Whatever the Baldwinsville softball team may have imagined for itself in a topsy-turvy 2018 season, a quick ending in the Section III Class AA playoffs was not part of it.
Yet that turned into the Bees’ reality Monday afternoon when it could not get on the board in a 3-0, opening-round defeat to visiting Central Square.
As the no. 8 seed, B’ville knew that a win here over the no. 9 seed Redhawks would mean a quarterfinal against top seed Liverpool, with whom it had played a pair of close contests this spring.
Central Square may have noted this, too, and was ready to spoil that possibility thanks to eighth-grade pitcher Rylee Broadwell as, over the first four innings, she and Bees counterpart Kayla Young kept the game 0-0.
But in the top of the fifth, the Redhawks got to Young for a pair of decisive runs, adding a run in the sixth after Brittany Cole relieved Young, who had recorded eight strikeouts.
Despite six hits (two each by Jordan Martin and Alyssa Dubycz), B’ville could not get on the board against Broadwell, who got strong defense behind her as Brooke Catlin drove in two of Central Square’s three runs, Brianna Mattison adding a double and RBI.
Overall, the Bees finished with an 8-13 record, but should see most of its roster, including Young, Martin, Dubycz, Kaycee Hawk, Chloe Branshaw and Madelyn Shuler, return in 2019, though Cole, Shelby Stisser and Claire McAllister graduate.
