Warmer temperatures meant that all of the area’s high school baseball team would enter a busy and crowded stretch, with some having to make up more postponed games from April than others.
Skaneateles was fortunate in that it still managed to get in nine games during April, and went 7-2, the last of them another pitching gem from Cregg Scherrer as he, along with power-hitting Jimmy Liberatore, helped blank Solvay 7-0 last Monday afternoon.
These teams had met April 11, and Skaneateles won 12-4, but Scherrer hadn’t pitched that game. Here, Solvay would deal with the Lakers ace, and only Owen Lansing got two hits off him as Scherrer recorded 12 strikeouts.
Liberatore’s home run was part of a four-run third inning that put the Lakers in front. Then Liberatore added another home run in the late stages as he finished with four RBIs, with Michael Murphy adding two hits as he, along with Scherrer and Will Congel, got one RBI apiece.
Hosting Weedsport a day later, the Lakers more than doubled its production from the Solvay game and prevailed 15-3, the game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.
Six-run rallies in the second and third innings allowed Skaneateles to bat around, with Murphy and Liberatore providing the big highlights as they both cracked home runs and got three RBIs apiece, Murphy also scoring three runs.
Jack Whirtley doubled and drove in two runs, with Kenny Peterson and Luke Viggiano each scoring twice. Viggiano, Scherrer, Josh McCabe, George Ross and Nate Wellington had one RBI apiece.
Off until Saturday afternoon, Skaneateles did not lose any of its focus or sharpness, as Hannibal found out since the Lakers scored 10 runs on them in the first inning and, through the mercy rule, needed just five innings to beat the Warriors 15-1.
No one could stop Liberatore, whose three hits led to a career-best six RBIs. Murphy doubled and drove in three runs as Scherrer and Jack Canty both drove in two runs. Luke Viggiano and Craig Wirthley each scored twice.
Now at 9-2 on the season, Skaneateles would, if the weather held up, play five games this week, none bigger than Friday’s visit from fellow Class B title contender Westhill as Phoenix, Mexico, Jordan-Elbridge and Cazenovia also are on the slate.
