CICERO – Somehow it was appropriate, and correct, to have Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool return to the baseball and softball diamonds in each other’s presence.
More than 22 months and 700 days had passed since the softball Northstars, after once again beating the Warriors to secure the Section III Class AA championship, got to the brink of another state title.
After not getting a chance to defend that title in 2020, C-NS not only had to open against Liverpool Saturday at the Gillette Road complex, but see Nick Spataro coaching the Warriors after he returned from retirement.
No matter who was coaching, though, it was still the Northstars in charge of the rivalry, quickly recovering from a rough start to take charge against Liverpool and earn an 11-4 victory.
Fired up to get underway, the Warriors struck for four runs in the top of the first inning, but that was all it would get off C-NS pitcher Cassidy Ormond, who gave up 10 hits but blanked Liverpool after that shaky start.
Having scored twice in the bottom of the first, the Northstars followed with a second inning where it batted around and plated six runs, four of them on one swing thanks to Danielle Filapello’s grand slam, then added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Filapello added a run-scoring double to finish with five RBIs. Alayna Harbaugh singled three times, scored three runs and added an RBI as Giana Wameling drove in a pair of runs. Riley Barrett and Nicolette Kasch had one RBI apiece.
Sophia D’Arcangelis led Liverpool with three hits. Sarah Miles added two hits, each of them scoring first-inning runs along with Cassie Wiggins and Emma Terzini.
Not far away, the baseball teams of Liverpool and C-NS also were beginning the season against one another, but here it was the Warriors finishing on top 2-0 mostly on the strength of a pitching gem from senior Anthony Lapine.
Tossing a complete game, Lapine required 108 pitches to keep the Northstars off the board, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out four.
C-NS had Jacob Crystal last five innings, but his nine strikeouts were negated by five walks as Liverpool poked across a run in the top of the third, then added a run in the sixth off reliever Bryce Zicaro.
Lapine not only starred on the mound, he got two hits at the plate and scored a run. Nick Stevens also had two hits as Noah Klasen scored the other run and Andrew Contos got credit for an RBI. Jake Lukasiewicz led C-NS with a pair of hits.
