After playing four times in two days on May 5-6 and going 3-1 against a string of tough opponents from across the state, the Jamesville-DeWitt softball team returned to Salt City Athletic Conference Empire division action and dominated there.
Of course, the Red Rams’ game against Fulton last Monday had meaning on and off the field. J-D used this as a fund-raiser for former J-D softball player Aimee Comanici.
The charity My Team16, started by former CBA player Jordan Sheridan, was raising funds for Comanici, who has battled non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and is currently at the University of North Carolina.
J-D won the game 19-0 over Fulton, with Andrea Sumida going four-for-four with four runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs. Paige Keeler had three hits and drove in three runs, while Katie White had a home run and two triples. Sarina Alexander and Amanda Sumida got two RBIs apiece.
Two days later, J-D handled Syracuse 15-3, surrendering all of those runs in the first inning after going in front 4-0, but then steadily pulling away, capped by a seven-run outburst in the top of the seventh.
Amanda Sumida pitched, struck out nine and only allowed two hits while going three-for-four at the plate. Andrea Sumida also had three hits and scored three runs as Alexander had three RBIs, with Mary Austin driving in a pair of runs.
At last, the J-D bats cooled off a bit in Thursday’s trip to Central Square, but only after getting all of its runs in the first three innings of a 7-2 victory over the Redhawks.
A run in the first, followed by three-run outbursts in the second and third innings, was all the Rams needed as Amanda Sumida provided a power surge with a home run, double and three RBIs, with Andrea Sumida and Kate Dorazio each getting two hits and two RBIs.
Staked to that early7-0 advantage, Shayna Myshrall limited Central Square to six hits and single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, walking two and striking out two.
East Syracuse Minoa, playing at home last Monday, got a tough 10-7 victory over Oswego, scoring three times in the first inning, only to see the Buccaneers go in front 4-3 by the end of the third.
A two-run fourth inning helped the Spartans take the lead for good, though it needed a run in the fifth and, especially, a four-run sixth inning to withstand another Oswego comeback.
Franchesca Polcaro had three of ESM’s nine hits, including a double, and drove in three runs while scoring three times. Sam Short, Aubrie Williams and Caley Prego had two hits apiece as Shaina Brilbeck got two RBIs. Short and Gianna Quonce each had one RBI.
Up against Central Square a day later, the Spartans pulled out a tight 6-5 victory in a back-and-forth game where ESM twice saw leads disappear, but fought back.
In the first inning, the Redhawks scored twice, but ESM answered to get a 3-2 lead. When Central Square tied it, 3-3, in the top of the third, the Spartans recorded a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Quonce had big hits in both rallies to earn four RBIs.
But that 5-3 lead didn’t hold, either, Central Square tying it again in the fifth. And it stayed 5-5 until the bottom of the seventh, when Brilbeck reached base for the third time.
Then Gillianne McCarthy’s double brought home pinch-runner Rachel Brefka with the decisive run. Brilbeck pitched the whole game as she and Short both got three hits, with Polcaro adding two hits.
To get back to .500, ESM needed to beat Cortland Thursday and did so, handling the Purple Tigers 10-3 for its fourth win in a row.
Up 5-0 through three innings, the Spartans didn’t feel safe until it tagged Cortland for five runs in the top of the fifth. Williams banged a home run and earned four RBIs, with Natalie Quonce driving in two runs. Short pitched the whole game and scored twice, with Polcaro and Prego each getting two hits.
