CENTRAL NEW YORK – Through five local games the Baldwinsville baseball team had zipped through its competition, but all of that changed when it ran into its most recent nemesis.
First place in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division was at stake in these pair of games between the state Class AAA no. 8-ranked Bees and no. 6-ranked Cicero-North Syracuse, who had won each of the last nine times these two sides had met.
B’ville went to the Gillette Road complex Monday and suffered a 5-3 defeat to see the skid against the Northstars reach 10 n a row, hurt by both its own mistakes and some clutch work from C-NS.
Having scored a run in the top of the first inning on two walks and a throwing error, the Bees kept it until the bottom of the third when the Northstars loaded the bases and then netted three runs, two of which were the result of wild throws from starting pitcher Ben Leaton.
In the top of the fourth B’ville got its own big chance, loading the bases with one out. Nate Marier’s groundout scored a run and Tyler Hawthorne singled to tie it, but Jack Rider was tagged out at home trying to score the go-ahead run.
Immediately C-NS countered with Shacory Williams’ two-out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth and tacked on another run in the fifth as Landon Cook pitched three scoreless innings of relief, having combined with Kaden Kalfass to only allow three hits and get 13 strikeouts.
These two met again at Onondaga Community College Wednesday night, and just when it seemed like disappointment would haunt B’ville again it literally walked its way out of the C-NS skid and won 3-2.
Here the issue would be in doubt most of the way. Single runs in the second and third innings driven in by Rider and Jacob Penafeeather got B’ville in front 2-0 and the Northstars countered with a run in the fourth driven in by Kyle Kulikowski off starting pitcher Joey Warner.
Going to the top of the seventh C-NS still trailed 2-1, and B’ville got the first two outs. But Kulikowski drilled a single that brought home the tying run.
It would not get to extra innings, though. Jace Albero’s leadoff walk and an error put the winning run on third, after which Hudson Dziadula and Penafeather both drew walks to load the bases.
Gavin Seeber faced Clark Whalen with two out and, staying patient, drew ball four, which allowed Albero to trot home with the decisive run.
Whalen had relieved Kevin Gunnip, who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings after taking over for starter Jeremy Palmer. Warner went 5 2/3 innings before relief stints by Connor Moak and Nate Georger.
Following the tension of these two games B’ville may have welcomed an easier assignment, and it arrived Friday at Falcon Park when the Bees took apart Auburn in a 19-3 romp.
Already ahead 2-0, B’ville’s seven runs in the top of the third broke the game open and more would follow, as the Bees scored at least once in every inning except the second.
Leaton doubled and drove in three runs, with five others – Penafeather, Dziadula, Hawthorne, Albero and Matt Hudson – earning two RBIs apiece. Hawthorne led with three runs scored as Rider pitched four innings to earn the win.
Rained out at Central Square on Saturday, the Bees got a series early next week with Fayetteville-Manlius before meeting Oswego and Utica Proctor.
