CENTRAL NEW YORK – Liberated from a 47-year sectional championship drought, the West Genesee baseball team can now move forward and seek greater ambitions.
The Wildcats’ first game of the 2025 season proved successful as it took on East Syracuse Minoa and pulled out a 6-5 decision over the Spartans.
Having seen leads of 4-2 and 5-4 get away late in the game, WG went to the bottom of the seventh tied 5-5. Then Colin Crinnin was hit to get on base, pinch-runner Jeremy Clifton stole second and Brayden Fougnier singled to left, allowing Clifton to score the game-winning run.
Both Fougnier and Crinnin finished with a pair of hits. Colin Straub, Nathan Quirk and Gerard Shattell got RBIs as Shattell was one of four Wildcats pitchers who saw action with Crinnin, Ben Jessen and Ryan Tabaczyk.
This was part of a busy Friday where several local teams won, including Solvay, who went to Skaneateles and picked up an 8-2 victory over the Lakers.
Things were tight until the Bearcats, up 3-2, struck for five runs in the top of the seventh to draw clear. Max Overend hit a home run as he and Chris Cappetta got two RBIs apiece, with Luke Dickinson and Justin Zimmerman also driving in runs.
Other than a two-run fifth where Shea Musso had an RBI and runs were scored by Luke Ellis and Cody Crane, the Lakers were contained, Overend pitching 6 2/3 innings striking out nine and allowing seven hits. Only Crane had two hits for Skaneatelers.
Westhill is a perennial contender and again started strong last Friday against Oswego, topping the Buccaneers 5-2.
A four-run third inning made the difference as Peter Stroman tripled and got a pair of RBIs. Anthony Sampo also tripled as he, along with Jon Murphy and Collin White, drove in one run apiece. T.J. Pichoske did not allow a hit in his four innings of relief after taking over for White, who started.
Later that night Westhill shut out South Jeffeson 9-0 as three pitchers – Sampo, Murphy and Kevin Sisson – combined to strike out 13 and only allow four hits. Sampo and Eric Holstein had three hits apiece, with John Bruzdzinski and Peter Stroman both joining Holstein in scoring twice.
Marcellus, like Westhill, had two games on Friday, falling to Section IV’s Lansing 4-2 before a massive comeback helped it defeat Mount Markham 10-7.
Max Chapman’s RBI single in the fifth inning helped the Mustangs, trailing Lansing 3-0, move within one before Lansing got an insurance run in the sixth. Chris Loveless earned two of Marcellus’ five hits.
The Mustang duel with Mount Markham would go in Marcellus’ favor only after it trailed 6-0 through three innings. Two runs in the fourth, followed by four-run outbursts in the fifth and sixth innings, turned it around as Nick Snyder homered and got four RBIs to lead the rally, Loveless driving in two runs and single RBIs going to Chapman, Gavin Foy and Tyler Mattison.
Bishop Ludden had its opener last Wednesday against Bishop Grimes and won 11-1 margin in five innings.
Expectations are high for the Gaelic Knights after going 20-2 a season ago, and there’s plenty of hunger following a defeat to Little Falls in the 2024 sectional Class C semifinals.
Facing a Grimes side playing its final season before the school’s closing in June, Ludden scored twice in the second inning, then netted nine runs in the third and fourth innings to get away.
Jacob Sadowski’s home run highlighted an effort where Nick Brady doubled twice and drove in three runs, while Jack Ruddy had two RBIs and Jimmy Westers scored three times. Joe Dunham pitched and struck out eight while holding the Cobras to four hits.
Jordan-Elbridge started on Friday and handled Cato-Meridian 9-3, getting three hits and two runs scored from Nolan Brunelle as Chase Brunelle scored twice. Shannon Ahern and Gage Davey also scored runs.
