When the Jamesville-DeWitt and East Syracuse Minoa softball teams collided on Wednesday afternoon, they did so having both turned back Christian Brothers Academy in close contests in the previous week.
Head-to-head, though, it was the Red Rams still in the driver’s seat, claiming local bragging rights with an 11-3 victory over the Spartans.
It didn’t take long for J-D’s hitters to get going, as it negated an ESM run in the top of the first inning by getting four runs in the bottom of the first. It happened again in the fourth inning – the Spartans scoring once, the Rams getting three runs in response for a 7-2 lead.
Remarkably, J-D had all 10 of its batters record at least one hit, with only Alyssa Robens and Paige Sherling getting a pair of hits. Makenzie Keeler, Kayleigh Hamerlink and Erica Siegel each drove in two runs, with Robens adding a double and RBI.
On ESM’s side, Amanda Goodhines doubled, tripled and drove in a run, with Taylor Cassella adding an RBI, but Michelle Burgun took the loss as her J-D counterpart, Amanda Sumida, held the Spartans to three hits, earning five strikeouts.
In the week’s lead-up to the game,J-D had beaten CBA by a 4-3 margin on May 1. Three days later, when it was the Spartans’ turn, it jumped out early and withstood yet another comeback attempt by the Brothers to prevail 8-6.
A pair of first-inning runs, followed by four runs in the top of the third, put ESM up 6-1. But CBA quickly cut the margin to 6-5 in the bottom of the third, requiring the Spartans to notch single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, building its eventual winning margin.
Burgun, who pitched the whole game for ESM, also got three hits at the plate, including a double, and scored a run. Julia Jackson added two hits as she, along with Cassella and Alissa Daly, earned one RBI apiece. Goodhines, Jackson and Cassella each scored twice.
On CBA’s side, Gabby Damico led with three hits, earning an RBI to join Julia Boule and Hannah Morris in that column. Annie Carhart scored three times as Jessica Valerino earned two hits and Sydney Wind produced a pair of RBIs.
A day later, right before the J-D clash, ESM took the measure of unbeaten, defending Section III Class B champion Solvay and, like the Red Rams the week before, lost to the Bearcats,
In this 13-0 decision, the Spartans got just one hit off pitcher Lauren Nichols. Solvay did most of its damage in the first three innings, building a 10-0 lead as Molly McGuire, with a home run, double and four RBIs, led the way.
Meanwhile, J-D survived its own big battle with Oswego, edging the Buccaneers 4-3 thanks to a pair of well-timed comebacks.
Down 2-0, the Red Rams tied it, 2-2, by finally getting to Oswego pitcher Mariah Galletta for a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. And even after the Bucs moved in front, 3-2, in the top of the seventh, J-D plated the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull it out.
Robens, Shayna Myshrall and Emily Clapper each drove in runs. Keeler doubled, joining Robens, Siegel and Hannah Gunther in scoring runs as Sumida pitched a complete game.
Yet when those same two teams played again on Friday, it was Oswego prevailing, 6-5. Despite playing its 12th game in 13 days, and despite trailing 5-4 after J-D scored three runs in the top of the fourth, the Bucs got the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the sixth and saw Galletta pitch a scoreless seventh inning to win it. Myshrall’s double and three RBIs had paced J-D.
