ONONDAGA COUNTY – With so many games crowded into a short window of time, the search for consistency among the area’s high school baseball teams was constant.
Skaneateles had done as well as anyone in the OHSL Liberty division, starting the week at 6-2 and then improving on it last Monday with a 9-2 victory over Jordan-Elbridge.
It was 0-0 when the Lakers struck for four runs in the top of the third inning, all it would need as James Musso homered, doubled, singled twice and finished with four RBIs overall. Emil Sander was three-for-four and scored four runs.
Travis Loy not only drove in two runs, he pitched a complete game, striking out seven and limiting the Eagles to three hits. Cameron Prior took the loss as Jacob Lawless and Dominic Rinaldo drove in J-E’s runs.
And this led to Wednesday’s rematch with Westhill, who had won their first encounter 7-3 a week eariler and would win again in the rematch with a big late-game comeback to top the Lakers 7-5.
Through five innings, Sknaeateles enjoyed a 5-1 edge, having seen James Musso drive in a pair of runs as Travis Loy and Patrick Herr also got RBIs. Emil Sander scored three runs and Landon Hellwig scored twice.
Following a run in the sixth, Westhill, down 5-2, put up two runs in the seventh as Musso reached his pitch-count limit. Then the Warriors tied it on Tyler Campbell’s single off Cooper Purdy that scored Jake Zawadzki, sending it to extra innings, where in the top of the ninth Nick Havilland’s clutch two-run single brought home the decisive runs.
Campbell was also the winning pitcher, having gone five innings in relief after replacing starter Mike Madigan, who did strike out nine in his four innings of work.
Before this, Westhill had defeated East Syracuse Minoa 10-3 last Monday, using a five-run third inning to erase a 3-1 deficit and watched Aiden Kerr throw four no-hit innings in relief of Haviland.
Kerr, with two hits and two RBIs, also starred at the plate. Campbell, Zawadzki, Ethan Petty and Sam Polcaro \drove in runs as Campbell and Geoff Daniul each scored twice.
Then Westhill blanked Altmar-Parish-Wiliamstown 11-0, scoring eight times in the bottom of the first. Dominic Zawadzki drove in three runs, with Daniul adding two RBIs as that pair also pitched and limited the Rebels to two hits.
Back on Monday, Solvay had nearly put an end to Cazenovia’s four-game win streak, only to fall 8-7 to those other Lakers.
Anthony Berry’s trio of hits, along with two RBIs apiece from Caden Salvigni and Carter Lee, helped Solvay go in front, but the Lakers rallied in the late innings and then fended off a late Bearcats charge.
Recovering from this, Solvay beat Mexico 10-4 a day later, with Berry going three-for-three, scoring three times and getting three RBIs. Lee singled twice and drove in a pair of runs as Christian Salamino added an RBI.
Solvay completed the sweep of Mexico 19-7 on Thursday, capped by a 14-run sixth inning as Zach Bowen’s three singles led to four RBIs. Lee and Salvagni drove in two runs apiece.
J-E, meanwhile, blew a 5-0 lead to Phoenix on Thursday, but got a run in the bottom of the seventh to edge the Firebirds 6-5 as Tyler Waldron got three hits and scored three runs, with Caleb Rouse earning a pair of RBIs.
Bishop Ludden had started its week with a 10-6 defeat to Tully where it led 3-2 before the Black Knights erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth. Only Andrew Pullano managed two hits.
Then Ludden reversed course on Wednesday, defeating Fabius-Pompey 8-4 by overcoming the 3-0 advantage the Falcons gained in the first inning.
Having cut the deficit to 3-2, the Gaelic Knights scored four times in the bottom of the fifth and twice more in the sixth as John Michael Owens got a pair of RBIs, On the mound, Tim Dunham struck out nine.
Then Ludden ran into undefeated Weedsport on Thursday and lost, 10-1. That loss, combined with Friday’s defeat to Marcellus, left Ludden a bit desperate in Saturday’s game against Onondaga – which turned out to be a no-hitter for pitcher Greg Purdy.
In his seven-inning gem, Purdy struck out nine and helped the Gaelic Knights bash the Tigers 16-1, also getting two RBIs at the plate to match the totals of Dunham, John Michael Owens and Paul Owens.
Playing again on Sunday, Ludden plated 10 runs the first inning on the way to defeating LaFayette 13-5.
