CENTRAL NEW YORK – Since a season-opening defeat to Christian Brothers Academy, the Cazenovia baseball team had put together a substantial win streak that it hoped to sustain as the weather improved.
The Lakers went after its fourth straight victory last Wednesday against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and, led again by sophomore Jack Byrnes, steadily pulled away to beat the Rebels 9-2.
Pitching a complete game, Byrnes only allowed one hit, leading to a pair of unearned runs, but amassed 13 strikeouts while getting a single and triple at the plate to improve his average to .384, also scoring twice.
Cazenovia scored in every inning except the second, with Jack Donlin and Patrick Linck also earning a pair of hits. Sean Smithers doubled and drove in two runs, with Aeden Berson adding a pair of RBIs and scoring twice.
Friday’s rematch with APW was even better for the Lakers, who scored 10 runs in the first inning and nine runs in the second inning on the way to a 21-0 shutout of the Rebels.
Four of Cazenovia’s 16 hits came from Byrnes, while Linck’s three singles led to three RBIs. Berson, Smithers, A.J. Rothfeld and Max DiGiacomo drove in two runs apiece as Donlin scored three runs and got the win on the mound, striking out seven APW hitters while only allowing one hit.
Wet weather the previous weekend had saturated the fields and ultimately postponed the Lakers’ game against Chittenango until June 4.
The Bears were 2-0 in the wake of last Wednesday’s 13-0 shutout of Jordan-Elbridge, where pitcher Carlos Torres-Carman went five innings and, combined with Tyrus Kelly, held the Eagles to three hits.
Among Chittenango’s 11 hits was a pair of doubles from Kelly, who got two RBIs. Maddox Garvey and David Bruno also had two hits as Torres-Carman, Will Simmons and Aiden Cavotta each scored twice.
Taking on Mexico Thursday afternoon, the Bears kept rolling with a 14-3 romp over the Tigers where it scored in five of the first six innings, peaking with a six-run outburst in the top of the fourth.
Chittenango only had eight hits and took advantage of six Mexico errors. Still, Kelly and Tyler Rudd both gained two hits and combined to score five runs as Sean Rooney earned two RBIs. Garvey, Cavotta and Jacob Dawkins also drove in runs.
