Regardless of the opponent, it was important for the Baldwinsville baseball team to get right back in gear after dropping two of three games to West Genesee to threaten its place atop the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division.
This was true regardless of the opponent – but the fact that the Bees were facing Liverpool, the reigning state Class AA champions, added to the tension, even if the Warriors had struggled this spring following heavy graduation losses.
The first game proved tough, B’ville pulling out a 5-1 decision in large part due to the three runs it put together in the fifth inning after Liverpool starter Brandon Exner blanked them early.
Bees ace Jason Savacool appreciated the late help, having only allowed four hits all afternoon, two of them to Kobe Stenson, plus five walks, but amassing a career-best 15 strikeouts.
Jack Andres finished with three hits and scored a run, while Jacob Marshall singled, doubled and had an RBI. Matt Mercurio and Cam Williams joined Marshall and Andres in the RBI column.
The second game, back home 24 hours later, had a different outcome, with Liverpool prevailing 6-4 as it scored single runs in the second and fourth innings off Andres before chasing him with a four-run rally in the sixth
Trailing 6-0, the Bees could not get anything in 5 2/3 innings against Warriors pitcher Jake Wheeler, but nearly pulled it out once Wheeler was replaced.
In the bottom of the seventh, B’ville strung together four runs, three of them driven home on Nate Ray’s hit as Marshall also got an RBI, but Liverpool was able to get the final out and escape. Mercurio and Michael Carni led the Bees with two hits apiece.
On Thursday afternoon, the series would get decided, and for the third straight time the road team prevailed as B’ville got a combined one-hit pitching gem from Jacob Marshall and Chris Dwyer to beat the Warriors 4-1.
Though wild sometimes, Marshall overcame his seven walks by getting seven strikeouts and limiting Liverpool to a third-inning run. Yet the game was still tied, 1-1, when the Bees scored twice off Warriors starter Ryan Syrko in the top of the fourth.
Another run in the seventh provided some cushion as Andres and Matt Mercurio each earned a pair of RBIs, with Michael Carni adding two hits. Dwyer entered in the sixth and did not allow a hit in his two-inning relief stint.
Now the Bees went out of league play on Friday, visiting Auburn and breaking out at the plate to beat the Maroons 10-3.
Auburn had a four-game win streak going into the game, but B’ville jumped on them with single runs in the first two innings before getting five runs in the top of the third.
Single runs in the next three innings followed as Cam Williams, with three hits, led the charge, joining Savacool, Andres and Pat May as they earned two RBIs apiece. Carni also drove in a run as Zach Monica (3 2/3 innings) and Matt Starczewski (3 1/3 innings) combined to hold Auburn to two hits.
Saturday brought a game against Fayetteville-Manlius and a second chance for Savacool to pitch this week – and he was victorious again as the Bees handled the Hornets 7-1.
Immediately, Savacool had a cushion to work with since B’ville tagged F-M starter Isaac Blanford for five runs in the first inning. Two more runs followed in the third as Savocool surrendered a single hit and second-inning run while amassing 13 strikeouts.
Andres and May both recorded three RBIs, with Andres getting three hits. Williams and Frank Levanti each had two hits as Levanti contributed an RBI. Mercurio walked twice and scored twice.
Now at 13-3 on the season, B’ville has games this week against Rochester McQuaid, Oswego and Westhill before learning about their Section III playoff fate.
