The entire month of May for the Cazenovia and Chittenango baseball teams would involve crowding in as many games as possible following all the weather disruptions in April.
And that would include a head-to-head meeting last Thursday afternoon at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, where the Bears took the lead right away and then used a big fifth inning to put away the Lakers 8-3.
In the top of the first, Chittenango scored twice against Cazenovia Dominic Paglia. The Lakers cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the first, and it stayed that way until the fifth, when the Bears batted around and put up five runs to get away.
Somehow, Chittenango did this while managing just three hits. Noah Schnauffer drew three walks and scored twice, with Nick Callahan tripling and earning a pair of RBIs. Lucas Basford and Griffin Furco had one RBI apiece.
Judson Spaulding and Eric Ketcham had two hits apiece for the Lakers, with Dan Hammond earning an RBI. Still, Spaulding racked up a career-best 14 strikeouts in his complete-game effort for the Bears.
When the Lakers faced Homer last Wednesday afternoon, it was as warm as what Cazenovia had dealt with during its spring-break trip to Myrtle Beach.
Yet it was the Trojans prevailing 6-3, overcoming a great start by Cazenovia, who used two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth to go in front 3-0. Tripp Clarke had an RBI as he, along with Hammond and Ketcham, scored runs.
Homer turned it around with a two-run third inning and a four-run rally in the bottom of the fourth. Bryant Quinlan led the Trojans with a pair of RBIs as Dylan McCrink was the lone Lakers batter to record two hits.
Two days before beating Cazenovia, Chittenango faced Hannibal, and pulled out a 7-6 decision over the Warriors.
A four-run first inning had the Bears in control until Hannibal broke out for five runs in the top of the third. Another Warriors run made it 6-4, but Chittenango wasn’t done.
Single runs in the fourth and fifth innings tied it 6-6, and Chittenango got a run in the seventh to win it as it took full advantage of Hannibal committing six errors.
Jacob Burgan hit a solo home run as Callahan doubled and drove in two runs. Furco doubled as he, along with Basford and Joe Mosack, had one RBI apiece. Schnauffer pitched 4 2/3 innings of strong relief after Callahan started.
Then, two days after its win over the Lakers, the Bears prevailed again on Saturday, edging Mexico 4-3 with some late-game offense.
Trailing 1-0, Chittenango struck for two runs in the top of the sixth. Then it scored twice more in the seventh as Burgan again provided the power with a double, triple and two RBIs. Schnauffer also drove in a run.
Callahan had pitched quite well, allowing just six hits in six innings while striking out six, but was pulled with one out in the seventh as Mexico pulled within one. Schnauffer managed to record the last two outs to earn the save.
