ONONDAGA COUNTY – Undefeated in April, the West Genesee baseball team knew that it didn’t mean much unless it ended May with a victory – and ended a 45-year wait for a Section III championship.
This week’s action was important to the Wildcats as, twice in a span of five days, it hosted Cicero-North Syracuse while, in between, making a second trip to Baldwinsville.
It was in the first of those games against the Northstars last Tuesday that WG saw its 11-game win streak broken in a tense 1-0 battle.
As expected, the two pitching aces, Ryan Klementowski for the Wildcats and Bryce Zicaro, controlled matters early, snuffing out any possible threats with strong defense behind them, such as Talon Elkins’ third-inning diving catch that led to a double play.
They were 0-0 when, in the top of the sixth, Eric Korzeniewski took over on the mound. With two out, C-NS’s Anthony Testa beat out an infield hit, stole second and raced home with the go-ahead run as Zicaro doubled to the left-field wall.
Needing nothing more, Zicaro capped his complete-game shutout with a game-ending double play to snuff out one more WG rally in the seventh. It was the second time Zicaro had won a 1-0 game this spring, having done the same to Baldwinsville on April 22.
Tough as that defeat was, what the Wildcats went through at B’ville on Thursday hurt more because WG was a pitch or two from a second victory over the Bees, only to suffer a 2-1 defeat.
Elkins went to the mound and, for the first six innings, quieted B’ville’s bats, while Kai Girard did the same for the Bees in the early going.
But in the top of the fourth, Klementowski reached base and raced home when Anthony Augello reached on an error. From there, it stayed 1-0 as Matt Carner, relieving Girard, tossed two scoreless innings.
In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Girard struck out, but the dropped third strike allowed him to reach base. Josh Leonard then singled and Jacob Penafeather’s infield hit loaded the bases.
Elkins got the second out – but then Aidan Milburn lifted a deep drive that reached the left-field wall, out of reach, allowing Girard and Leonard to score and B’ville to win it.
This led to Saturday’s rematch with C-NS, and here the damage was done in the first inning rather than the last, WG falling again to the Northstars, this time 4-2.
Korzeniewski was back on the mound, but the Northstars got to him for all four of its runs in the top of the first, one each driven in by Corey Cartier, Carter King, Jake Lukasiewicz and Grayson Giddings.
Able to shut out C-NS the rest of the way, Korzeniewski, Aidan Leaft and Landyn Shaw kept things close. WG did drive in single runs in the sixth and seventh innings off Northstars pitcher Sam Shaw, but could not catch up.
As for Bishop Ludden, it won 11-2 at Fabius-Pompey last Tuesday in a game where Mike Masterpole struck out eight while only allowing three hits and three walks.
The Gaelic Knights broke out at the plate in the top of the fifth, batting around for eight runs to break a 1-1 tie. Spencer James went three-for-three and Andrew Pullano drove in two runs as Tim Dunham, Greg Purdy, Joey Adamo, Peter Dunham and John Michael Owens also had an RBI.
Taking on OHSL Patriot division leader Pulaski Friday, Ludden lost a close 4-3 decision, unable to hold on to a late 3-1 lead as the Blue Devils tied it in the sixth and won it an inning later. Adamo and Joe Dunham each had two hits and an RBI, Masterpole also driving in a run.
Jordan-Elbridge took a 4-1 defeat to Mexico last Tuesday, remaining winless. Jordan Kuhn scored in the bottom of the third to tie it 1-1, but the Tigers used two runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh to go ahead for good.
