with a four-run third inning and blanking the Bears until the top of the seventh, when Zane Garvey’s run-scoring single scored Wyatt Myers and broke up the shutout.
Garvey and Jack Wandersee split the pitchind duties, each of them unable to match the work of ESM starter Brandon Breen, who held Chittenango to three hits and amassed 12 strikeouts.
Two days later, the Bears bounced back, beating Marcellus 6-4 on the basis of a fourth inning where Chittenango, trailing 3-2, scored three runs, tacking on an insurance run in the seventh and hanging on against the Mustangs’ last-ditch rally.
Dane Johnson doubled twice, singled, scored a run and earned an RBI, with Garvey driving in a pair of runs. John Murray and Zane Cowburn also had RBIs as Myers made it through all seven innings on the mound, allowing 10 hits and two walks, but striking out 10 to constantly get out of big trouble.
Then Chittenango made it back-to-back wins on Thursday, rallying past Cortland 5-3 on the basis of a sixth inning where the Bears, trailing 3-1 after the Purple Tigers scored twice in the top of the fifth, put up four runs to move in front for good.
With two hits and an RBI, Johnson led the comeback as Wandersee, Garvery and Myers also drove in runs. Joe Murray and Matt Milliman scored runs, while Johnson and Cowburn shared the pitching duties, combining to hold Cortland to two hits.
When it looked for three in a row Saturday, Chittenango nearly upended defending Section III Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt, but took a narrow 6-5 defeat to the Red Rams.
