For the second year in a row, the Westhill baseball team saw its Section III Class B championship dreams derailed on the turf at Onondaga Community College by an OHSL Liberty division rival.
Only this wasn’t in the championship game, as it was when Solvay topped the Warriors in 2016. This came in the sectional Class B quarterfinals, where no. 3 seed got toppled by no. 6 seed Skaneateles in a 2-1 decision.
Three weeks earlier, when state no. 13-ranked Westhill lost 5-0 to Skaneateles, it managed just one hit against the Lakers’ left-handed ace, Cregg Scherrer. Now it was Cregg’s older brother, Tommy Scherrer, facing the Warriors, 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 in an double, not knowing just how valuable that second run would be.
Scherrer maintained the shutout until the bottom of the seventh. With one out, 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 home. But C.J. Walsh struck out and pinch-hitter Ben Mrozek looked at strike three, Scherrer’s 10th strikeout that ended the game and Westhill’s first season under head coach Ted Klamm.
Ironically, the team Klamm used to coach, Bishop Ludden, was next on the bill Friday night in the sectional Class C quarterfinal, and the no. 3 seed Gaelic Knights edged no. 11 seed Frankfort-Schuyler 6-5.
A day later, at Utica’s Murnane Field, Ludden clashed with no. 2 seed Cooperstown in the Class C semifinals and lost by that same 6-5 margin.
The Hawkeyes built up a 6-0 lead through four innings, and needed every bit of that margin. A run in the fifth, followed by three runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh, got the Gaelic Knights within one, but it couldn’t quite complete the comeback and Cooperstown advanced to the title game against Thousand Islands.
