ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though it had gone through plenty of early struggles, the West Genesee softball team had a particularly memorable moment early last week.
Fresh on the heels of a May 6 win over Cicero-North Syracuse, the Wildcats went out last Monday and, against reigning sectional Class B champion Marcellus, stunned the Mustangs by a score of 4-2.
Even after that win over the Northstars, WG was still 2-8 as it sent Maria Brandt to the pitcher’s circle to oppose the potent Marcellus lineup.
But for three innings, Brandt matched zeroes with Mustangs ace Aubrey Fraher. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, the Wildcats struck for three runs off Fraher, all that it would need.
Another run in the fifth made it 4-0, and though Emma MacLachlan and Bryn Goldsworthy drove in runs in the sixth to cut WG’s lead in half, Brandt shut down that rally and then closed it out in the seventh.
Brandt limited Marcellus to six hits and drove in two of her team’s runs. Sophia VanHorn added a single, double and RBI as Fraher was the lone Mustangs player with two hits.
Things turned around for both teams a day later, Marcellus getting a no-hitter from Fraher during a 15-0 win over Solvay as WG was swept in a doubleheader at Liverpool.
In her five innings against the Bearcats, Fraher struck out nine. Only a Mustangs error prevented a perfect game as things were close until Marcellus batted around in the bottom of the fourth, plating nine runs.
Emma MacLachlan singled, doubled and drove in three runs. Goldsworthy and Katie MacLachlan had two RBIs apiece as Elaine Grattan and Annabella Mondello, who tripled, also scored three times.
As for the Wildcats, it played a close opening game against Liverpool, dropping a 4-2 decision as Brandt and Anna Drogo were able to drive in runs, but lost the second game by a larger 14-1 margin.
Far more damaging was last Wednesday’s 26-7 defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius where, despite the lopsided margin, Alanna Bowman pulled off a rare feat.
With a home run, triple, double and single, Bowman managed to hit for the cycle, gathering five RBIs along the way as Drogo drove in WG’s other two runs.
The Wildcats surrendered 25 hits, five of them to Paige Graves, who amassed seven RBIs for the Hornets as Gracie Bishop added a home run, double and four RBIs.
Another loss followed on Thursday, the Wildcats beaten 6-0 by Chittenango, who limited WG’s lineup to just one hit.
That was a far cry from what Marcellus did against Christian Brothers Academy on Friday, routing the Brothers 21-1 to clinch the OHSL Liberty Division I regular-season championship.
It was a milestone game for Fraher, who collected her 100th career hit amid a memorable power display that saw five different Mustangs slug home runs.
Fraher went deep twice and finished with a team-best four RBIs. Mondello, who pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts, also homered, as did Emma MacLachlan, Carly Hopper and Brooklyn Finnarty, the quartet combining for nine RBIs between them.
