ONONDAGA COUNTY – As the wins, runs and accolades piled up, the Marcellus softball team moved closer and closer to a place it had never gone – the top of he state rankings.
In last week’s poll from the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization, the Mustangs sat at no. 3, trailing only Ichabod Crane (Section II) and Center Moriches from Long Island.
Continuing to justify those lofty standards, the Mustangs went out Monday and, against a quality team from Westhill, rolled again in a 12-1 victory over the Warriors.
Building up an 11-1 edge in the first three innings, Marcellus got a power surge from Emma MacLachlan, who twice hit home runs off Hannah Schmitz on her way to recording a season-best six RBIs.
Katie MacLachlan got three hits, with Aubrey Fraher and Elaine Grattan combining to score five runs as they also produced two RBIs apiece.
Fraher surrendered three hits, two of them to Westhill’s Tori Milliti, whose solo home run in the fifth broke up a possible shutout as Fraher struck out nine.
Right after this, Marcellus returned home Tuesday to honor its five seniors – Hannah Durand, Alyssa Hopper, Shannon Kellar, Sam Wynne and Maddy Strait – before its game against Mexico.
Not wasting the occasion, the Mustangs proceeded to blank the Tigers 15-0, netting a run in the first and four runs in the second before a nine-run third inning settled matters.
Fraher and Annabella Mondello combined to limit Mexico to one hit while striking out 10. At the plate, Kellar, Emma MacLachlan and Brook Finnarty drove in two runs apiece, with Mondello getting a triple. Durand, Wynne, Fraher, Grattan and Kellar had one RBI apiece.
West Genesee had already lost twice to Liverpool when it faced the Warriors again Monday, putting up much more of a fight, even if it led to a 10-4 defeat.
Two runs in the top of the sixth pulled the Wildcats within two, 6-4, and required Liverpool to score four times in the bottom of the sixth to get away.
Prior to that, though, Rachael Shackleton, Madeline Barstow and Allie Offutt each picked up two hits, with Barstow earning an RBI as Makayla Burkard scored a run.
Jordan-Elbridge won againMonday, fighting off an upset bid from Mexico to prevail 8-7 and move its overall record to 8-2.
The Eagles broke out of a 2-2 tie with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings, yet still had to weather a Mexico comeback where it scored four times in the bottom of the sixth to move within one.
Alexis Delfavero picked up the last three outs, having already singled twice and drove in a pair of runs. Erin LaVancha and Heather Sorts also had two-RBI outings as Riley Hill got three hits and Abby Ahern two hits, each scoring three times.
Solvay fell 19-0 to Chittenango, the Bears getting all of its runs against the Bearcats in just four innings. Brianna Kuhles had Solvay’s lone hit as Rachel Gilbert got three hits and four RBIs for Chittenango.
When J-E got its turn against Chittenango on Wednesday, the Eagles scored three times in the bottom of the second to move in front, only to have the Bears tied it in the third and, with single runs in the fifth and seventh, prevail 5-3.
Bishop Ludden absorbed a 7-5 defeat to Pulaski Tuesday as the Gaelic Knights fell to 4-3 overall and the Blue Devils improved to 5-2.
