CENTRAL NEW YORK – Perhaps the only real obstacle the Westhill baseball team could not quite overcome was the fickle nature of Central New York spring weather.
Right after Ryan Campbell threw his no-hitter at Cazenovia on April 27, rains began to interrupt schedules, stretching well into the first week of May.
Not until the following Thursday did Westhill take the field again, against Fulton, where it got another pitching gem, this time from Mike Madigan, to win 3-0 and claim its 11th in a row.
Going the full seven innings, Madigan frustrated Fulton’s batters to the tune of 16 strikeouts which helped to overcome six hits and two walks.
A second-inning run and two runs in the third proved enough, Luke Pickett driving in two of those runs as Campbell was the only player on either side to get two hits.
Another game on Friday brought another shutout, this time against Solvay, with Pickett combining with Dom Zawadzki to blank the Bearcats 8-0.
Zawadzki pitched 4 2/3 innings and only allowed one hit before Pickett did the rest, helped in no small part by Westhill getting three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to break open a close contest.
Madigan’s home run was part of a three-hit effort, Aidan Ryan also getting three hits and driving in a pair of runs. Campbell, Zawadzki and Anthony Sampo also drove in run as Jaylen King took the loss for the Bearcats.
Bishop Ludden took on Solvay Thursday and, with a fine all-around effort, the Gaelic Knights shut out the Bearcats 11-0.
Joe Dunham and Nolan Feldt each got three hits and Feldt recorded four RBIs. Parker Pichoske and Andrew Pullano scored three runs apiece as Greg Purdy singled and got two RBIs.
With all of that run support, pitcher Tim Dunham kept Solvay off the board and allowed just five hits (two of them by Aaron Trendell) while striking out five.
A night earlier, at Cortland’s Gutchess Field, Ludden put together a 9-2 victory over LaFayette, scoring twice in the first inning and five times in the bottom of the second.
Joe Dunham pitched and struck out 12 while holding LaFayette to two hits. He also had a single, double and RBI at the plate as Feldt drove in three runs and Pichoske had two RBIs. Purdy, Joey Adamo and Jimmy Westers also drove in runs.
Then Ludden kept it up Friday by beating Pulaski 6-0, this time with Mike Masterpole on the mound as he limited the Blue Devils to two hits in six innings while striking out eight.
A run in the second was all the Gaelic Knights needed, but it tacked on two runs in the third and three in the fifth as Feldt was unstoppable, his three hits leading to four RBIs. Masterpole and Joe Dunham also drove in runs.
This tremendous stretch continued on Saturday when Ludden, winning for the fourth time in as many days, fought past Bishop Grimes 5-2, scoring twice in the third and sixth innings to pull clear.
Feldt pitched the whole way, striking out 11 and limiting the Cobras to two hits. Joe Dunham scored twice as Purdy and Spencer James each got credited with an RBI.
Solvay was back on the diamond last Tuesday and won 8-4 over Mexico as it answered every single time the Tigers caught up.
Single runs broke up 3-3 and 4-4 ties in the third and fifth innings, and a three-run sixth put it away, Jordan Dippold and Joe Perez getting two RBIs apiece as Jaylen King got a pair of hits and, along with Sam Gonzalez and Cameron Cappetta, scored a pair of runs. Max Overend struck out seven in his six-inning pitching stint.
