East Syracuse Minoa’s softball team had a wild week, starting with last Monday’s non-league game against West Genesee, where it saw a six-run lead melt away in a tough 10-9 defeat to the Wildcats.
When the Spartans scored five runs in the bottom of the third to break a 1-1 tie, it looked to be in control, the lead stretching to 7-1 by the fifth. Tiffany Evans had three hits and Brittany Evans produced three RBIs. Julia Jackson, Amanda Goodhines and Shannon Dablock had one RBI apiece.
All of this wasn’t enough, though. WG scored a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth, and then, with the score 8-4, the Wildcats stunned ESM by batting around in the top of the seventh and plating six runs.
Suddenly trailing 10-8, Spartans rally in the bottom of the seventh fell just short, as Allie Nave went five-for-five at the plate, scored twice and pitched the last three innings, too, while Mya Case added three RBIs.
Another close, frustrating defeat followed on Tuesday, ESM falling to Oswego 7-6 when the Buccaneers, trailing 6-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, managed to score four runs to snatch the victory from the Spartans.
Prior to that, Brittany Evans had hit a home run and finished with three RBIs. Tiffany Evans had two hits and scored three runs, while Michele Burgun doubled. Natasha Mezza, with her three hits and three RBIs, led the Oswego comeback.
The brief Spartans skid ended with Wednesday’s 12-3 victory over Homer, where a 2-0 deficit quickly vanished when ESM plated four runs in the third and fourth innings to take control.
While Sam Short pitched five solid innings before Alissa Daly took over in relief, Brittany Evans went four-for-four and earned five RBIs. Tiffany Evans’ three hits led to two RBIs.
ESM was even more productive in Thursday’s 18-1 romp over Fulton, the Spartans notching runs in every inning except the second, including an eight-run outburst in the sixth.
Julia Jackson went four-for-five, including a double, and drove in four runs. Burgun, who pitched a complete game and held the Red Raiders to four hits, singled, doubled, tripled and earned three RBIs, with Tiffany Evans and Aubrey Williams each earning a pair of RBIs.
On Saturday, the Spartans rallied to beat Chittenango 8-7, using three runs in the top of the sixth to erase the Bears’ 7-5 advantage. Amanda Goodhines doubled, singled and drove in three runs, part of a balanced attack where Burgun, Lauren Bennick and both Evans sisters had RBIs, too.
Meanwhile, Bishop Grimes, who went 4-1 on the week, began the week with a late-game blitz in a 27-7 win over Bishop Ludden. Breaking out of a 4-4 tie, the Cobras scored six runs in the fifth inning, added six runs in the sixth and then capped it off with an 11-run outburst in the top of the seventh.
Through it all, Danielle Erwin and Kendall Mancuso each produced five hits, combining to score seven runs. Alissa Warner had a team-best five RBIs, with Brianna Squier and Kaylee Steiner driving in four runs apiece. Juliana Martin joined Mancuso on two RBIs as Erwin had three RBIs.
Even though it wasn’t as potent against Pulaski a day later, Grimes still handled the Blue Devils 12-2, scoring multiple runs in each of the first five innings, capped by a four-run rally in the fourth.
Erwin produced three of the Cobras’ 13 hits, scoring three runs and adding an RBI. Mancuso’s pair of hits led to three RBIs as Maria Gronau drove in two runs. Squier, Steiner, Elizabeth Wolaver and Jordan Vaught also drove in runs on the day that Vaught was named a third team Class B All-State selection for her work during the basketball season.
But in the rematch against Pulaski two days later, it was a different result. Grimes lost, 16-4, to the Blue Devils, who unleashed 16 hits, seeing Courtney Clark, Julianna Finnerty and Tayler Minnick earn three RBIs apiece. Erwin, Gronau, Steiner and Mancuso each got two hits for the Cobras.
In a Saturday doubleheader, Grimes swept Utica-Notre Dame by scores of 24-5 and 9-5. The first of these games, which only lasted five innings, included 21 hits, with Steiner getting a home run and six RBIs and Mancuso adding five RBIs as the pair got four hits apiece. Warner added three hits and three RBIs.
The closer seven-inning game saw the Cobras gain a 9-2 lead by the fifth inning and hang on from there, with Steiner unstoppable at the plate as she cracked two more home runs, earned two other hits and got three RBIs. Erwin and Warner drove in two runs apiece.
Fayetteville-Manlius tried to upend Cicero-North Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, but took a 5-3 defeat to the Northstars. With RBIs from Bella Bastian, Markayla Madill and Teagan Shaw, the Hornets led 3-1 through two innings, but C-NS rallied with three runs in the fourth inning and another run in the fifth. Sarah Vacarro pitched for F-M and took the loss.
Finally, on Friday the Hornets broke into the win column, defeating Fulton 6-0 behind the pitching of Vaccaro, who tossed a five-hit shutout, striking out six. Marissa Madill drove in a pair of runs, with Bastian, Meghan Richer and Sara Arthur earning one RBI apiece.
