Through the regular-season homestretch, part of the challenge for the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team was that, at various points, it had some of its top scoring threats out of the lineup, including Ryan Gebhardt and Pete Fiorini.

They were back, though, when the no. 3 seed Bees went up against no. 6 seed Cicero-North Syracuse in Saturday’s opening round of the Section III Class A playoffs at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium. And it wasn’t a coincidence that B’ville started to show its vibrant early-season form in a 17-8 victory over the Northstars.

The playoff match-up was something B’ville savored, since it had won both of its regular-season games with the Northstars, including one earlier in the week at Bragman Stadium.

Back on home turf, B’ville took some time establishing control, but led from the outset. Even when C-NS made a second-quarter push, the Bees answered it and took a 7-4 lead to halftime.

Any suspense was wiped out by the third quarter, though, as B’ville started to dominate in the face-off circle and turned those extra possessions into goals during a 7-1 push.

Gebhardt, in his return, scored four times, again linking up with Fiorini, who had four assists to go with his pair of tallies. Cole Peters picked up a three-goal hat trick.

Mike Tangredi, with two goals and two assists, was also a part of the Bees’ deep, well-balanced attack. Brandon Mimas found the net twice as Austin Bolton, Spencer Wirtheim, Matt Dickman and Noah Ravas had one goal apiece.

Now the Bees move to Tuesday’s sectional semifinal at C-NS’s Bragman Stadium, where it will try to turn things around against no. 2 seed Fayetteville-Manlius, who edged B’ville in last year’s sectional final and also beat them twice this spring.

The winner here won’t get much time to rest, because the sectional final is back at C-NS on Thursday against no. 1 seed West Genesee or no. 4 seed Liverpool. The Warriors rallied from a nine-goal second-half deficit to stun Syracuse 14-13 in overtime in its sectional opener.

In that game with C-NS earlier in the week, C-NS could not turn around the 15-8 defeat B’ville gave them at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium in April. Not until the second quarter did C-NS get on the board. By then, the Bees led 5-0, and it would never let the Northstars get much closer.

Wirtheim, with four goals, led a well-balanced B’ville attack where Bolton had three goals and two assists, with Fiorini adding a goal and three assists. Dickman and Mimas both earned two goals, with Peters getting one goal and one assist. Tangredi managed one goal and one assist.

Meanwhile, in girls lacrosse, Baldwinsville would need to wait until this Tuesday to begin its sectional play, and would do so as a no. 4 seed hosting no. 5 seed Liverpool, a team it has beaten twice this spring, with the winner taking a shot at top seed West Genesee in the semifinals Thursday at Jamesville-DeWitt.

Before that, the Bees lost last Tuesday’s match with Cicero-North Syracuse, a 12-7 decision. It was a game nearly identical to the 14-7 defeat B’ville took to this same Northstars side on April 27 at Bragman Stadium.

B’ville ultimately paid for a first half where C-NS, with its tight defense, nearly shut them out.  Down 7-2 at the break, the Bees tried to rally behind Peyton Fleming and Sara Goodwin, who each got two goals and one assist. Maria Henwood also scored twice as Katie Pascale had one goal and one assist and Hannah Johnson added an assist.

For C-NS, the key to victory was maintaining an attack that put an emphasis on shooting accuracy. Megan Tryniski, with four goals and one assist, paced the Northstars as Jessica Meneilly and Makena Scarlata got three goals apiece. Brenna Duffy added a goal and two assists.