CENTRAL NEW YORK – As it sprinted out to a 4-0 start against local competition the Cicero-North Syracuse baseball team still knew that getting to the top of the area Class AAA ranks meant beating one opponent in particular.
And when the moment arrived to do so Monday afternoon at the Gillette Road complex, the Northstars met it with strong pitching and timely hits to defeat Baldwinsville 5-3.
The Bees had won five in a row coming into this game and went in front 1-0 in the top of the first inning helped by two walks and an error. Still, Kaden Kalfass would strike out the side and get strikeouts on his first seven outs.
In the bottom of the third the Northstars got to B’ville ace Ben Leaton, loading the bases and scoring twice on Leaton throwing errors and another run on Brady Petranchuk’s bloop single just past first base.
Then 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 Hawthorn 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 on Lucas Aiello’s sacrifice fly.
Landon Cook pitched three scoreless innings of relief, having combined with Kalfass to only allow three hits and get 13 strikeouts.
Now the two sides met again Wednesday at Onondaga Community College, the Bees’ home field for most of this season while its all-weather artificial turf field is installed at Baker High School’s athletic complex.
C-NS was trying for its 11th consecutive victory against B’ville – but could not quite attain it, falling by a score of 3-2 as the Bees gained a split of the series.
Here the issue would be in doubt most of the way. Single runs in the second and third innings 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. Three walks issued by Clark Whalen, including to leadoff hitter Jace Albero, loaded the bases with two outs, and Gavin Seeber managed to draw a walk of his own that scored Albero 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.
Perhaps worn out from these two battles, C-NS lost again Thursday to Oswego in a 2-0 decision, only managing two hits, both of them by Aiello, off Buccaneers pitcher Owen Seubert, who overcame seven walks. Aiello also pitched, going 4 1/3 innings and giving up single runs in the first and third innings.
But the Northstars turned it around Friday handling Central Square 10-3 as it used three runs in the fifth inning to break out of a 1-1 tie and put it away with five runs in the top of the seventh.
Jace Knopp singled twice and drove in three runs, with Jaden Zimmer adding a pair of RBIs as Clark Whalen, Ethan Matthews and Chris Williams had one RBI apiece.
Not until this same Friday did Liverpool return to action, but when it did the Warriors put away Syracuse City 10-2 by bolting out to a 9-1 advantage in the first three innings.
Bailey O’Connor homered for Liverpool, added a double and drove in three runs. Graham Hoppe and Cayden Nappa both had three hits and two RBIs as Paolo Munetz and Nico Leone also had RBIs. Munetz pitched five innings and limited Syracuse to two hits before two no-hit innings of relief from Chris Monahan and James Kelly.
C-NS has five games set for next week highlighted by facing Fayetteville-Manlius Tuesday at NBT Bank Stadium as Liverpool has to twice encounter reigning sectional Class AA champion West Genesee early in the week.
