A league championship was at stake last Tuesday afternoon as the Marcellus softball team took on Cazenovia, first place in the OHSL Liberty National division at stake.
And it was all Mustangs as the combination of freshman Aubrey Fraher’s pitching prowess and timely hits at the plate produced a 4-0 victory over the Lakers.
Marcellus entered the game no. 13 in the state Class B rankings with a 14-3 overall record, nine spots ahead of Cazenovia, who at 13-1 had taken its lone defeat of the season to CBA the week before.
They were scoreless until the third inning, when the Mustangs got to Lakers starter Samantha Morgan for two runs. And it stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when Marcellus doubled that margin.
Evelyn Webster was the catalyst, notching three of her team’s 10 hits and earning an RBI. Caroline Trytek had two hits and scored twice, with Shannon Kellar and Katie MacLachlan scoring the other runs.
Yet even a single run was all that Fraher needed. Without surrendering a walk, Fraher limited Cazenovia to four hits, striking out six for her second shutout in as many days..
Just before that, Marcellus beat Phoenix 9-0, Fraher pitching a one-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts. Yet it was 0-0 as until the sixth, when the Mustangs got a run before getting away with an eight-run outburst in the top of the seventh. MacLachlan, Elaine Grattan and Ellie Mahoney each drove in two runs during that late surge.
And after it beat Cazenovia, Marcellus topped Central Square 7-4, using four runs in the fourth inning to get away. Fraher singled, doubled, tripled and drove in three runs, with Mahoney getting two RBIs as Trytek, Webster and MacLachlan also drove in runs.
An important victory was gained last Tuesday by West Genesee when, with a single outburst in the fourth inning, it took charge against Liverpool, eventually defeating the Warriors 9-6.
It was 2-0 in Liverpool’s favor when, in the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats batted around and produced nine runs against Warriors pitchers Cassie Wiggins and Sarah Miles.
Kayla Hoovler’s bases-clearing triple was one key blow, with Sophia VanHorn’s double also bringing home three runs as Abbey VanHorn had a two-run double and Emma Garvey also drove in a run.
Jessica Simon and Maddy Tibbetts scored twice in that inning, and though Hoovler would surrender some late runs, she was able to pitch the rest of the way to preserve the win.
As a follow-up on Wednesday, WG lost, 12-7, to Fayetteville-Manlius, who scored in every single inning to overcome the Wildcats’ early 5-4 advantage. Sophia VanHorn had two RBIs, but the Hornets, Sophie Woodridge got a home run, double and six RBIs.
Solvay pulled out a 2-1 decision over Altmar-Parish-Williamstown last Tuesday afternoon, with fine pitching from Izzy Lambert as she blanked the Rebels over the first six innings, allowing just four hits and five walks.
Sidney Chaffee’s third-inning RBI had the Bearcats up front 1-0, but APW tied it in the top of the seventh, leaving Chaffee to bring home the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Ryleigh Bidwell and Jordan Bamba scored the runs.
Skaneateles lost a tough 6-5, nine-inning decision to Chittenango on Tuesday when Sydney Pellman hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Lakers had erased a 4-1 deficit with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings, only to have the Bears tie it in the seventh. Lexi Cottrill led Skaneateles with three hits and two RBIs as Laci Galdis and Hannah Blowers also drove in runs.
In Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Mexico, the Lakers only managed single runs in the fifth and seventh innings, driven in by Cottrill and Carlee Pitman with doubles. Kendall Cuyer had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers.
Bishop Ludden had a doubleheader last Monday against Port Byron last Monday, taking a pair of defeats to the Panthers 4-1 and 17-4.
A 16-3 defeat to Weedsport followed a day later, and then Ludden faced Westhill on Wednesday, the Warriors claiming this neighborhood duel by a 7-4 margin.
Twice, the Gaelic Knights rallied, from 3-0 and 4-3 deficits, but a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth got Westhill ahead for good. Ariel Cassidy and Rylee Barcza each had three hits, with Jaida Welch earning two RBIs. Amarah Streiff drove in three of Ludden’s four runs.
