No matter which class they were in of what circumstances in which they play, one guarantee is that the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team will always get a strong challenge from West Genesee.

That’s what again happened when the two long-time adversaries met last Thursday night at Mike Messere Field in what proved to be the Bees’ first serious test of the 2023 season.

And for a half, it was tight, the Wildcats controlling the game’s tempo and forcing some turnovers while having modest success on offense, B’ville only leading 5-4 at the break.

Like so many other times, though, the Bees’ depth and balance won out, the visitors combining a solid defense with production from several stars on the way to a 12-6 victory.

Carlie Desimone scored four times, flanked by Brianna Peters and Sierra Natoli, who each notched three-goal hat tricks, and Mia Pozzi, who backed up her pair of goals by winning eight draws.

Combined, Peters and Sophia Ianno claimed five other draws as B’ville overcame 16 saves from Wildcats goalie Allie Hanlon. Ava Graham, in net for the Bees, stopped 12 of WG’s 18 shots.

Perhaps that game revealed something, though, for when B’ville traveled Saturday night to face Section V’s Fairport, it was upended by the Red Raiders in a 14-10 defeat.

Fairport got the jump by tearing through the Bees’ defenses and building a 9-4 advantage, something B’ville would spend the rest of the game trying to overcome, but could not.

No one had more than the two goals put up by Peters, Desimone, Pozzi and Sophia Muscolino, with Peters adding a pair of assists. Natoli and Sophia Ianno had the other goals.

The Bees host Brighton Monday and then have a big game Thursday against its main Class A challenger, Cicero-North Syracuse, before a Saturday visit from Section II’s Shenendehowa.