Though it’s Westhill that is defending the Section III Class B baseball championship this spring, plenty of local sides have high ambitions of their own.
Still, it’s the Warriors carrying the biggest expectations, which did not get quieted in last Friday’s season opener at Onondaga Community College, a wind-chilled 10-3 win over Central Square.
Helped by three runs in the first inning and five runs in the fifth, Westhill built a 10-0 advantage as Mike Madigan smashed a home run, matching Luke Pickett and Anthony Sampo getting two RBIs apiece.
Ryan Campbell tossed five shutout innings, limiting the Redhawks to three hits while striking out six. Dom Zawadzki worked the last two innings in relief.
This includes Solvay, who saw long-time head coach Darren Lee depart in the off-season, replaced by long-time assistant Joe Kesler, who had an impressive opening week.
It was capped last Wednesday when the Bearcats, in its OHSL Liberty division opener against Marcellus, accumulated runs in the late going and beat the Mustangs 14-8.
Having seen an early 3-0 lead disappear, Solvay, down 4-3, went ahead for good by batting around in the top of the fifth inning, netting six runs.
Five more runs followed in the next two innings as the Bearcats took full advantage of seven Marcellus errors. Aaron Trendell, with three hits and three RBIs, led the way, with Jordan Dippold and Max Overend each scoring three runs. Jacob Bigelow, Jaden Jones and Cameron Cappetta scored two runs apiece.
Two days earlier, the Bearcats won 9-2 over Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, scoring all of its runs in the second, third and fourth innings before wet weather shortened the game to five.
Sam Gonzalez had two hits, two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Steve Bagozzi also drove in a pair of runs as Jaylen King pitched four innings before Bigelow worked in relief.
That same day, Marcellus roared out of the gate with a 12-3 win over Cato-Meridian, settling it early by racing out to a 9-0 lead by the end of the second inning.
Ryder Donahue went three-for-four with three runs scored and an RBI. Gavin Foy and John Francesconi each drove in two runs as Nick Evans, aside from his pair of hits, also went 4 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing four hits before Chris Loveless worked the rest of the game in relief.
Skaneateles took a 9-2 defeat to Union Springs last Wednesday, falling behind 7-0 before getting both of its runs in the fifth inning. Hugh Carroll had an RBI as Nate Shattuck and Cal Anna scored the runs.
Jordan-Elbridge got a dramatic 12-9 season-opening win over Onondagd when, in the bottom of the seventh, Dom Rindalo, with two on, drove it over the fence to end it after he had pitched 4 1/3 innings earlier.
Prior to that, Eamon Willoughby gained two hits. Four others – Nolan Brunelle, David Dominick, Charles Klock and Hunter LaBarge – had two hits apiece.
