SYRACUSE – The baseball showdown that everyone in Cazenovia anticipated turned into a beatdown no one could have expected.
But the Lakers didn’t mind one bit – especially after all of the trouble and heartache Westhill gave them the last 12 months.
On the same Onondaga Community College turf where a comeback attempt in the 2022 Section III Class B title game fell just short, Cazenovia completely turned it around, hammering Westhill 10-1 in Saturday’s sectional semifinal.
And it gives Cazenovia another chance at getting the sectional title as, on Monday at 3 p.m., it will face Skaneateles, who survived a wild 10-inning, 10-9 decision with Cortland in the other semifinal.
It wasn’t just what happened a year ago that haunted and motivated every single Cazenovia player. It was taking an 8-0 defeat at home to Westhill in late April in a game where the Lakers did not get a single hit off pitcher Ryan Campbell.
As it was, Campbell was again on the mound, like Cazenovia counterpart Jack Byrnes working on three days’ rest after they both pitched in their team’s opening sectional games. One of these aces would handle the short turnaround a whole lot better.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Byrnes doubled. Cazenovia didn’t get another hit in the frame – but still scored three runs thanks to a series of walks, a botched rundown that allowed Byrnes to score, and a successful squeeze bunt by Nico Segall. And it could have been more had not the Lakers stranded the bases loaded.
Though Westhill answered with a run in the bottom of the first, it didn’t stay close for long.
Sully Clarke reached base on an error to lead off the top of the second. Byrnes and Jack Donlin both walked to again load the bases, and Jacob Grevelding’s bloop two-run single made it 5-1, forcing Campbell to exit in favor of Dom Zawadzki.
Another grounder by Segall brought home another run and a wild pitch extended the margin to 7-1 and in the top of the third Clarke’s triple and Byrnes’ double, along with a hit from Donlin, gave the Lakers a 9-1 cushion.
All of this took pressure off Byrnes on the mound, but it didn’t affect the quality of his work. Striking out 10, Byrnes pitched a complete game, limiting Westhill to six hits and two walks and shutting it out over the course of his last six innings.
Having rallied to beat Central Valley Academy in a tense opening-round game May 23, the Lakers had an easier time of it in last Thursday’s quarterfinal against no. 7 seed Clinton, prevailing by a score of 8-1.
Steadily, Cazenovia gained control against Clinton pitcher Ryan Chmielewski by scoring two runs in each of the first three innings, adding single runs in the fourth and sixh.
Joey Awald, with a single and two RBIs, led the way, with Clarke, Segall and Izaak Gilbert also driving in runs and Byrnes scoring twice. Donlin maintained a shutout until the fourth inning and only allowed three hits overall, striking out nine to set up the showdown with Westhill.
