C-NS baseball tops Fulton in opener; Liverpool edges Whitesboro

CENTRAL NEW YORK – For the first time in more than two decades, the Cicero-North Syracuse varsity baseball team took the field coached by someone other than Kevn Rockwell.

Citing a chance to see all of his three children (two sons in college, a daughter playing C-NS softball) in competition more often, Rockwell stepped down and modified coach Stephan Bailey replaced him.

Bailey’s task was to bring the Northstars, 10-11 a season ago, back to the championship level Rockwell’s teams often found, winning 350 games in 22 seasons along with four Section III titles.

It could not have started better for Bailey, C-NS hosting Fulton at the Gillette Road complex last Tuesday and, boosted by a big third inning, prevailing 15-1 over the Red Dragons.

Fulton had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, but in the bottom of that frame the Northstars batted around and didn’t stop until nine runs had crossed the plate.

Four runs followed in the fourth inning, along with a two-run fifth as C-NS accumulated 17 hits, three of them by Jaden Zimmer, who doubled twice and picked up five RBIs.

Chris Williams led with four hits and drove in two runs. Andrew Davis and Kyle Gancarz had three RBIs apiece, with Mason Mingle and Carter King also driving in runs. Ben Watkins, Shacory Williams and Kenton Cochran each scored twice.

Justin Coyne didn’t need that much run support. In five innings on the mound, Coyne held Fulton to one hit and struck out five before Lucas Thelen pitched two innings of relief.

Liverpool was back on the diamond a day later, facing Whitesboro, and led by the pitching of Tyler Vivacqua and Nate Benjamin prevailed 3-2 for its second consecutive victory.

Vivacqua, in five innings, gave up four hits and allowed four walks, but struck out five before Benjamin threw two no-hit innings of relief.

At the plate, single runs in the first, third and sixth innings proved enough. Austin Burch notched three hits and scored a run, with Colin Avery adding two hits. Jameson Stevens was credited with an RBI.

All other games set for last week got postponed by weather, Liverpool kept from a game with Fulton as it was set to meet C-NS this Wednesday at the Gillette Road complex in between games with Oswego and West Genesee.

C-NS not able to face Utica Proctor and Rome Free Academy, as its showdown with Liverpool was slotted in between games with East Syracuse Minoa and Niskayuna.