League work was mostly done for the Baldwinsville baseball team, giving it a rare opportunity to both rest and work on all facets of its game for an extended period before the Section III Class AA playoffs got underway.
There were some non-league games, too, starting with last Wednesday’s visit to Oswego, where the Bees renewed its one-time CNY Counties League rivalry with the Buccaneers, who sported a 9-7 record as part of the OHSL Freedom division.
Despite Oswego’s solid record, B’ville put together its best performance at the plate all season and bashed the Bucs 21-0, starting out with four runs in the first inning, continuing with seven runs in the second and not letting up until it had produced 22 hits, capped by an eight-run seventh-inning outburst.
Zach Bush led with four hits, two of them doubles, and scored three runs. Billy Clifford’s pair of doubles led to four RBIs as Anthony May, Carson Hayes and Keenan Nellis drove in two runs apiece. Nate Johns added three hits, joining David Cerqua, Elija Borja. Alex Robinson and Cam Williams, each of them scoring a pair of runs.
Given all of this run support, Cameron Morrissey didn’t take it for granted, going five innings and limiting Oswego to four hits while recording a season-best nine strikeouts. Nick Borek struck out five in his two-inning relief stint.
Two days later, B’ville made up the last game of its series against Fayetteville-Manlius, pitching Cody Kaestle – and getting a complete game from him in the course of a 5-3 victory over the Hornets.
Kaestle did give up a pair of runs in the top of the third inning, but otherwise was solid, holding F-M to six hits and overcoming three walks with a trio of strikeouts.
B’ville actually trailed, 2-1, before breaking out for four runs in the bottom of the third. Clifford and Jarrod Williams both drove in two runs as Jarrod joined Cam Williams, each of them recording a pair of hits. Robinson scored two runs.
One more tune-up came on Saturday against Corning (Section IV), and B’ville honored its four seniors – Kaestle, Clifford, Nick Borek and Keenan Nellis – not just with pregame ceremonies, but by spray-painting their numbers on the backstop grass under the B’ville school logo.
Better yet, the Bees went out and won the game, topping Corning 8-5. B’ville trailed until the bottom of the third inning, when it put across three runs, though it didn’t establish its winning margin until a four-run outburst two innings later.
Borek, getting the start on the mound, went all seven innings. Striking out six and limiting Cortland to seven hits while walking three. Again, Clifford sparked the attack, getting a pair of hits and earning two RBIs. Cerqua found his way on base and scored three runs as Bush scored twice. Robinson drove in a run.
This hot streak pushed the Bees to a no. 5 seed in the eight-team sectional AA bracket. In Thursday’s quarterfinal, B’ville will try to upend no. 4 seed West Genesee in Camillus and advance to Sunday’s semifinal at Onondaga Community College against top seed Liverpool or no. 8 seed Central Square.
