Before it ended 2017, the Baldwinsville wrestling team made its annual pilgrimage to Dolgeville to take part in the Mountain Duals on Dec. 29, again running up against tough competition.
That included Adirondack, who engaged in a tight battle with the Bees and ultimately prevailed 42-39 despite B’ville winning the first four bouts on the card.
Gunnar Hunt opened at 195 pounds by pinning Zach Kraszewski in 66 seconds. Luke Eberl (220 pounds) followed with a 59-second fall over Nick Capron as Billy Loadwick (285 pounds) and Aiden Cali (99 pounds) gained forfeits.
Later, Zach Hahn, at 120 pounds, edged Chris Webster 9-6, with Nate Hahn (138 pounds) pinning Sam Howanietz in 3:32. John Eustice (152 pounds) held off Brandon Martin 4-1 and Dennis Kral (170 pounds) got a 4-0 shutout over Mike Race.
Kral’s win gave B’ville a 39-36 lead with one bout left, so with eight wins, all that the Bees needed was for Cameron Salce to limit Adirondack’s Ben Gerling in the 182-pound finale to a three-point decision to get the criterium point. But Gerling pinned Salce late in the second period.
B’ville also lost, 60-12, to Averill Park (Section II) and 54-21 to Brockport (Section V), with a 61-18 loss to Saranc thrown in there as Zach Hahn’s 74-second pin of Gabe Clausen was the only mat win for the Bees, Eberl and Hunt gaining forfeits.
In the second day of matches, B’ville fell 60-12 to Averill Park, highlighted only by Zach Hahn’s 45-second pin of Evan Swain and Eberl pinning Dominick Paradise in 43 seconds as Hunt edged Alex Mills 6-5.
Against Ballston Spa, the Bees lost, 63-15, with Hahn the lone mat winner as he blanked Chris Grace 11-0. Then, in a far closer match, B’ville took a 41-36 defeat to Webster Schroeder.
Zach Hahn and Nate Hahn earned pins, as did Cameron Salce (182 pounds), who finished off George Kalkounis in 64 seconds. Despite that, and Hunt’s pin of Jettalin Buffum, B’ville could not hold on to a 36-29 lead, losing the last two bouts.
A week later, following a snowed-out match with Fayetteville-Manlius, B’ville had its own dual meet snowed out, too, meaning it was idle until it takes on the combined Syracuse City team Wednesday and goes to this Saturday’s Cazenovia Invitaitonal.
