CENTRAL NEW YORK – Five days of rain had halted area high school softball teams, forcing them to play many more games in the last two weeks of the regular season than originally desired.
Jamesville-DeWitt would see its only action of the week during a Friday doubleheader against Cortland, where it would gain a sweep in two wildly contrasting games to improve its record to 7-1.
In the opener, the Red Rams battled past Cortland 6-4, needing two runs in the third inning and three runs in the fifth to fend off the Purple Tigers’ challenge.
Emily Bulone was three-for-three and scored a pair of runs. Stella White got two RBIs, while Keira McMahon drove in a run to go with her complete-game pitching effort.
The second game was a showcase for J-D’s bats, who set a season mark for runs and prevailed by a 21-1 margin with six runs in the second inning, seven runs in the third and five runs in the fourth.
Amid it all, Kayla McQuaid went three-for-four, scoring four times thanks to two triples and a single. Bulone tripled, singled and drove in two runs, with Addison Buffs adding a triple and three RBIs as 11 different Rams players would drive in a run by game’s end.
East Syracuse Minoa was also off until last Friday afternoon, when it faced Auburn and took a 6-2 defeat to the Maroons.
Managing just five hits, the Spartans were mostly contained by Auburn pitchers Madison Love and Ella Noble, Love striking out 10 in five innings as teamamte Elise Clifford had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.
Far more frustrating was Saturday’s 8-5 defeat to Marcellus where Olivia Goff’s home run and Brooke Kirkpatrick’s pair of RBIs was part of an early charge that created a 5-0 Spartans lead on a Mustangs side that had won 10 in a row.
But then Avrie Hammond replaced ace Becca Mondello and shut ESM down the rest of the way. Four runs in the fourth and a run in the sixth tied it, and Marcellus went ahead with a three-run seventh.
Fayetteville-Manlius would challenge reigning sectional Class AA champion Liverpool last Thursday afternoon, and one big inning proved costly as the Hornets took an 8-1 defeat.
Much of what Liverpool produced came in the bottom of the second inning, when it batted around and plated six runs, ultimately seeing Maya Mills and Ava Falvo get two RBIs apiece.
The lone F-M run came in the top of the fifth, Alexis Hamilton doubling home Natalie Mayne, with Liverpool pitcher Mackenzie Frani limiting the Hornets to five hits and amassing 15 strikeouts.
In Saturday’s action, the Hornets took its turn against Auburn and lost, 5-1, its only run coming in the fourth inning which was quickly answered by a four-run Maroons rally in the bottom of the fourth. F-M only had one hit all afternoon.
Christian Brothers Academy did get in a game last Tuesday against Phoenix and pounded out six runs in the top of the first inning on the way to a 12-6 victory over the Firebirds.
All told, the Brothers had 13 hits, including home runs by Juilette Zimmerman and Hannah Reilly, with Avery Bowman, Erin Nardella and Gracie Battles earning two hits apiece. Battles also pitched a complete game, walking 10 bur striking out 13.
Then, in its own game against Marcellus last Friday afternoon, CBA was unable to contain the Mustangs, who won its 10th straight by a 12-1 margin.
Bowman walked and scored in the bottom of the first, but Marcellus ace Bella Mondello shut them out from there, only allowing two hits and striking out 11 as, at the plate, Avrie Hammond led the Mustangs with three RBIs.
