Cazenovia softball wins wild 41-37 game over Homer

By PHiL BLACkWELL

It’s doubtful that anyone associated with the Cazenovia softball team has ever experienced anything similar to what it did in last Thursday’s game against Homer at Gutchess Field in Cortland – or ever will again.

Over the course of three hours, 45 minutes, the Lakers and Trojans kept scoring runs at a dizzying pace. Twice, Cazenovia found itself giving up double-digit rallies – and it still managed to win.

The 41-37 final represented the highest- scoring game in Section III annals, and secondmost in state history behind a Palisade PrepGorton game in Yonkers that ended 46-36.

Not only did this game include 78 runs it featured 67 walks, 37 of which were issued to Cazenovia batters.

Homer began the affair with a 14-run first inning. Cazenovia responded to it with a sevenrun rally in the bottom of the first, setting the game’s extreme tone.

Trailing 19-12 going to the bottom of the second, the Lakers got five runs in that frame and three more an inning later, only allowing one in the top of the third.

In what proved to be a pivotal fourth inning, Cazenovia gave up 10 but then, trailing 30-15, managed six runs in this frame and eight more in the fifth, limiting the Trojans to two in the top of the fifth.

Only down 31-29, the Lakers brushed off Homer’s four runs in the top of the sixth and finally stormed out in front with a stunning 12run rally of its own in the bottom of the sixth.

Seventh-grade pitcher Sophie Wilmot needed to get three outs in the seventh – and did, only giving up two runs. She also scored

Caz girls track beats Skaneateles, keeps Laker Cup

By kURT WHEELER

The Cazenovia girls track and field team remained undefeated and took sole possession of first place in the OHSL Liberty-National division with a powerful 97-44 victory over Skaneateles last Wednesday afternoon.

Cazenovia also retained the prized “Laker Cup” with the win. The cup is a traveling trophy that resides with the winner of the most recent dual meet in spring track and cross country. The current win was the eighth in a row for the “Eastern Lakers” dating back to the fall of 2018.

Cazenovia’s depth was the decisive factor in the victory, with 20 different girls scoring for the team, contrasted with only seven for Skaneateles, as three athletes accounted for 36 of their 44 points. S

Skaneateles was never able to generate more than a 5-4 margin in any event as Cazenovia picked up second and third in any area they did not win and also captured all three relays.

Corinne Albicker led the team with three first place finishes including wins in both the 100 meter hurdles (18.3) and 400 meter hurdles (1:13.6) and a season best in the long jump at 15 feet 9 inches.

Cazenovia swept the long jump with three girls over 15 feet as Susie Pittman and Audie Spring each reached 15’3”. Bonnie Pittman added valuable second place points in both hurdle events.

Grace Dolan led the Lakers to surprising success in the sprints, leading off their winning 4x100 and 4x400 relays and capturing second to Skaneateles star Kyla Palmer in the 200 (27.1) and 400 (1:01.5). Riley Knapp scored an upset victory over Palmer in the 100, beating her to the line in 13.0 seconds.

Caitlyn Smithers (13.5 in 100) and Izzy Stromer-Galley (27.6 in 200) also added to the winning 4x100 time of 51.8 seconds with Knapp and Dolan.

Reid McMurtie added a point in the 400-meter dash with a speedy 1:02.5 and anchored the 4x400 relay of Dolan, Meghan Mehlbaum and Stromer-Galley to the team’s fastest time of the season at

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