As it hit the busiest portion of its schedule, the Skaneateles softball team just wanted to keep pace with tough OHSL Liberty division opponents, but found that task a difficult one.
The Lakers met Phoenix last Monday and lost, 9-1, unable to recover from a first inning where the Firebirds put across five runs against Skaneateles pitcher Hannah Blowers.
Kyra Cottrill relieved Blowers and pitched the rest of the way, going 4 2/3 innings and striking out six. Cottrill also scored the Lakers’ lone run in the fourth inning and had one of just three hits against Phoenix pitcher Cheyenne Wilson, with the other hits going to Maeve Canty and Cassidy Pitman.
Skaneateles traveled to Mexico a day later and got its offense going, yet still lost 11-9 to the Tigers, who raced to a 6-0 lead through two innings and forced the Lakers to catch up.
Three runs in the third and fourth innings, plus three-run outbursts in the fifth and sixth, helped the Lakers nearly catch up. It got 12 hits, none longer than Cottrill’s home run as she finished with three hits and three RBIs.
Hannah Blowers went three-for-four, scored three times and drove in two runs. Rachel Feeney singled, doubled and got an RBI as Lexi Cottrill also had an RBI. Brittany Bond paced the Tigers, going four-for-four with two doubles and four RBIs.
In Saturday’s game against Christian Brothers Academy, Skaneateles took a 16-0 defeat in six innings. The Lakers’ three hits came from Kyra Cottrill, Maeve Canty and Hannah Blowers as Julia Boule paced the Brothers with three RBIs and four runs scored.
