Evelyn Webster provided the power, and Aubrey Fraher the pitching, to give the state-ranked Marcellus softball team a signature win in 2018 last Wednesday as it pushed past Christian Brothers Academy 7-3.
Entering the game, the Brothers were 9-1 and had just beaten Solvay 12-4 the day before, but Webster got to CBA pitcher Maddy Tallman in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run double to put her team in front.
Another run in the second on Ellie Mahoney’s double made it 3-0, but Isabella Rodolico got tagged for three runs in the fourth. Quickly, Fraher relieved Rodolico and blanked the Brothers the rest of the way, only allowing one hit while striking out four.
Webster, meanwhile, struck the big blow in the bottom of the fifth, clearing the bases with a three-run double and then, for good measure, adding a sixth-inning sacrifice fly to give her six RBIs for the day.
Then, as a follow-up on Thursday, Marcellus beat Westhill 3-1, this time rallying from an early deficit created Gabby Wicker singled and scored in the bottom of the third inning.
Fraher blanked the Warriors the rest of the way and, with two runs in the fifth off Ariel Cassidy, the Mustangs went in front, adding an insurance run in the seventh. Alyssa Cook and Emma MacLachlan both had two hits and an RBI, with Emily Durand also getting an RBI.
If Marcellus wasn’t motivated enough this season, more came from the presence of Justin MacLachlan at last Sunday’s game against Cazenovia, an 8-2 victory over the Lakers.
Justin is the nephew of head coach Lisa MacLachlan and nephew to Emma MacLachlan. The team decided to dedicate the rest of the season in Justin’s honor as he threw out the first pitch before the game.
Once it started, the Mustangs tagged Cazenovia with six runs in the bottom of the fourth and added two runs an inning later. Fittingly, Emma MacLachlan drove in two of those runs, matching the totals of Webster and Caroline Trytek. Emily Weeks added two hits.
When Marcellus met Chittenango last Monday it maintained its top form, roaring past the Bears 12-0. Scoring in every inning except the second, the Mustangs steadily accumulated 13 hits and saw Fraher and Rodolico hold Chittenango to four hits.
Cook went four-for-four, including a double, scored four runs and earned three RBIs. Hannah Durand also was four-for-four and got four RBIs, while Trytek also scored four runs. Webster drove in two runs.
The wins over CBA and Westhill followed, and on Friday, in a non-league game against Central Square, the Mustangs prevailed for the fifth time in six days, topping the Redhawks 5-3 by scoring all of its runs in the first inning.
During that big start, MacLachlan, Rodolico, both Durand sisters and Ellie Mahoney drove in runs, and Rodolico pitched most of the way, going six innings before Fraher worked the seventh for the saves.
Solvay and Westhill met last Monday and the Bearcats beat the Warriors 8-0. For three innings, Cassidy and Delana Thomas matched zeroes, but in the bottom of the fourth the Bearcats broke out for four runs to take the lead for good.
A four-run sixth inning doubled that margin as Allie Posnick’s pair of hits led to three RBIs. Caitlin McCann added two hits as she, along with Aleah Yaizzo, Hope Rivera, Hannah Martineau and Gabriella Petralito, got one RBI apiece. Thomas gave up six hits but kept the Warriors off the board, earning four strikeouts without a walk.
Then Solvay met CBA a day before Marcellus did, and one bad inning proved costly. A run in the first inning and two more in the fifth, had the Bearcats up 3-2.
But in the top of the sixth CBA got to Izzy Lambert and piled up 10 runs, too much for Solvay to overcome, though McCann had two hits and two RBIs and Martineau also got a pair of hits.
Meanwhile, Marcellus tripped up that same day, falling to Homer 4-3. The Trojans scored twice in the bottom of the first, and then answered twice when the Mustangs pulled within a run. Trytek, MacLachlan and Cook had two hits apiece as they each drove in a run.
A day later, Westhill topped Mexico 7-3, quickly erasing a 2-0 deficit with a five-run second inning and eventually producing 13 hits to support Cassidy, who held the Tigers to two hits.
Two of Tess Hogan’s three hits were doubles as Shampine also got three hits and earned a pair of RBIs. Janae Ricks scored twice as Hogan, Gabby Wicker, Bella Lavigne and Tatiana Wicker had one RBI apiece.
To end its week, Westhill routed its neighbors from Bishop Ludden 18-2, scoring four times in the first and then breaking out for 10 runs in the third inning. Leah Diefendorf doubled twice and piled up six RBIs as Lavigne had three hits and three RBIs.
