CENTRAL NEW YORK –
When the Cazenovia baseball team has managed to take the field around the various weather interruptions, it has put together some big numbers.
After piling up 28 runs in an April 22 shutout of Jordan-Elbridge at Cortland’s Gutchess Field, where Jack Byrnes threw a five-inning no-hitter, the Lakers were at it again last Monday against Hannibal, this time “settling” for 20 runs on the way to blasting the Warriors 20-1.
Having scored three times in the first and second innings, Cazenovia unloaded for 12 runs in the top of the third, ultimately accumulating 23 hits.
Byrnes and Jack Donlin both hit home runs, combining for six RBIs. A.J. Rothfeld went four-for-four and scored four times as Sully Clarke went three-for-four with three RBIs. Donlin also pitched a complete game, striking out 10 and only surrendering three hits.
Far more modest numbers were achieved a day later when Cazenovia took on Chittenango, but the Lakers still had more than enough on hand during a 10-6 victory over the Bears.
Two first-inning runs got Cazenovia in front. Then, with the score 3-1, the Lakers batted around in the bottom of the fourth, plating six runs to all but put the game away.
Helped in no small part by the Bears committing seven errors, Cazenovia saw Donlin score three runs and Byrnes score twice, with Jacob Grevelding and Jacob Szalach earning RBIs. Byrnes pitched six innings and amassed 13 strikeouts as Chittenango got two hits and two RBIs from Ty Kelly.
When Cazenovia challenged reigning sectional Class A champion Christian Brothers Academy on Thursday, it got overwhelmed in a 24-1 defeat to the Brothers.
With its top pitchers resting, the Lakers gave up nine runs in the first and third innings, only getting on the board when Peter McCole drove home Grevelding in the top of the second. Ethan Harris (four RBIs), Cooper Marko (four-for-four, three RBIs) and Jack Landau (home runs) paced CBA’s 19-hit attack.
Another setback came on Saturday, Cazenovia falling 3-0 to Phoenix in a game that was scoreless, Donlin matching Ty Corey zero for zero and amassing 14 strikeouts, until the Firebirds struck for all of its runs in the top of the seventh. Clarke, in defeat, went three-for-three, with Donlin adding a pair of hits.
Before this, Chittenango, who has gone through its own early-season ups and downs, met Homer last Monday and struggled in a 9-4 defeat to the Trojans.
They traded two-run rallies in the first inning before Homer went in front with three runs in the third, then pulled away late as Ian Gilbert went three-for-four with two RBIs.
The Bears got two hits and two RBIs from Austin Khammar, with Kelly scoring twice as Drew Thomas and Tanner King each had an RBI and Carlos Torres-Carman scored two runs, aside from pitching four innings.
After the loss to Cazenovia, Chittenango recovered on Thursday with an 11-1 win over Hannibal that featured two hits and four RBIs from Carlos Torres-Carman as David Bruno drove in a pair of runs. Austin Khammar and Bryce Bishop had two hits apiece.
On Saturday, the Bears blanked Fulton 5-0 behind pitcher Kyle Peryer, who struck out six and held the Red Raiders to five hits, also getting two hits at the plate as he and Kelly both earned RBIs.
