CENTRAL NEW YORK – As far as Kyle Kulikowski was concerned, Cicero-North Syracuse baseball winning a Section III championship was “just getting us back to the place that were supposed to be.”
If that’s the case, then it took nine long years for the Northstars to find that comfort zone again.
C-NS’s first sectional title since 2016 was secured Sunday night at Onondaga Community College when the Northstars defeated Christian Brothers Academy 5-2 in eight innings, atonement for playoff exits at the expense of the Brothers the last two seasons including the 2024 sectional final on this same turf.
“We have a group of tough kids who know what it takes to get the job done, sticking together through good and bad,” said Northstars head coach Stephan Bailey.
This resilience helped C-NS rise from a no. 4 seed to the sectional title, first knocking off top seed Baldwinsville 5-3 in last Friday’s semifinal at Auburn’s Falcon Park and then finally getting the best of CBA with post-season stakes.
It required talent and clutch performances, none bigger than that of relief pitcher Jeremy Palmer, who threw five scoreless innings after a bold decision made by Bailey and his coaching staff.
C-NS led 1-0 in the bottom of the second but starting pitcher Kaden Kalfass was struggling to find the strike zone against CBA’s potent lineup. In the middle of an at-bat with nobody out, Bailey removed Kalfass.
“It was just a feeling,” said Bailey, explaining the choice and adding that he had full faith in his bullpen.
Landon Cook, who had thrown 2 1/3 no-hit innings in relief of Lucas Aiello in the semifinal against B’ville, struggled at first as CBA scored twice in the second to go in front, but then worked a scoreless third inning.
Then Palmer entered. CBA had not faced him when these two sides met in the regular season in April, but Bailey said that watching the Brothers at work gave him a sound game plan if he took the mound.
“I needed to keep the ball low and know that I’ve got a great defense behind me,” said Palmer.
Only allowing four hits, Palmer kept his team close and was rewarded in the top of the sixth when Jaden Zimmer led off with a single, just the second hit off CBA pitcher Tom Menar. Zimmer reached second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a flyout and scored the tying run on Shacory Williams’ grounder to short.
They were still 2-2 going to the top of the eighth, and Menar was still in to pitch. Pinch-hitter Carter Petranchuk drew a walk and pinch-runner Lawson Weckesser flew to third when Brothers catcher Mike Giamartino made a throwing error on Zimmer’s bunt.
Up stepped Kulikowski. On the first pitch he saw Kulikowski bunted, a squeeze play which scored Weckesser, who was hurt tearing across the plate but then watched as Williams tacked on an RBI single and a third run scored on a Menar balk.
Zimmer got the last three outs and the Northstars celebrated a hard-earned championship not just earned here, but when it took out B’ville in the semifinals after those two sides split their regular-season meetings.
C-NS scored twice in the top of the first off Bees starter Ben Leaton. It stayed 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth when B’ville struck for three runs to go in front, chasing Aiello but bringing on Cook for his strong relief stint.
Quickly answering, in the top of the fifth the Northstars put together its own three-run rally. Palmer, Shacory Williams, Chris Williams and Kevin Gunnip each got credit for an RBI, while Palmer also got two outs of relief, saving his best work for CBA.
On Saturday night at OCC the Northstars will face Section II champion Saratoga Springs in the Class AAA regional final, the winner advancing to the June 13-14 state final four in the Binghamton area.
