ONONDAGA COUNTY – As it has done so often through the decades, the Cicero-North Syracuse softball team has firmly established its place among the top sides in New York State.
Sitting at no. 6 in the initial state Class AA rankings put out by the state’s softball coaches group, the Northstars gained even more satisfaction from its third victory over rival Liverpool in as many outings.
When they met twice earlier in the month, C-NS claimed 11-4 and 7-0 decision. Their third encounter at the Gillette Road complex mirrored the second as Cassidy Ormond’s pitching and a well-balanced lineup put away the Warriors 8-0.
All that Ormond allowed was a single to Julia Wike. Not surrendering a walk, Ormond would amass 13 strikeouts and, as usual, get plenty of run support.
Alayna Harbaugh went three-for-four at the plate, her three singles leading to three runs scored as Harbaugh also recorded a pair of RBIs.
Sydney Nesci tripled and drove in two runs, with Haley Campanello and Nicolette Kasch both earning a double and two RBIs. Riley Barrett added two hits as Danielle Filapello, who hit a grand slam in the May 1 meeting with Liverpool, walked twice and scored twice.
Liverpool had gone through plenty of ups and downs in its early-season stretch, but went back in the right direction last Monday by shutting out Fayetteville-Manlius 5-0.
Cassie Wiggins gave up four hits and two walks, but struck out 10 in her complete-game pitching effort, while at the plate the Warriors were patient and opportunistic.
Sophia D’Arcangelis struck for two hits and scored twice. Gracie Zankowski also scored a pair of runs as Sarah Miles earned two RBIs, with Haley Miles adding a single RBI.
And after it lost to C-NS, Liverpool roared back to form with a doubleheader sweep of West Genesee where it scored double-digit runs in both games.
The 10-4 opening game featured mulitple runs in each of the first four innings. Then the Warriors blanked the Wildcats 12-0 by scoring three times in four different innings as it climbed above the .500 mark (5-4) overall.
C-NS, meanwhile got another 8-0 shutout on Thursday, this time over F-M, with Ormond striking out 10 and limiting the Hornets to five hits. Filapello drove in a pair of runs as Kasch, Nesci and Jenna Mills each had one RBI.
Any doubt about Liverpool’s quality was erased on Saturday when it went to Jamesville-DeWitt and handed the 9-0 Red Rams its first defeat of the season by a score of 6-3.
This was a tribute to Wiggins’ pitching perseverance as she gave up nine hits, but kept J-D from a big inning and frusrtated its hitters, too, earning 14 strikeouts by game’s end.
Liverpool only had seven hits, but turned them into runs as Zankowski and Haley Miles both got two hits and scored twice, with Emma Terzini adding an RBI as Wiggins and Lily Stevens both doubled.
C-NS also played Saturday, against Baldwinsville, and roared past the Bees 14-2 with multiple runs in five different innings. Harbaugh, Filapello, Wameling and Kasch had three hits apiece, with Harbaugh earning five RBIs and Filapello driving in four runs as Kasch got a pair of RBIs.
