CAzEnOviA sOftBAll EArns BiG wins

By PHil BlACkwEll

Following an 0-4 start, the Cazenovia softball team caught fire, earning double-digit runs in consecutive victories over OHSL Liberty division foes.

The Lakers’ 12-4 win over Homer on April 22 broke the skid, but it did even better in last Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, with a landmark shot the highlight as it romped past the Firebirds 14-3.

Not only did Paige Reilley pitch a complete game and strike out seven, she hit the first home run of her varsity career, adding another hit and earning a team-best three RBIs.

Once trailing 2-0, the Lakers tied it in the second inning, went ahead in the third and then broke it open with an eight-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth.

Helping out Reilley, Sophie Wilmot, Lucy Bliss and Abby Falso had two hits apiece. Bliss also scored twice and drove in two runs as single RBIs went to Wilmot and Cadence Walter. Skylar Dannon and Riley Newcomb both scored twice.

All of this halted on Thursday when Cazenovia lost, 17-0, to Westhill, who got home runs from Hannah Schmitz, Alexa Korrie and Kathleen Rogers, who each had three RBIs. Wilmot and Audrey Wells had the Lakers’ lone two hits.

Having seen a season-opening, seven-game win streak halted in a 3-2 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius on April 22, Chittenango quickly recovered. In fact, the Bears steadily built a comfortable lead in last Tuesday’s game against Christian Brothers Academy, but had to hang on late to beat the Brothers 8-6.

Runs in each of the first four innings meant a 7-0 edge, Chittenango getting two hits and three RBIs from Anna Spencer as Stephanie Huckabee drove in a pair of runs and Anna Cavotta scored twice.

Despite all this, pitcher Caroline Porter got tagged in the top of the fifth, CBA scoring five runs and the Bears needing 2 2/3 innings of relief from Lauren Machan to pull it out.

Chittenango won another close one on Thursday, beating Central Valley Academy by the same 8-6 margin that it did with CBA as the two sides traded runs for three innings before the Bears scored three times in the fourth.

Huckabee led with three hits as she and Alivia Cavotta both earned a pair of RBIs. Spencer, Machan, Savannah Drake and Mackenna Palko also earned RBIs, with Anna Cavotta scoring twice.

Cazenovia softball player

Paige reilley with the ball she hit over the fence for her first varsity home run in last tuesday’s game against Phoenix. reilley also pitched a complete game in the l akers’ 14-3 victory.