In two different road trips – one long, the other not as long – the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse baseball teams sought their own momentum before returning to the series schedule within the CNY Counties League.
For the Warriors, it meant another excursion to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where the opposition proved unique, at least at the outset as Liverpool won its tournament opener 3-0 over St. Vincent/St. Mary’s.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because St. Vincent/St. Mary’s is the Akron, Ohio alma mater of basketball great LeBron James. But this was baseball, and Liverpool pitcher Jeff DeStefano was sensational in his second start of the season, tossing a complete-game, two-hit shutout where he struck out eight and gave up just two walks.
Meanwhile, the Warriors only got six hits, but scored twice in the fourth inning to break a 0-0 deadlock, adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Nick Antonello got credit for an RBI and, along with Zach Scannell and Jacob Sisto, scored one run apiece.
In its second game, Liverpool met Highland Regional (New Jersey) and pulled out a 2-1 decision in eight innings. Andre Leatherwood surrendered a first-inning run, but blanked Highland the rest of the way, giving up just two hits and overcoming five walks.
Liverpool didn’t tie it until the bottom of the fourth inning, and then Leatherwood kept it 1-1 until the Warriors managed the decisive run in the eighth. Devan Mederios tripled and earned an RBI, with Jonah Harder driving in the other run as Jake Evans and Joe Zywicki crossed the plate.
Things got easier from there, with Liverpool handling East Lincoln (North Carolina) 9-2 on Wednesday. It scored twice in the first inning to wipe out an early 1-0 deficit to the Mustangs, and then got away with two more runs in the third and a four-run fourth inning.
Antonello pitched and didn’t need much run support, striking out five to overcome allowing eight hits. Tom Bianchi walked three times and scored two runs as Zywicki and Evans also scored twice, Evans driving in two runs and Brandon Exner adding a double and RBI.
Against St. John’s Jesuit, from Toledo, Ohio, on Thursday afternoon, the Warriors won once more, an 8-4 decision as Jonah Harder took his turn in the starting rotation, picking up the win with late relief help from Owen Valentine.
Meanwhile, C-NS ventured to the Buffalo area where, on Saturday afternoon, it fell to Clarence 4-3 in eight innings.
The Northstars scored a run in the third inning and two more in the top of the fifth on Connor Stanton’s home run, but could not hold on as the Red Devils tied it, 3-3, in the bottom of the fifth and won it three innings later. Luke Dziados pitched six innings, striking out eight and walking just one while allowing five hits.
