ONONDAGA COUNTY – As it crept near the top of the state Class B rankings, the Marcellus softball team also completed a perfect 11-0 run through the Onondaga High School League Liberty American division.
Before that, though, the Mustangs, still no. 3 in the latest state Class B rankings, tested itself Wednesday against Liverpool, who had just entered the state Class AA poll at no. 25.
And it looked for a while like Marcellus would extend its 10-game win streak, but a late surge by the Warriors made the difference as it beat the Mustangs 4-1.
They were 0-0 when Emma MacLachlan drove home Aubrey Fraher in the bottom of the third inning, and Fraher protected that 1-0 advantage until the sixth, when Liverpool pushed across the tying run.
Then, in the top of the seventh, the Warriors took advantage of a pair of walks and an error to plate three runs, something Marcellus could not answer in the bottom of the seventh.
Marcellus roared back to winning form on Thursday, putting away Homer 11-2 as it scored all of its runs in the first four innings while Brook Finarty pitched two innings of relief, only allowing one run.
Emma MacLchalan’s home run and four RBIs was complemented by Katie MacLachlan going three-for-three with three runs scored and an RBI. Hannah Durand, Elaine Grattan and Annabella Mondano also drove in runs.
And to close the regular season on Friday, Marcellus handled Jordan-Elbridge 16-1, the game relatively close until a fourth inning where the Mustangs, batting around twice, battered the Eagles for 13 runs.
Fraher and Mondello both went deep for home runs, gaining three RBIs apiece. Grattan drove in two runs as she, along with Katie and Emma MacLachlan, each notched two hits. Durand and Brook Finnarty contributed RBIs.
Skaneateles lost 3-1 to Christian Brothers Academy on May 27. Then the Lakers fell to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 6-3 last Tuesday afternoon, the Rebels getting all of its runs in the first two innings and Skaneateles only managing single tallies in the first, third and sixth.
J-E had its own game against CBA last Tuesday and lost, 11-3, to the Brothers, who erased a 3-2 Eagles advantage by scoring four runs in the sixth inning and adding five runs in the seventh for a lot of insurance.
Then, on Wednesday, J-E dueled with Skaneateles. Twice, the Lakers led, 2-1 and 4-3, and twice the Eagles rallied, tying it again in the sixth and getting a run in the bottom of the seventh to prevail by a 5-4 margin,
Bishop Ludden was at .500 before an 11-7 defeat to Onondaga on May 27, where Maryann Sobel’s three hits for the Gaelic Knights included a home run. Amarah Streiff also had three hits as Kaitlyn Kibling scored twice.
The Gaelic Knights rebounded in last Tuesday’s game against Solvay, where it prevailed 15-2 over the Bearcats on the strength of 13 hits and solid pitching from Alexia Chemotti, who only allowed two hits.
Kibling’s three hits led to three RBIs as she also scored four times. Ashley Petragnani scored three runs as Streiff matched Kibling with three RBIs. Chemotti, Ava DiRubbo and Amelia Lamendola also drove in runs as Kaya Watts and Taylor Clisson led Solvay with one RBI apiece.
An 11-6 defeat to Port Byron followed a day later, leaving Ludden at 5-6 overall as Solvay, on Friday, met up with APW and fell to the Rebels 12-4, though Delaney Kabuszinski earned a pair of RBIs, and lost 12-4 to CBA on Saturday.
West Genesee earned a 5-4 win over Central Square on May 28, rallying from a 4–0 deficit with three runs in the fifth inning and two runs in the top of the seventh. Rachael Shackleton and Sophia Van Horn both got a pair of RBIs to key the Wildcats’ comeback.
After a 14-0 loss to Jamesville-DeWitt on May 29, WG entered the final week of the season, where it lost both sides of last Wednesday’s doubleheader against unbeaten, state Class AA no. 3-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse.
The first game went 7-1 as Madeline Barstow drove home Van Horn with the Wildcats’ lone run. The second game was an 8-0 defeat and was followed on Thursday by a 10-2 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius where Barstow earned an RBI.
WG did not make the Section III playoffs – where Marcellus drew the no. 2 seed in Class B and would face Central Valley Academy in the first round. Westhill, the no. 6 seed, would get APW, the no. 11 seed, while Skaneateles, as the no. 13 seed, would challenge no. 4 seed and defending champion Oneida and J-E, the no. 12 seed, would visit no. 5 seed South Jefferson.
