ONONDAGA COUNTY – Victories in each of its first two games gave the Baldwinsville baseball team a good shot of confidence before it plunged into the cauldron of the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division.
Once there, the Bees showed its ability to play well in the clutch during a tough 7-6 victory over Liverpool on the turf at Onondaga Community College.
Liverpool scored twice in the top of the first inning, only to have B’ville get a run in the bottom of the first and three runs in the fourth to seize a 4-2 advantage.
Now they went back and forth, Liverpool rallying to tie it 4-4 in the fourth and doing so again with two runs in the sixth after the Bees grabbed a 6-4 lead in the fifth on Braden Seeber’s two-run home run.
Only in the bottom of the seventh did B’ville go in front for good, loading the bases before freshman Nate Georger singled home the winning run.
Seeber, aside from his home run, also doubled and finished with four RBIs as Aiden Milburn went three-for-four, doubling twice and scoring three runs.
It was Reid Rachwal pitching a scoreless seventh inning to earn the win after stints of 3 2/3 innings from Gavin Miller and 2 1/3 innings from Nick Wellman. Combined, the trio only allowed four hits.
A rematch with Liverpool at OCC a day later saw more runs scored, but the same winning result for B’ville, who prevailed this time 11-9.
Keying an early-game surge, B’ville struck for six runs in the top of the third, with Logan McIntyre picking up a pair of hits as Josh Leoanrd and Joey Gennaro scored two runs apiece and Miller got a pair of RBIs.
Four different pitchers saw action for B’ville, Alex Curry earning the win in his two-inning stint as Joey Warner threw three innings, with Georger and Caleb Way also getting mound stints.
Then came a Thursday showdown with Cicero-North Syracuse at the Gillette Road complex – and it was here that the Bees suffered its first defeat of the season, falling 4-2 to the Northstars.
Miller’s first-inning double drove home Milburn and Seeber, but from there B’ville was shut down by C-NS pitcher Battista Wood, who only allowed five hits and a walk.
Milburn could not hold the early 2-0 lead, the Northstars getting a run in the first and third and then breaking the 2-2 tie with two runs in the fourth before Rachwal took over in relief. Joe Siegler and Shacory Williams led C-NS with two hits apiece.
Looking to rebound Saturday against Syracuse City, B’ville turned to pitcher Colin Ray, who combined with Curry on another mound gem that led to a 3-0 victory.
Over 5 2/3 innings, Ray allowed just two hits, constantly forcing weak contact from Syracuse’s batters until Curry got the final four outs in relief.
Single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings gave the Bees its winning margin. Josh Leonard went three-for-three and scored a run, with Miller adding two hits and an RBI as Luca Beals also drove in a run.
Now at 5-1 overall, B’ville was set to challenge undefeated Christian Brothers Academy on Monday before returning home Thursday for a third meeting with Liverpool and facing Saratoga Springs Saturday at Onondaga Community College.
