Every piece of its on-field performance in recent weeks shows that it’s going to take something special to wrest the Section III Class A softball crown from the hands of Jamesville-DeWitt.
Already owning a seven-game win streak (and having scored eight or more runs in all of those games), the Red Rams extended both the runs streak and the win streak last Monday at Oswego, pounding its way past the Buccaneers 11-2.
Oswego did contain J-D following a three-run first inning, but that reprieve was temporary. The Rams got a run in the fifth and then broke out for four-run rallies in the sixth and seventh innings, wearing down Bucs pitcher Bree Race.
All told, J-D had 18 hits, four of them from Makenzie Keeler, who doubled three times, scored three runs and got five RBIs. Shayna Myshrall (who pitched a complete game) added four hits and three RBIs as Sarina Alexander earned three hits, joining Paige Keeler as they both drove in one run.
A day later, against Central Square, J-D won again, 14-4, but it was close most of the way as the Redhawks only trailed 4-2 before the Rams put together a 10-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth.
Alexis LeClair had a career game at the plate, twice going deep for home runs and piling up eight RBIs. But everyone in the J-D lineup got at least one hit as Alexander singled, doubled and drove in two runs, with Myshrall, Paige Keeler, Mary Austin and Taylor Rodarmel getting one RBI apiece.
East Syracuse Minoa carried its own four-game win streak, all of them shutouts, into last Monday’s game against visiting Central Square, but got cooled off in the course of a 7-2 loss to the Redhawks.
Up 1-0 following Julia Jackson’s RBI single in the bottom of the first, the Spartans saw that lead vanish when, in the top of the third, Central Square struck for five runs, all with two outs. The key blows were Abby House’s RBI double and Erin McCarthy’s two-run home run,.
The Redhawks added two runs in the third inning on McCarthy’s double, and while Sam Short blanked Central Square from that point and added an RBI single in the fifth, ESM missed other chances to bring in runs against House, who struck out 10 to overcome seven hits. Shaina Brilbeck was the lone Spartan to get two hits, a single and double.
ESM would then conclude the regular season Tuesday during a doubleheader at Auburn, which ended in a split.
The Spartans lost the opener, 10-7, despite scoring runs in five consecutive innings because the Maroons, breaking out of a 2-2 tie, got three runs in the third and fourth innings. Gillianne McCarthy had two hits and two RBIs as short, MacKenzie Rivers, Shaina Brilbeck, Bella Pickard and Franchesca Polcaro had one RBI apiece.
More runs were scored in the second game, but ESM made them count this time, handling Auburn 9-2 as it built a 6-0 advantage by the fourth inning, led by Brilbeck, who doubled, singled and drove in four runs.
Rivers added two RBis as Short struck out seven in her complete-game pitching effort, also driving in a run to join Jackson, Polcaro and Picard in that category. ‘
Christian Brothers Academy returned on Wednesday and recorded an impressive 10-1 win over Westhill, netting two runs in each of the first two innings before a four-run fourth inning put the game away.
Maria Oliva paced the Brothers with three hits, while Juila Griffith, Catherine Burns and Emily Hall had two hits apiece. Hall and Bridget O’Hern each drove in two runs as single RBIs went to Oliva, Griffith and Burns.
None of these games could top, in terms of sheer run production, last Tuesday’s wild affair between Bishop Grimes and Fabius-Pompey, where the Cobras allowed a month’s worth of runs – and yet still managed to pull out a 28-27 victory over the Falcons.
A more conventional 8-5 victory over Onondaga followed on Friday, with Grimes, though this one also went back and forth, with Grimes surrendering an early 3-1 lead to the Tigers, only to hang in there and, at 5-5, decide it by scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Kenna Kelley brought the power with a home run and triple that led to three RBIs. Kendall Mancuso and Alyssa Cavallo each drove in two runs as Becca Vinciquerra scored twice. Sarah Falgiatano pitched most of the way, going six innings and striking out seven before Cavallo closed it out.
CBA shut out Jordan-Elbridge 15-0 on Saturday and, as the no. 8 seed in the sectional Class B playoffs, face no. 9 seed Holland Patent in the first round, while Grimes was the no. 6 seed in Class C and would host no. 11 seed Waterville.
Up in Class A, J-D did, indeed, get the top seed and a bye straight into the quarterfinals following a tough 6-5 win over Victor (Section V) where it nearly squandered a 6-0 lead mostly built up by a five-run fourth inning. Myshrall doubled and drove in two runs as Amanda Sumida, Makenzie Keeler and Alexis LeClair had one RBI apiece.
In the sectional quarterfinals, J-D had a chance to face ESM, if the no. 8 seed Spartans made it past no. 9 seed Homer in the first round.
