CENTRAL NEW YORK – In what had to be a particularly satisfying effort, the West Genesee baseball team went to Baldwinsville last Monday and, in their first encounter since last June’s Section III Class AA final, staged a big seventh-inning comeback to beat the Bees 9-6.
WG arrived at this game with a 7-0 record and quickly took a 3-0 first-inning lead off Bees starter Gavin Miller.
Miller settled down, though, and blanked the Wildcats until the sixth. Single runs in the first and fifth inched B’ville closer and, in the bottom of the sixth, it struck for three runs to seize a 5-3 advantage.
It didn’t last, though. With Miller gone, WG got to relievers Jason Ouellette and Jacob Penafeather, tagging them for five runs in the top of the seventh as WG went back in front to stay.
Aidan Leaf, with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs, paced the attack. Ryan Klementowski drove in two runs as Dan Flaherty, Luis Suarez and Jake DePalma had one RBI apiece. Gabriel June got the win in relief after Eric Korzeniewski threw five innings, striking out four.
And WG kept it going Thursday at NBT Bank Stadium in the “Strike Out ALS” Classic, using two big early rallies to earn an 8-5 victory over Liverpool.
Four-run outbursts in the first and third innings was all that was needed, Suarez getting two hits and Severson managing to score a pair of runs.
Given that early cushion, pitcher Wyatt Braun went 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and four walks but keeping Liverpoool from a big rally before Gabriel June worked the last 1 1/3 innings in relief.
A close game with Section II’s Niskayuna followed on Saturday, but again WG pulled it out, blowing a 4-0 lead built in the first three innings, but loading the bases in the seventh and, when Aidan Leaf got hit by a pitch, getting the winning run to score to beat the Silver Warriors 5-4.
Severson, Klementowski, DePalma and Talon Elkins each got two hits, with DePalma scoring three runs. June got the win in relief after Elkins pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up just five hits.
Bishop Ludden could not hold on to a late lead in last Monday’s 7-6 loss to Weedsport, despite scoring runs in five of the first six innings.
Peter Dunham, who announced this week that he will be attending Hobart College in Geneva, went two-for-four with a pair of RBis as Tim Dunham, Colden Sheen, Joe Dunham and Mike Masterpole drove in single runs.
Still, the Warriors, trailing 6-2, scored twice in the sixth and three more in the bottom of the seventh to pull it out, Parker McBride and Anthony LoMascolo each leading the comeback with two RBIs.
Ludden rebounded Wednesday to beat Onondaga 6-4 with its own comeback, erasing a 4-1 deficit as it scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth and sixth innings to zoom in front.
Spencer James led the way, his pair of hits leading to three RBIs. Joe Dunham also drove in a run as he and Joey Adamo each scored twice. Greg Purdy pitched 3 1/3 innings of strong relief to earn the win.
When Ludden shut out Tully 13-0 on Friday afternoon, Joe Dunham limited the Black Knights to two hits while striking out 11. Peter Dunham scored three times as the trio of Patrick Towsley, Andrew Pullano and Joe Dunham each drove in a pair of runs.
Jordan-Elbridge took a 7-3 defeat to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown despite Emerson Derby’s three hits and Cameron Prior’s pair of hits. A 7-1 loss to Phoenix followed a day later as Caspian Phillips drove home Nolan Brunelle with the Eagles’ lone run in the first inning.
