Just about everything that had to break right for the Skaneateles baseball team in the Section III Class B playoffs did so – but the Lakers still had to go out and win three times to earn a shot at the title.
And that’s just what the Lakers have done, earning a chance to send its ace, Cregg Scherrer, to the mound Monday afternoon against Oneida in the sectional championship game at Onondaga Community College.
By far, the biggest step that no. 6 seed Skaneateles took in this tournament run came in Friday’s quarterfinals at OCC, where the other half of the Lakers’ lethal brother duo, Tommy Scherrer, took center stage and helped take out no. 3 seed Westhill 2-1.
Three weeks earlier, when the Lakers knocked off Westhill 5-0, the Warriors managed just one hit against Cregg Scherrer. Now it was Tommy Scherrer’s turn, and the right-hander proved nearly as good.
For four innings, Scherrer and Westhill pitcher Tom Cunningham engaged in a 0-0 duel. The Warriors’ best early chance to go in front came in the bottom of the third, when Cunningham singled and Jordan Marcano beat out an infield hit, but Scherrer struck out Ben Coates to escape it.
In the top of the fifth, Cunningham was still cruising along until two swings by hitters at the bottom of the Lakers’ order turned everything around. With two out, Kenny Peterson singled, and moments later Kyler Viggiano sent a triple to the gap that scored Peterson.
Skaneateles doubled that 1-0 lead an inning later, Jake Reed singling and Adam Lupo following up with a double, the Lakers not knowing just how valuable that second run would be.
Scherrer maintained the shutout until the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Westhill’s Andrew O’Connor drew a four-pitch walk and John Geer doubled him home.
With pinch-runner Kevin Dwyer representing the tying run at second, the Warriors had two chances to bring Dwyer home. But Scherrer stepped up again, striking out and getting pinch-hitter Ben Mrozek to look at strike three, bringing Scherrer’s K total to 10 and ending the game.
As this was going on, the sectional bracket continued to open up. No. 2 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill was gone, and top seed Watertown IHC followed in the quarterfinals, knocked out by Oneida.
Energized by this, Skaneateles returned to OCC for Saturday’s sectional semifinal against Utica-Notre Dame and avoided the tense drama of the previous day, routing the Jugglers 12-2.
From a no. 18 seed, UND had made a remarkable post-season run. The Jugglers had knocked out VVS after an opening-round win over Phoenix, and then had survived a 6-5, 10-inning epic with Adirondack in the sectional quarterfinal.
And UND led, 1-0, in this game, too, but Skaneateles quickly erased that lead with five runs in the bottom of the third. More runs would follow against a tired Jugglers pitching staff.
Lupo pitched a complete game, striking out six and allowing just five hits. Amid a 14-hit attack, Peterson earned four hits and drove in two runs, with Lupo adding three hits as he and Tommy Scherrer got two RBIs apiece. Reed, Matt Neumann and Josh McCabe each drove in one run as Michael Murphy and Cregg Scherrer each scored twice.
Hours later, Oneida, the no. 8 seed that took out IHC, routed South Jefferson 13-1. So it’s the Lakers against the Indians in Monday’s final. Oneida toughened by its trials in the Tri-Valley League, Skaneateles just as battle-scarred – and with Cregg Scherrer pitching on normal rest.
