In order to rebound from its first defeat of the season to Central Square on April 21, the Skaneateles baseball team had to produce at the plate, and was glad to do so.
This was especially true in last Monday’s doubleheader against Bishop Ludden, where warm temperatures and a five-run deficit aroused the Lakers into action as it swept the twin bill over the Gaelic Knights.
Skaneateles trailed Ludden 6-1 in the opener, but turned it around to prevail 19-6, scoring six runs in the top of the fourth inning to go in front and tacking on 12 runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Mostly, this was due to a porous Gaelic Knights defense that amassed 12 errors. Thus, Skaneateles got all those runs on just seven hits as Jack Carlisle, the starting pitcher, earned a pair of RBIs.
Four others – Jimmy Liberatore, Tommy Reed, Kenny Peterson and Christian Daley – drove in runs, too, with Cregg Scherrer, Michael Murphy and Luke Viggiano each scoring twice, matching Peterson, Liberatore, Carlisle and Daley. Meanwhile, Jack Canty pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief after Carlisle exited the mound.
The second game went 13-3 in the Lakers’ favor, only lasting five innings as Skaneateles bolted to an 8-0 lead through two frames to support Canty, who pitched a complete game.
Scherrer and Reed led at the plate, each getting two hits and two RBIs. Viggiano scored three times as Daley doubled, scored two runs and drove in two others. Murphy doubled and Will Congel crossed the plate twice.
Up against rival Marcellus on Tuesday afternoon, Skaneateles hoped to repeat its 4-1 triumph from April 14. A mere 10 days later, it did so, accomplishing this feat by a bigger margin as it rolled past the Mustangs 11-1.
It was Scherrer’s turn to pitch, and he proved wild in 4 2/3 innings, surrendering eight walks. But he only gave up one hit and blanked Marcellus, recording 11 strikeouts before Jacob Nesbitt relieved him.
Steadily, the Mustangs built a 6-0 lead through four innings and used five runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away as Murphy and Carlisle both hit home runs.
Murphy also doubled twice and scored three runs as he and Carlisle both got two RBIs. Viggiano added three hits and two RBIs, with single runs driven in by Scherrer (who scored twice), Nesbitt, Reed, Liberatore and Josh McCabe.
When Skaneateles faced Christian Brothers Academy on Wednesday, it was looking for a fourth win in three days, but the Brothers, and especially the duo of Mike McCully and Bryce Moore, denied it to them in an 8-0 defeat.
With three runs off Reed in the bottom of the second, CBA got all the offense it needed. McCully allowed just one hit – to McCabe – and did not walk anyone, nearly perfect as he recorded 11 strikeouts.
CBA was patient against Reed, coaxing six walks and taking advantage of three Skaneateles errors. Moore led the Brothers at the plate, going three-for-three, scoring three runs and notching four RBIs.
When Thursday’s game with Weedsport got rained out, Skaneateles was able to rest a bit until Monday, when it had another doubleheader, this one against Solvay, before games against Weedsport and Altmar-Parish-Wililamstown at the start of May.
