CENTRAL NEW YORK – Everyone on the Liverpool softball team understood that replicating its Section III Class AAA title run of 2024 might prove quite difficult.
Most of the starters from 2024 were gone, from top pitcher Mackenzie Frani to catcher Joelle Wike to standouts like Ava Falvo, Katia Flavin, Brooke Tyler and Lauren Ragonese.
Thus, the lineup was close to brand-new when the Warriors opened its season last Monday against Christian Brothers Academy and took a 4-2 defeat to the Brothers.
All through the first four innings Liverpool’s batters struggled against CBA pitcher Gracie Battles, only breaking through in the fifth on run-scoring hits from Maya Mills and Erica Ryan.
This only cut the Brothers’ 4-0 advantage in half, and Battles blanked the Warriors from there, limiting them to six hits overall. Lexi Goodfellow took the loss despite nine strikeouts as Mari Catherine Giamartino led CBA with a walk, single and double on her way to three RBIs.
Wet weather kept Liverpool from meeting rival Cicero-North Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, and the Northstars could now focus on its spring-break trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
As for Liverpool, it stays at home this week, getting to play on all-weather surfaces three times this week, once at Chittenango and then twice at Carrier Park against Webster Schroeder and West Genesee.
Moving to baseball, Liverpool, who won its season opener April 4 against Auburn, hoped for similar success when it took on Fayetteville-Manlius last Monday afternoon.
However, the Warriors fell 8-6 to the Hornets, pulling off one big comeback but not quite able to do so again.
Five runs in the top of the first inning put F-M in control, but Liverpool countered with two runs in the second and three more in the third to pull even at 5-5.
Then the Hornets used single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to pull in front for good as, trailing 8-5, the Warriors did get a run in the seventh but was stopped from there.
Paolo Munetz was three-for-four, scoring twice and adding an RBI. Colin Avery added two hits and two walks as Nico Leone drove in a pair of runs. RBIs also went to Zach Zingaro and James Kelly.
Munetz also pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief of Graham Hope before Chris Monahan worked the last two innings. Brian Tonkovich led F-M with a triple, single and two RBIs.
Liverpool saw last Thursday’s game against Oswego rained out. Weather and field conditions also kept C-NS baseball from last Wednesday’s rematch of the 2024 sectional Class AAA final against Christian
Brothers Academy as the Northstars and Warriors looked ahead to traveling south this week for games in Myrtle Beach.
