With plenty of important games still left before its return to the Section III Class C playoffs, the Bishop Grimes softball team wanted to display that, just like its run to the title game a season ago, it had the capability of more magic in 2016.
One big statement for the Cobras came in last Monday afternoon’s 25-8 rout over Bishop Ludden, where Grimes scored four times in each of the first two innings and then put together a nine-run rally in the top of the fourth.
Only in the third inning did the Cobras not get on the scoreboard as Becca Vinciquerra went four-for-five and had a career-best six RBIs. KayLee Steiner doubled twice as she and Kendall Mancuso each drove in three runs, with Brianna Squier, Marissa Curtis and Alyssa Cavallo adding one RBI apiece and each scoring four runs.
Against Fabius-Pompey two days later, Grimes went for its fifth win in a row, but never got close to it in a 13-2 defeat to the Falcons, who got away with a pair of three-run rallies in the third and fourth innings before scoring six times in the top of the sixth.
Steiner had two hits and scored both of the Cobras’ runs in the first three innings, but it was far from enough. Carly Powell, with three hits and three runs scored, and Nicole June, earning three RBIs, led F-P to victory.
By the time Grimes had beaten LaFayette 19-3 on Friday, it had put up 57 runs during the week. Against the Lancers, the Cobras scored in each of the first five innings, peaking with an eight-run rally in the bottom of the third.
Squier, who pitched a complete game, doubled twice, singled and finished with four RBIs. Meghan Vonden Steinen’s three walks and a single led to three RBIs as Vinciquerra drove in two runs. Steiner had three hits and scored four times as she joined Mancuso, Veronica Ansbrow, Alyssa Cavallo and Nichole Cavallo with one RBI apiece.
Fayetteville-Manlius put up plenty of runs in last Monday’s visit to Auburn, but could never get out in front and lost, 11-8, to the Maroons.
Trailing 7-1 through three innings, the Hornets scored five times in the top of the fourth to move within one, 7-6. But Auburn used two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to fend off the Hornets’ challenges.
Laura Oakes scored twice for F-M, joining Kathryn Colone as they earned two RBIs apiece. Lily Fish and Madelyn Goskoski each had two hits and one RBI as Oakes scored twice and Sara Arthur had two hits. For the Maroons, Alexis Bashta went four-for-four with three runs scored and two RBIs.
The struggles continued a day later, when the Hornets lost to state Class AA no. 4-ranked Liverpool 7-0. Even though the Warriors weren’t using pitching ace Peyton Bellrose, Katie Yudin still held F-M to two hits, one each by Colone and Sarah Vaccaro.
For her part, Vaccaro pitched well until the sixth inning, when Liverpool, up 3-0, broke out for four insurance runs. Bellrose and Dana Egan both hit solo home runs for the Warriors and scored two runs apiece. Yudin, Jenna Wike and Erika Sadowski had two hits apiece.
A doubleheader at West Genesee followed on Wednesday, and F-M could win neither of the two five-inning games.
In the opener, the Hornets lost, 10-2, both runs coming in the fifth inning on Isabella Bastian’s single after the Wildcats got to double digits. Katie Drogo paced WG with two doubles and three RBIs off Vaccaro.
An 8-3 defeat followed in the second game as F-M’s early 1-0 lead vanished amid the Wildcats scoring three times in the second and third innings. Vaccaro still managed a pair of RBIs, with Sara Arthur doubling in another run as WG’s Shannon Churchill and Sierra Smith each earned three RBIs.
In Saturday’s non-league game against Rome Free Academy, the Hornets lost, 3-0, to the Black Knights, who netted a run in the first inning and two more in the fifth to overcome Vaccaro’s solid pitching. F-M had just two hits off RFA pitcher Alicia Swavely, who earned nine strikeouts.
