By far, the biggest story in area high school softball going into the 2018 season was how Solvay would follow up its historic run to last spring’s state Class B championship.
While the Bearcats had a strong returning cast, it had seen pitching ace Lauren Nichols graduate and make her way to Le Moyne College, where she has helped the Dolphins to a 20-8 start this season.
Of course, the problem of a pitcher is easier to solve if the lineup can produce at the plate – and Solvay flourished with its bats in last Tuesday’s opener against Hannibal, needing just five innings to put away the Warriors 22-2.
On its way to 21 hits, the Bearcats saw Hope Rivera score six runs and net five RBIs through a pair of doubles. Caitlin McCann had three hits as she and Hannah Martineau both drove in four runs. Maya Martineau managed four hits as Allie Posnick and Gabriella Petralito drove in two runs apiece. Delana Thomas scored three runs.
This took all the pressure off new Solvay pitcher Izzy Lambert, but she managed a solid start, limiting Hannibal to five hits and managing to record seven strikeouts.
As this went on, Marcellus had its league opener against Jordan-Elbridge, and the game-tested Mustangs had little trouble in a 16-1 romp over the Eagles.
It helped the Mustangs that, at the end of March, it traveled to the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where it got in a full week of games, something many other local teams could not claim.
So when it faced J-E, Marcellus broke out with seven runs in the second inning and added four-run rallies in the fourth and sixth innings. Evelyn Webster led the way with a single, double, triple and four RBIs.
Emma MacLachlan doubled and tripled on her way to a pair of RBIs. Aubrey Fraher, Jessie Majo, Hannah Durand and Emily Weeks each drove in one run as Emily Bard brought home J-E’s lone run in the bottom of the fourth.
But J-E quickly recovered on Wednesday to romp past Mexico 18-5, erasing a 4-2 deficit when it batted around in the bottom of the third and scored nine runs, adding a six-run seventh inning as it was aided by 10 Tigers errors.
Gabriella Bard hit a home run for the Eagles, with SamanthaWhalen adding a triple as she got four RBIs. Mollie Yard also drove in two runs as she and Alexis Delfavero each scored four times.
West Genesee beat everyone else in taking the field first this season, facing Oswego last Monday afternoon and pulling away late to defeat the Buccaneers 14-5.
Three-run rallies in the first and third innings put the Wildcats in control, but it still needed to score three more times in the sixth and five times in the top of the seventh to thwart an Oswego comeback.
Olivia Pontello had four of WG’s 11 hits, and scored four runs. Katie Drogo added three hits as she and Mya Case each scored three times.
Emily Winton, Abbey VanHorn, Kayla Hoovler and Kaylee Shackleton also scored runs for the Wildcats as Hoovler pitched all seven innings, holding the Bucs to three hits.
WG continued to hit Friday in an 18-3, five-inning romp over Syracuse, scoring seven runs in the first inning to set the tone as Emily Winton went four-for-four, doubling twice and earning four RBIs.
Pontello and Case had two RBIs apiece as Case scored four runs and VanHorn was a home run short of the cycle with a single, double and triple. Drogo score three runs as Hoovler and Shackleton joined her in the RBI column.
Bishop Ludden engaged in a wild opener last Wednesday against Pulaski where the Gaelic Knights somehow surrendered a 13-run lead and lost, 18-17, to the Blue Devils.
All was fine for Ludden as it built a 13-0 advantage through three innings. Kaitlyn Kibling was on her way to three hits and four RBIs as Ally Royal drove in three runs, with Amelia Lamendola and Alexia Chemotti getting two RBIs apiece.
And it was still 16-3 in the Gaelic Knights’ favor when Pulaski roared back, The Blue Devils plated six run in the fifth inning and seven runs in the sixth inning to pull within 17-16 and then scored twice in the top of the seventh to pull it out.
That defeat seemed to have a lingering effect as Ludden lost Friday to Cato-Meridian 18-3 despite Kibling’s pair of RBIs. Jolin Evans and Jacey Phillips each drove in three runs to pace the Blue Devils.
