With the calendar turning to the decisive month of May, the Cicero-North Syracuse baseball team was starting to get hot, and just in time for some long-awaited revenge.
Back in 2017, the top-seeded Northstars were stunned in the opening round of the Section III Class AA playoffs by Fayetteville-Manlius, which helped open the door for Liverpool’s state title run.
Still remembering that result, C-NS had a far different outcome with F-M this time, sweeping last week’s three-game series. It had gained momentum from the way it prevailed in its game against East Syracuse Minoa on April 28 at the Gillette Road complex.
The Northstars’ 7-6 win over the Spartans included an exchange of second-inning runs and ESM going up 5-1 in the top of the third, only to have C-NS nearly answer it with three runs in the bottom of the third.
Eventually, ESM added a run in the sixth to make it 6-4, but C-NS wasn’t done, having seen Mike Weiczorek pitch quite well in 5 1/3 innings of relief after starter Jared Lonergan was taken out.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Northstars scored twice against Spartans relief pitcher Josh Gilkey and then put in the winning run.
Drew Bristow doubled, singled, walked, scored a run and earned an RBI, while Kaith Kuss also had two hits. Kuss, Mason White, Kyle Alberici and Joe Mallaro each drove in a run as Tim Taladay scored twice.
With newfound confidence, C-NS met Fayetteville-Manlius last Monday and bashed the Hornets 13-1, building a 3-0 lead an then chasing Hornets starter Tom Coleman with seven runs in the bottom of the fourth.
White not only pitched six innings and held F-M to two hits, he also delivered three RBIs at the plate. D’Ante Zapanta was four-for-five with three runs scored as he and Bristow both got two RBIs. Tim Schinto had three hits and scored three runs as Mallaro and Taladay each added an RBI.
The second game of the series at F-M went 7-2 in the Northstars’ favor, with Joe DeGroot pitching a gem as he blanked the Hornets until the sixth inning and, in a complete-game effort, overcame five hits and five walks.
All that C-NS needed came with three-run rallies in the second and third innings that chased F-M starter Christian Maloney. Alberici drove in two runs, with White, Kuss and Bristow getting one RBI apiece. Taladay scored twice, as did White.
In Thursday’s series finale, the Northstars again topped F-M, this one a 5-3 decision where all of C-NS’s runs came in the bottom of the third, Mallaro and Zapanta each producing two-run hits and Taladay also driving in a run.
Protecting that 5-0 lead, pitcher Justin DelVecchio gave up a run in the fourth and two runs in the sixth, but still got the complete-game victory, striking out six and holding the Hornets to five hits.
Making it four wins in six days, C-NS blanked Cortland 11-0 on Saturday, Lonergan only allowing one hit in six innings of work as Zapanta went three-for-three with three runs scored and three RBIs. Taladay and Bristow had two RBIs apiece, with Gonzales earning three RBIs of his own.
Watching all this after its trip to Myrtle Beach, Liverpool then took its shot against F-M on Wednesday and, with pitcher Jake Wheeler in top form, got a much-needed boost as it beat the Hornets 8-1.
Wheeler allowed eight hits, but just a single sixth-inning F-M tally as he constantly escaped trouble and earned four strikeouts. It helped, too, that Liverpool chased Hornets starter Max Parker with a three-run second inning and five-run third inning.
Jordan Brown’s pair of hits led to three RBIs, with Shane Hazelmyer driving in two runs. Sam Sgroi scored twice as Ryan Syrko and Mike DeStefano got one RBI apiece.
Then Liverpool made it back-to-back wins on Thursday, topping Syracuse 4-2 as the Warriors got two runs in the third inning and single runs in the fourth and sixth innings, the latter of them after Syracuse had cut its deficit to 3-2.
Syrko pitched the whole way, giving up six hits but constantly getting out of trouble. Liverpool won despite getting just five hits, two of them from Brown as he earned a pair of RBIs, with Sgroi and Kobe Stenson also driving in runs.
Now the Warriors went after Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division leader West Genesee on Saturday, with the Wildcats coming off taking two of three in a first-place showdown with Baldwinsville.
WG didn’t have a letdown here, either, beating Liverpool 12-3. All of the Warriors’ runs were scored in the fourth inning on Aaron Sisto’s two-run single and Gerard Mouton’s RBI single, but only it trailed 5-0. Brown took the loss.
Dan Purcell led WG with four hits, and it would now face C-NS in another big series that got away Monday afternoon as Liverpool would get its own series against B’ville.
