CENTRAL NEW YORK – Having passed most of the tests in front of them, the Marcellus softball team sought more history early this week as the Section III Class B playoffs got underway.
But the Mustangs did so humbled a bit, as it had run into one of its main challengers, Chittenango, last Thursday afternoon and didn’t get on the board in an 8-0 loss to the Bears.
Marcellus had its ace, Bella Mondello, pitching, but Chittenango got to her for two runs in the third and fifth innings, a run in the sixth and another in the seventh.
More important, though, was the way Bears pitcher Caroline Porter quieted the Mustangs’ bats, striking out 13 while only allowing two hits, each of them to Carly Hopper, along with a walk to Bryn Goldsworthy.
To begin its last week of the regular season, the Mustangs went to Homer and promptly scored eight runs in the top of the first inning, adding plenty more from there to rout the Trojans 19-4.
Chloe Kutruff went four-for-four with a double, three singles, three runs scored and three RBIs. Goldsworthy drove in a pair of runs as Mondello, Jillian O’Connor and Amelia Novitsky also earned RBIs, with Carly Sears scoring four times.
Marcellus again hit double-digit runs against Phoenix a day later – and would need to, rallying to beat the Firebirds by a 12-6 margin.
Despite a 1-13 record and an early 3-0 deficit, Phoenix hit for all of its runs in the top of the third, batting around against Hammond, who would settle down and shut out the Firebirds the rest of the way, striking out 11.
A two-run fourth was followed by a four-run fifth that got the Mustangs ahead for good. Mondello hit a home run as Goldsworthy gained three hits and drove in two runs. Nine different players would get an RBI by game’s end, Hopper getting a single and double while scoring three times.
When local rivals met last Wednesday afternoon, Solvay got the best of Westhill, the Bearcats prevailing 4-3 by pushing across two runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 3-2 deficit.
Gianna D’Eredita tripled, singled and drove in two runs, with Delaney Kaszubinski adding a single and RBI. Jenna Wing scored twice as Annabelle Stewart held Westhill to six hits, two each by Sydney Medeiros and Catherine Cottrell.
Solvay lost last Monday to Christian Brothers Academy 7-5, a three-run sixth inning by the Brohters ultimately proving the difference. Wing got two hits, with D’Eredita driving in a pair of runs as Kaszubinski, Hannah Haase ,and Ellyanna Olvarria had one RBI apiece.
Westhill began its push toward the playoffs by blanking Hannibal 15-0 last Monday, Nikki Scrimale striking out five in her complete-game shutout.
Among Westhill’s 11 hits were two-hit outings by Catherine Cottrell, Hannah Schmitz and Tori Militio Alexa Korrie doubled and drove in four runs, with Schmitz and Cottrell each getting three RBIs and Nina Cognato a pair of RBIs.
After the defeat to Solvay, Westhill roared back to form with a 14-3 romp of Christian Brothers Academy. Korrie had three RBIs as Isabella Johnson doubled twice, matching the hit totals of Schmitz, Medeiros and Abby Cottrell.
During Friday’s action, Westhill rolled past East Syracuse Minoa 13-1 scoring multiple runs in five different innings as Johnson went three-for-three, her hits leading to five RBIs. Schmitz doubled twice and drove in three runs, with Abby Cotrell adding a pair of RBIs.
Solvay, meanwhile, topped Cazenovia 10-1, a three-run third inning and seven-run fifth all that was needed as it took advantage of the Lakers’ six errors. D’Eredita and Jayde Coyne each scored twice, with Willsey getting two RBIs as Wing struck out seven and held Cazenovia to seven hits.
A day later, the Bearcats beat Phoenix 6-4, overcoming a 4-3 deficit with two runs in the fourth and adding an insurance run in the sixth as Wing and Kaszubibnski both had two RBIs, with Olvarria and Neveah Baker also driving in runs.
The 22-team sectional Class B playoff bracket had Marcellus as the no. 4 seed and Westhill the no. 5 seed, lined up to meet each other in the quarterfinals as Solvay, the no. 9 seed, would face no. 8 seed Utica-Notre Dame in its playoff opener. As the no. 20 seed, Skaneateles would open against no. 13 seed Lowville, the Lakers hoping to advance and meet the Mustangs a day later.
