Only at week’s end did the long cold spell break, allowing area high school softball teams to get in games on a regular basis.
And it included the season debut for defending Section III Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt, looking to follow up its 2017 run to the state final four as it took on its neighbors from East Syracuse Minoa.
It proved close, but the Red Rams beat the Spartans 6-4, jumping out in front with four runs in the bottom of the first inning off ESM pitcher Sam Short.
However, the Spartans got two runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie it, 4-4, as Shaina Brilbeck’s two-run double was the big blow, with Natalie Quonce and Mackenzie Rivers also driving in runs.
Unfazed by this, J-D answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth that proved decisive. Mary Austin had two hits as she and Amanda Sumida (who pitched a complete game, holding the Spartans to four hits) both got a pair of RBIs. Taylor Rodarmel added a double and RBI as Katie White got two hits and scored twice.
This was the first of two games that day for J-D, who also hosted Auburn and would improve its run total during an 8-3 victory over the Maroons.
Here, the Rams built a 3-0 lead through two innings, and then scored three times in the fourth to get away after Auburn closed within one, 3-2, in the third. Sarina Alexander’s home run was the big blow as she recorded three RBIs.
Shayna Myshrall pitched and was far from sharp, giving up 10 hits, but she kept getting out of jams and helped out at the plate, too, by going three-for-three with a double, walk and three RBIs. Andrea Sumida had three hits and scored four runs as White and Amanda Sumida got one RBI apiece.
Christian Brothers Academy endured the rough conditions last Tuesday and overcame a seven-run deficit to earn a 16-14 victory over the Westhill Warriors.
At one point in the fourth inning, the Warriors led 12-5, having seen Tess Hogan go five-for-five and score four runs as Leah Diefendorf added three hits. Janea Ricks and Ariel Cassidy had two hits apiece.
Yet CBA fought back, using a four-run fourth inning and seven-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth to jump out in front. Victoria Hall led the comeback, going four-for-four with five RBIs and four runs scored as Witz Kenzie drove in four runs.
Bridget O’Hern, Abby Benware, Julia Boule, Maddy Tallman, Julia Griffith, Catherine Burns and Julia Sullivan contributed one RBI apiece, with Sullivan, Tallman, Griffith and Boule each scoring twice.
With that win in the books, CBA returned for Friday’s game against “Holy War” rival Bishop Ludden, but it wasn’t much of a battle as the Brothers needed just five innings to put away the Gaelic Knights 17-0.
A six-run third inning and eight-run fourth inning ended it as Burns doubled twice and got four RBIs. O’Hern and Boule combined for three doubles as they each drove in three runs, with Tallman, who only allowed one hit in her complete-game shutout, adding two RBIs and three runs scored.
ESM had its own wild affair with Auburn on Wednesday afternoon, where it led big early, but could not hold on to it and lost to the Maroons 11-10.
The Spartans raced to a 7-1 lead by the third inning, and it still was up 9-4 when Auburn caught up by scoring twice in the fifth and three more times in the sixth inning.
And even when ESM inched back in front 10-9 in the top of the seventh, it could not get the last three outs, with the Maroons forging a 10-10 tie in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an error and single from Meghan Wiseman. Then Auburn won it when Taylor Lansbury doubled home Wiseman.
Aubrie Williams paced the Spartans with three hits, two walks and five runs scored. Shaina Brilbeck and Sam Short had two hits apiece as Bella Pickard scored twice.
Also playing on Saturday, Bishop Grimes took a 15-6 defeat to Utica-Notre Dame. The Cobras led 3-1 before the Jugglers used a four-run third inning to go in front for good.
Yet it wasn’t until UND put up seven runs in the sixth inning did the game get out of reach for Grimes, who had Kendall Mancuso single, double, triple and score twice as Briana Bowles added a pair of hits.
