CENTRAL NEW YORK – An epic stretch of five victories in five days for the Bishop Ludden baseball team would see the Gaelic Knights knock off a wide variety of opponents, from neighbors to league rivals.
Yet for sheer excitement, nothing topped Friday’s 5-4, 11-inning win over Pulaski in a clash of undefeated sides, the Gaelic Knights sporting an 11-game win streak and the Blue Devils winners of eight in a row.
Pulaski got the jump with two first-inning runs, and pitcher Cameron Payne kept it that way for a while, but Ludden got to him with a run in the fifth and another in the top of the seventh to tie it, 2-2.
Even more drama followed in extra innings. Twice, the Gaelic Knights went ahead, 3-2 in the eighth and 4-3 in the ninth. Twice, the Blue Devils answered to tie it and prolong the affair.
Finally, in the top of the 11th Ludden saw Parker Pichoske reach base, make his way to third and then dash home on Mike Masterpole’s short fly ball. Then Nick Brady pitched in the bottom of the 11th and got the final three outs.
All told, Brady and Greg Purdy went the full extra innings in relief after Joe Dunham struck out 10 in his seven-inning start. Tom Cervantes got three hits and scored a run, with Masterpole and Dunham earning two hits apiece.
This overshadowed Ludden’s other big win of the week in its showdown with Westhill Tuesday night at NBT Bank Stadium, a featured game in the annual Strike Out Lou Gehrig’s Disease Classi.
Again, the Gaelic Knights’ undefeated recor remained intact as, in a tense seventh-inning exchange, it did enough to defeat the Warriors 7-5.
Westhill went up 3-0 in the bottom of the first, but Masterpole settled down and pitched four scoreless frames as the Gaelic Knights tied it in the top of the second, and it would stay 3-3 for a while.
Ludden got to the Warriors bullpen for four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 7-3 lead, but even with Dunham pitching in relief, Westhill scored twice, cutting the margin in half before Dunham was able to record the final out.
Tim Dunham starred at the plate, going three-for-three with a double, two singles and three RBIs. Jimmy Westers drove in a pair of runs, with Luke Ruddy and Colden Sheen adding RBIs. Taden Chester led Westhill with two RBIs as Kellen Pens scored twice.
In between these games were two league wins, starting 13-4 over LaFayette on Wednesday where Ludden trailed 3-2 before erupting for six runs in the top of the fifth. Westers’ three singles led to three RBI as he also pitched a complete game, striking out eight, while Cervantes and Andrew Pullano drove in two runs apiece.
Then Ludden beat Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 9-2 on Thursday, a five-run third inning the pivot point. Masterpole singled, doubled and drove in three runs, Pichoske adding two RBIs as Ruddy and Tim Dunham combined to strike out 12 Rebels.
Even after the Pulaski epic, Ludden had enough energy to return on Saturday and beat Bishop Grimes 8-3 to run the win streak to 13 and gain a fifth win in as many days.
Westhill appeared to be gaining momentum after last Monday’s 6-0 win over Homer, which was a recovery from back-to-back defeats to Baldwinsville and Cicero-North Syracuse on April 26 and 27.
Mike Madigan pitched five innings and only allowed one hit, striking out 10. Three runs in the first two innings and three runs in the fourth proved enough, Anthony Sampo driving in a pair of runs as Madigan, Luke Pickett and Ryan Campbell each got one RBI.
But after falling to Ludden, Westhill lost 2-1 in the rematch with Homer on Thursday, Campbell blanked the Trojans after it scored twice in the first inning, but all the Warriors got was a fifth-inning run, Collin White singling to score Chester.
