CENTRAL NEW YORK – Entering last week’s action at 2-0, the West Genesee baseball team found its early-season win streak thwarted by one of its oldest rivals.
The Wildcats took a 2-1 defeat to Baldwinsville last Monday afternoon, again getting strong pitching but not able to translate it into runs.
Other than a first-inning run from the Bees, it was quiet in the early going, Talon Eakins giving up five hits but constantly getting out of trouble to keep it 1-0 most of the way.
In the top of the sixth, Ryan Saroney doubled and scored on Luis Garcia’s single to tie it 1-1, but B’ville answered in the bottom of the sixth off Charlie Searle when Joey Gennario drew a walk, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch and raced home on freshman Anderson Tuten’s single.
Still with a chance in the top of the seventh, WG could not pull back even, Nate Georger getting the final outs after Ben Leaton pitched four scoreless innings at the outset.
Recovering a day later, WG defeated Central Square 7-4, taking a 3-0 lead in the first two innings only to have the Redhawks tie it 3-3 by the end of the fifth.
Answering it, the Wildcats put up three runs in the top of the sixth to go ahead for good, tacking on a run in the seventh as Satoney and Nick Meloni both got two RBIs and Luis Garcia added an RBI. Colin Crinnin pitched five innings before Ryan Tabaczyks’ successful two-inning relif stint.
Then WG beat Syracuse City 7-0 on Wednesday afternoon, the pitching gem authored by Landyn Shaw, who in his complete-game effort got 10 strikeouts and only allowed three hits plus a walk.
Yet it was 0-0 until the bottom of the sixth, when the Wildcats got to Syracuse pitcher Alex Erwin for all seven of its runs. Garcia, Joe Cavallo, Jacob Severson and Nick Meluni each got an RBI as Saroney and Severson had two hits apiece.
Bishop Ludden continued to impress, especially pitcher Joe Dunham, who threw the third no-hitter of his high school career last Tuesday afternoon in a 9-0 shutout over Port Byron.
Having earned no-hitters in 2021 (also against Port Byron) and 2022 (against Mater Dei), Dunham again baffled Panthers hitters, allowing just three walks and accumulating 12 strikeouts.
All the runs Ludden needed came in a four-run first, two getting home on Tim Dunham’s single. Joe Dunham would also get a pair of RBIs, as would Parker Pichoske, who doubled, singled twice and scored three runs. Mike Masterpole added an RBI of his own.
A day earlier, Ludden earned its fourth consecutive victory when it went to Jordan-Elbridge and rolled past the Eagles 13-1.
The Gaelic Knights scored in every inning except the sixth, capped by a five-run seventh as Pichoske drove in a pair of runs. Tim Dunham and Andrew Pullano each scored twice and got an RBI, the pitching trio of Dunham, Mike Masterpole and Nick Brady striking out 10 and holding J-E to four hits.
After Joe Dunham’s no-hitter, Ludden won again on Thursday at Gutchess Park in Cortland, topping LaFayette 7-2 in a game it trailed, 2-1, until it scored four times in the bottom of the third to seize control.
Pullano’s two hits led to three RBIs, with Sheen driving in a pair of runs. Luke Ruddy and Tom Cervantes each scored twice as Mastgerpole and Westers split the pitching duties, striking out 11 and only allowing three hits between them.
