ONONDAGA COUNTY – Every win brings the Cicero-North Syracuse softball team closer to perfection in 2021, and it also continues to climb up the state Class AA rankings, too.
In last week’s New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization poll, the Northstars were at the no. 4 spot, trailing only Mahopac, Monroe-Woodbury and Corning.
This came just as C-NS had gone through its closest call so far this season, having to battle to beat Section V’s Webster Schroeder 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.
A first-inning run was matched by the Warriors, and the same thing happened again, C-NS scoring twice in the third to go in front, Schroeder answering with two runs in the fifth.
It took a sixth-inning tally to break out of the 3-3 tie as Cassidy Ormond was able to record the final three outs. Danielle Filapello, Alayna Harbaugh and Hannah Mingle had two hits apiece, with Filapello earning a pair of RBIs and Riley Barrett scoring twice.
Once past this scare, C-NS bashed Fayetteville-Manlius 16-1 on Monday, following up on 20-0 and 8-0 wins over the Hornets earlier in the month.
Improving to 11-0, the Northstars had Filapello transform three hits into five RBIs, while Jenna Mills singled twice and drove in three runs. Harbaugh and Sydney Nesci had two RBIs apiece. Mingle and Nicolette Kasch also drove in runs.
Meanwhile, Liverpool had built up some late-season momentum on May 22 when it handed unbeaten Class A power Jamesville-DeWitt its first defeat of the season.
Three of the four Warriors’ losses were to C-NS, and it continued to do well against everyone else, as evidenced by Monday’s 10-4 victory over West Genesee.
‘Having swept a May 20 doubleheader against the Wildcats by a combined 22-4 margin, Liverpool struck for two runs in each of the first three innings of the third encounter but still needed a four-inning sixth inning to put it away after WG cut the margin to 6-4.
Sarah Miles picked up three hits that led to a pair of RBIs. Sophia D’Arcangelis singled twice and drove in three runs, with Emma Terzini adding a single, double and two RBIs. Gracie Zankowski and Julia Wike also got RBIs as Mackenzie Frani pitched 5 1/3 innings, striking out nine while allowing seven hits.
