As the thermometer pushed past 80 degrees last Monday afternoon, the Skaneateles baseball team found out that its bats would warm up, too.
Things were decided early in last Monday’s 17-1 romp over Chittenango, with the Lakers jumping all over the Bears in the bottom of the first inning, nearly going twice around the order and not letting up until 10 runs were on the board.
Seven more runs followed in the third and fourth innings, Skaneateles led by Kenny Peterson, who earned three hits, two of them doubles, and set a career mark by recording six RBIs.
Jake Reed had two hits and two RBIs. Adam Lupo and Josh McCabe also drove in two runs as single RBIs went to Tommy Reed, Michael Murphy and Matt Neumann. Murphy scored three runs as four pitchers – Lupo, Tommy Scherrer, Tyler Schneider and Jacob Nesbitt – combined on a two-hitter, Scherrer striking out six in his three-inning stint.
Things were more modest in Wednesday’s game at Hannibal, but Skaneateles still shut out the Warriors 4-0 to make it three league wins in a row.
Yet another shutout followed on Thursday, Skaneateles handling rival Marcellus 8-0 as it built a three-run lead through three innings, and then stayed patient until breaking out with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to break it open.
In softball, Skaneateles produced a big third inning against visiting Chittenango last Monday afternoon, but struggled otherwise in a 26-8, six-inning defeat to the Bears.
Chittenango had built a 10-0 advantage when, in the bottom of the third, Skaneateles got to Bears pitcher Alexa Rossi. The eight-run explosion saw Sarah Blowers and Maddy Williams each get two-run singles, with Elizabeth Williams, Bailey Mannigan, Kayla Ramsden and Hannah Blowers also driving in runs.
Just as quickly, though, Chittenango responded, earning six runs in the top of the fourth, followed by an 11-run sixth inning that ended it. Morgan Shoemaker led the Bears with four hits and five RBIs, while Rossi drove in four runs. Cassidy Kelly and Trisha Whaley had three RBIs apiece.
Somehow, Skaneateles turned this around on Wednesday and won its first game of the season, smashing Hannibal 19-4. Up 3-0 early, the Lakers saw the Warriors tie it, 3-3, but then responded with a 13-run eruption in the bottom of the fourth.
Blowers got a pair of hits that led to four RBIs. Maddy Williams scored three times and drove in three runs, with Kathryn Lindgren earning three hits. Kyra Cottrill, Maeve Canty and Hannah Stone had two RBIs apiece as RyleyPascal joined Williams, Canty, Cottrill and Blowers in scoring three runs.
