ONONDAGA COUNTY – Through the entire spring of 2020, area high school softball teams had to endure the painful experience of a season lost not due to its own mistakes, but the virulent spread of COVID-19.

So every single player, coach and fan was excited when, nearly two years after they last saw competition, games got underway in the waning days of April.

West Genesee took the field first, hosting Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday afternoon, and were close until a late surge pushed the Hornets past the Wildcats 8-3.

Single runs in the second and third innings put WG on the board, with F-M scoring twice in the top of the third. They remained 2-2 until the Hornets plated four runs in the top of the sixth to go in front for good.

Emma McGiveron stood out for the Wildcats, going three-for-three at the plate. Cameron Rosenthal added two hits as Gracie Bishop gave F-M three hits and four RBIs.

After a series of rainouts and other weather postponements hit area teams, WG was able to return on Saturday when it faced Baldwinsville and lost 9-6 to the Bees.

What made this result frustrating was that the Wildcats scored twice in the first inning to go in front, and were still tied, 2-2, when the Bees struck for five runs in the bottom of the fourth.

WG answered with four runs in the fifth to cut the deficit to 7-6, but could not catch up, B’ville getting single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings to pull clear.

Sophia Van Horn did all she could with a double, triple and three RBIs, with Rosenthal getting two hits and scoring twice. Isabella Nadzan had two doubles and two RBIs for B’ville, with Alyssa Dabacz adding three hits.