A single blow kept the Baldwinsville softball team from upending the defending Section III Class AA champions from Cicero-North Syracuse.

The Bees fell, 5-2, to the Northstars last Tuesday afternoon in a key early-season test for both sides. Just the day before, C-NS had knocked off Liverpool in the first encounter between those two rivals since last year’s sectional AA final.

Now it was B’ville’s turn to challenge C-NS, and it was 0-0 until the Northstars pushed across a run in the third inning. But the real blow came in the top of the fourth.

Brittany Cole, pitching for the Bees, loaded the bases, and then C-NS catcher Brandi Feeney belted a grand slam, making it 5-0.

Cole and Kayla Young shut out the Northstars from there, and B’ville got on the board in the bottom of the sixth as Chloe Branshaw’s single scored Kaycee Hawk and Madelyn Shuler.

Yet the Bees could not get anything else against Northstars pitcher Ariana Corasaniti, who threw a complete game, only giving up four hits, one each by Branshaw, Jordan Martin, Madison Ascioti and Shelby Stisser.

Last Wednesday’s game with West Genesee was rained out, but it was dry on Friday when B’ville went up against Oneida and took a 4-0 defeat to the Indians.

Young only gave up five hits, but Oneida earned a run in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth as pitcher Kyra Sholtzhauer held B’ville to three hits, one each by Young, Hawk and Madison Ascioti.

The Bees hope to meet West Genesee this Friday at the end of a week that included tests against Liverpool and Fayetteville-Manlius.