What the Baldwinsville softball team can take some solace in, despite two defeats to defending Section III Class AA champion Liverpool, is the way pitchers Keeanna Wolcik and Emma Bernet has contained the powerful Warriors lineup.
That was certainly the case in last Tuesday’s meeting at B’ville, where Wolcik blanked Liverpool after the second inning, only to get little help during a 4-0 defeat.
They had first played April 20, at Liverpool, and that ended in a 5-0 decision. Bernet got the start against the Warriors’ ace, Peyton Bellrose, and knew that any mistakes could prove costly.
In the top of the first inning, Liverpool took charge with a trio of runs, and then tacked on a run in the second. Bernet then blanked the Warriors in the third before handing it to Wolcik, who in her four innings allowed just one hit and one walk, striking out two.
None of this helped the Bees’ lineup, though. Wolcik, Serena Capsello and Brooke Carlisle each earned hits against Bellrose, but were stranded on base as the Liverpool right-hander recorded five strikeouts and got error-free defense behind her.
After this, the Bees were off until Saturday afternoon, when it hosted Central Square and avenged an earlier defeat to the Redhawks, prevailing by a 5-3 margin.
B’ville had lost, 6-1, to this same Central Square squad on April 27, and it didn’t start well here, either, with the Redhawks landing a pair of first-inning runs off Wolcik.
But as Wolcik settled down, the Bees used a run in the second inning and two runs in the third to get out in front, adding two runs in the bottom of the fifth that proved decisive.
Wolcik herself supplied a pair of RBIs thanks to her two hits, while Caroline May also had two hits and scored a run. Bernet and Elizabeth Johns had one RBI apiece as Carlisle and Jillian Dunn each crossed the plate.
With a 9-10 record, B’ville will await where it will get seeded when the Section III Class AA playoff pairings are announced late this week.
