F-M baseball outscores Central Square in season opener

CENTRAL NEW YORK – The original plan for the Fayetteville-Manlius baseball team for the opening week of the 2024 season was four games, highlighted by an appearance in the PBR Lumber Yard Classic at Gutchess Field with Utica Proctor, Corning and Oswego.

However, that tournament was postponed by the wet, cold weather which marked most of last week. Before it took hold, though, the Hornets were able to play its season opener at Central Square – and win it, 11-5.

Beginning in the top of the second, F-M got runs in four consecutive innings, peaking with a three-run fourth and building an 8-0 advantage before the Redhawks halved that margin with a four-run rally in the bottom of the fifth.

Any doubts about the outcome were erased when the Hornets tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh, with Ryan Kleinhans and Nolan Merrow leading the way.

Kleinhans went three-for-four with a double, two singles and four RBIs. Merrow also had three hits, one of them a home run, and got three RBIs, while Tom Woodridge walked twice, added a hit and scored four runs. Anthony Giuffrida contributed an RBI.

Max Werde got the win on the mound, pitching 4 1/3 innings and striking out six while allowing three hits. James Kuss went the remaining 2 1/3 innings in relief.

This came a day after Bishop Grimes opened its season with a 10-3 defeat to Skaneateles, this despite a great start. The Cobras struck for three runs in the top of the first as Dakota Benoit, Jackson Fudge and Colin Smith each got an RBI.

But Grimes would get just one hit overall (from Avery Pankow) as the Lakers went in front with a four-run third inning, then pulled away led by Hugh Carroll and Sean Olley, who each scored three times. Owen Tierney pitched 4 2/3 innings and took the loss, Ben Carroll getting a nod in relief.

All of the other area games during the week got postponed, with the hope that warmer, drier weather this week will get the rest of the teams underway, including defending sectional Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt, plus Christian Brothers Academy and East Syracuse Minoa.