The warm early-week weather during the school break allowed the West Genesee baseball team to build upon its strong 3-0 start it attained during the rough early slate.
In last Monday’s game against Rome Free Academy, the Wildcats again got solid pitching and saw the offense break out in the fifth inning of a 12-1 victory over the Black Knights.
Two-run rallies in the first and third innings already had WG in front when it batted around in the bottom of the fifth and scored eight times as Joe Comins, with three RBIs, led the way.
Tyler Kensey and Tim Winn each got two hits as Matt Kot walked three times and drove in two runs. Nick Chemotti, Gavin Leahy and Dan Purcell had one RBI apiece.
Brian Hartnett pitched five innings, holding RFA to two hits. Mike Hebbard and James Randall each had scoreless innings of relief, Randall striking out the side.
WG then faced Christian Brothers Academy on Tuesday afternoon, and were in danger of its first defeat of the season before pulling out a 4-3 decision over the Brothers.
Twice, the Wildcats trailed, by 1-0 and 2-1 margins, but erased those deficits, going in front 3-2 by scoring twice in the fifth. And even when CBA pulled even again 3-3 in the top of the seventh, WG would answer it.
Matt Kot reached base with one out when he got hit by CBA pitcher M.P. Geiss. Aggressive on the basepaths, Kot stole second and third, so that he was able to race home with the winning run on Dan Purcell’s ground ball.
Dylan Steinman lasted 4 1/3 innings in his start, with Ryan Paige going the remaining 2 2/3 innings in relief as they combined to hold the Brothers to three hits. Kot and Chris Bonacci both both credit for RBIs.
More excitement took place Friday, at Murnane Field, where ace Liam Barry got to the brink of a no-hitter as the Wildcats shut out Utica Proctor 6-0.
Barry was perfect through five innings, and only gave up a walk and error until, with two out in the bottom of the seventh, Robert Conley’s single prevented the no-hitter.
WG went up 4-0 through two innings to give Barry plenty of cushion, and it finished with 16 hits overall. Bonacci had four of those hits as Chemotti, Purcell, Comins, Leahy and Tyler Kinsey had two hits apiece, with Kot driving in a pair of runs.
Bishop Ludden played a doubleheader against Skaneateles last Monday, dropping both games as the Lakers prevailed 19-6 in the opener and 13-3 in the second game.
In the opener, the Gaelic Knights led 6-1 before Skaneateles scored six runs in the top of the fourth to go in front for good, adding to that total late as Ludden helped them with 12 errors. Prior to that, Zach Cadden and David House had two RBIs apiece.
The second game was a bit different, with Ludden falling behind 8-0 by the end of the second inning. Pat Anson earned an RBI, with Cadden, Pat McGarvey and Michael Gaughan scoring the Gaelic Knights’ runs.
Jordan-Elbridge broke into the win column last Tuesday against South Lewis in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, earning a 9-7 victory over the Falcons as Carson Ashby and Geoff Lippa both tripled, singled and scored twice.
C.J. Green scored a pair of runs for the Eagles, as did Zach Fabrize, who got a pair of hits and joined Ashby, Lippa and Tyler Waldron in earning RBIs. Ashby pitched five innings, amassing 11 strikeouts as Osborne and Fabrize each had one-inning mound stints.
J-E also played Horseheads (Section IV) and lost, 20-2, to the Blue Raiders, managing single runs in the second and sixth innings. Sean Dristle was credited with an RBI, with Ashby getting two hits and a run scored.
