CENTRAL NEW YORK – At the outset of the April school break the Cazenovia baseball team was still dealing with the game April 10 against Marcellus where it surrendered an eight-run lead in the sixth inning and ended up in a 10-10 tie.
Fewer runs were scored in Sunday’s game against Oneida, but the Lakers were quite okay with it since it led to a 6-2 victory over the Express.
What was the same as Marcellus was Cazenovia built up a sizable advantage, in this case 6-0 through four innings. Jake Hightchew and Zane Ison both drove in a pair of runs, with Joey Awald adding an RBI and Danny Bliss scoring twice.
Again staked to a big lead Cazenovia kept it with Ison and Max Nichiporuk combining to hold Oenida to two hits and overcoming eight walks to constantly thwart Express rallies.
In its next outing Monday the Lakers were turned back in a 3-1 defeat to Mount Markham where three Mustangs pitchers – Logan Plows, Nate Pcola and Lloyton Plummer – combined on a no-hitter that included 16 strikeouts, 10 of them by Pcola.
Single runs in the first, third and seventh innings proved enough, though Cazenovia did push across a run in the bottom of the seventh on a bases-loaded walk by Ison which scored Awald. Nico Segall pitched five innings, with Bliss seeing a relief stint.
As this went on, Chittenango earned its first victory of the season against Canastota, doubling up the Raiders in an 8-4 decision.
They traded runs in the second and third innings before the Bears broke out with three runs in the top of the fourth for a 6-2 edge which was augmented by two runs in the sixth to double the eventual winning margin.
A.J. Valente smashed a home run for Chittenango, also drawing three walks and getting three RBIs. Mason Corlis doubled, singled twice, scored twice and drove in a run as RBIs also went to Dylan Brownson and Eli Lefort. Evan Tianello pitched 4 2/3 innings to earn the win as Valente struck out six in his 2 1/3 innings of relief.
At Oneida on Thursday afternoon the Bears doubled its winning margin from the first meeting and beat Oneida 12-4, taking the lead for good with a four-run rally in the top of the second.
A four-run sixth inning provided for a getaway as Valente stayed hot at the plate, going three-for-four with a triple, two singles and three RBIs. Zailor Caras also drove in three runs as Maddox Shantel had two hits and two RBIs and Tianello drove in a run. Alex Pappas struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings on the mound.
