Having won each of the five games they had played early this season, the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool baseball teams both traveled to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for tournament action during the April school break.
C-NS began its week at Myrtle Beach last Monday with a 5-4 defeat to Conway (South Carolina), a game where it led 4-0 after a three-run fourth inning, only to give up two runs in the bottom of the fourth and then have Conway steal with a three-run rally in the seventh.
And all of this happened despite pitcher Justin Presse limiting Conway to one hit. The Northstars, by contrast, earned 10 hits, two each by Cole Rockwell, Drew Bristow and Conner Gonzalski as Gabe Khan and Justin DelVecchio joined Bristow and Gonzalski in the RBI column.
A day later, the Northstars turned it around, topping West Potomac (Virginia) 3-1 with a terrific pitching performance from DelVecchio, who tossed six shutout innings, surrendering four walks but allowing just two hits.
Single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings proved enough for C-NS as Gonzalski went three-for-four, including a double, and got an RBI as DelVecchio also drove in a run. Noah Wieczorek pitched the seventh inning to earn the save.
All of this led to Wednesday’s game against Tuscarora (Maryland), and when the Northstars made a stirring late-game comeback to defeat the 5-4, it gave C-NS head coach Kevin Rockwell his 300th career victory.
For most of the game, the Northstars were kept quiet as Tuscarora built a 4-0 advantage, but in the bottom of the sixth C-NS cut that deficit in half with runs scored by Gonzalski and Mike Wieczorek.
Going to the bottom of the seventh, the Northstars still trailed 4-2. Bristow walked, Wieczorek reached base on a fielder’s choice, Bristow racing home on Gonzalski’s single to cut the deficit to one.
Jared Stanton was hit, loading the bases, and Tim Taladay stepped to the plate. Taladay promptly singled up the middle, bringing home Gonzalski and Wieczorek with the decisive runs.
Aside from his part in the winning rally, Wieczorek also pitched a scoreless seventh inning of relief after Carter Wisely went the first six innings, allowing eight hits but not letting Tuscarora put a decisive rally together.
Now with plenty of momentum, C-NS closed out the trip Thursday with a 5-1 win over Franklin Academy, scoring twice in the first inning and again in three other frames.
Wieczorek was superb on the mound, holding Franklin to five hits and striking out nine. Taladay blasted a home run, earned two other hits and finished with two RBIs as Gonzalski added two hits and drove in a run.
While all this was going on, Liverpool played twice last Monday, first defeating Council Rock (Pennsylvania) 4-3 as, trailing 2-0, it rallied with a run in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth.
Council Rock tied it, 3-3, in the top of the seventh after Samy Saba relieved starter Luke Harder, but in the bottom of the seventh the Warriors pushed across the winning run as Jake Wheeler doubled twice and got two RBIs. Mike DeStefano added a double and RBI as Shane Hazelmyer also drove in a run.
Later that same day, Liverpool lost, 8-6, to Granby (Virginia), this after sprinting to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings. Still up 5-1, the Warriors saw Granby get three runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to claim it.
Anthony Lapine pitched 5 1/3 innings and only allowed three hits before the relievers struggled. Adam Marsh had two hits and two RBIs, with Harder and DeStefano also getting two hits as they, along with Nyhim Green and Joe Vassallo, drove in one run apiece.
Another defeat came on Tuesday, the Warriors shut down in a 6-1 loss to West Forsyth (North Carolina). Kobe Stenson’s first-inning solo home run was all Liverpool could manage as it was held to three hits, the other hits going to Vassallo and Hazelmyer.
But Liverpool closed the trip strong, beating Victor (Section V) 7-5 to make it a 2-2 mark and come back to Central New York 5-2 overall and ready for a series against defending sectional Class AA champion Baldwinsville as C-NS got set to face West Genesee.
