Having earned its way into the first state Class A top 10 rankings of the spring, the Christian Brothers Academy baseball team more than earned the right to stay there.
The Brothers were quite impressive in last Monday’s game at Westhill, getting contributions from nearly everyone in its lineup while shutting out the Warriors 8-0.
Mike Schaefer, in five innings, held Westhill to one hit and overcame seven walks, with Joey Marsallo adding a two-inning, one-hit relief effort as the pair combined for nine strikeouts.
A five-run second inning put CBA in control, and it added two runs the fourth and another in the seventh. Kent Wilson finished with a double and three RBIs, with Derek Jann and Steve Colangelo each getting two hits. Matt Doane scored twice, while Jack Harrigan and Jason Boule joined Schaefer with single RBIs.
Good as this was, the Brothers got another high-quality victory in an entirely different manner 24 hours later at Utica Proctor, rallying late for a 10-9 win over the Raiders at Tom Dotterer Field.
They were tied, 3-3, when in the top of the fourth Proctor struck for five runs. Yet that margin did not hold as CBA chipped away with two runs in the bottom of the fourth and another run in the fifth.
Though the Raiders added a run in the top of the sixth to make it 9-6, the Brothers countered with four runs in the bottom of the sixth, inching in front, and having Anthony Marsallo pitch a scoreless seventh inning of relief.
Three different CBA players – Wilson, Jann and Kodi Dotterer – hit home runs, with Jann getting three RBIs. Wilson’s trio of hits helped drive in two runs, Dotterer and Boule also earning two RBIs as Cade Bacon drove in a run.
At Jordan-Elbridge two days later, CBA blasted the Eagles 15-0, scoring in all five innings. Bacon not only pitched and struck out seven, but he also went three-for-four at the plate, driving in four runs as Wilson had two doubles and two RBIs. Marsallo also drove in two runs
Bishop Grimes returned from its week at Myrtle Beach and immediately started winning again. The Cobras went to Homer last Monday and piled up runs in a 14-4 victory over the Trojans.
Building a 5-0 lead with runs in the second and third innings, Grimes then got away with a six-run outburst in the sixth. Joe Wike finished with three RBIs as he, along with David Cifonelli and Seth Murphy, had three hits apiece.
Wike also scored four runs, with Matt Tarby scoring three times to go with two hits and two RBIs. Ian Fisher also drove in a pair of runs. Wike overcame 11 hits from Homer to pitch a complete game, striking out five.
Great as that was, Grimes fell back a day later in an 8-1 defeat to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, the Rebels building a 5-0 lead through three innings as Murphy pitched and took the loss. APW ace James Priest held the Cobras to just two hits all afternoon.
Then Grimes challenged state Class B no. 3-ranked Solvay on Thursday afternoon and got its most impressive victory of the season, battling past the Bearcats 3-2.
Single runs in the first two innings had the Cobras up 2-0, but Solvay tied it by getting runs in the third and fourth before Grimes went back in front for good in the top of the fifth.
Wike made that lead stick, pitching four scoreless innings in relief of Tarby and only allowing two hits. Fisher and Alex Williams had two hits apiece as Wike and Tarby both drove in runs.
