CENTRAL NEW YORK – Building a 13-game win streak to open the season and continuing to pile up victories after taking a sole blemish has put the Bishop Ludden baseball team right where it wanted – atop the Section III Class C playoff bracket.
In all, 22 teams would start in the open tournament, with the Gaelic Knights awaiting a game Tuesday against whoever won between South Lewis and Altmar-Parish-Williamstown the day before.
Ludden got in a six-inning game against Onondaga last Monday afternoon, working through the gloom and, before rain ended things, putting together an 8-2 win over the Tigers.
Three-run rallies in the first and third innings was all that pitcher Mike Masterpole needed as, throwing a complete game, he struck out eight and limited OCS to four hits. Andrew Pullano had three of the Gaelic Knights’ 12 hits, with Greg Purdy, Joe Dunham and Parker Pichoske adding two hits apiece as Dunham got three RBIs.
Even more dominant at Weedsport a day later, Ludden earned a 17-0 shutout, jumping out 12-0 by the second inning and producing 17 hits overall.
Masterpole went four-for-five and Colden Sheen went three-for-five, each of them driving in four runs as Pullano tripled, walked twice and matched that four-RBI output. Jimmy Westers added three RBIs as, between them, the pitching duo of Joe Dunham, Jack Ruddy and Tim Dunham gave up just two hits and earned 14 strikeouts.
Then Ludden unloaded again in Thursday’s 16-2 win over Fabius-Pompey, getting 15 hits and scoring in every single inning capped by a five-run fifth.
Joe Dunham went four-for-four with a double, three singles, three runs scored and three RBIs. Pichoske and Pullano combined for five hits, three of them doubles, and matched Dunham driving in three runs apiece. Tom Cervantes had two hits and scored three runs as Westers struck out 10 in five innings on the mound.
Away from all this, West Genesee waited out the week’s rain and, when it returned last Thursday to face Fayetteville-Manlius, put away the Hornets 7-1 to complete a regular-season sweep.
Having beat F-M 10-3 on April 29, the Wildcats quickly went in front with a run in the first and then broke it open with a four-run second inning – more than enough for pitcher Colin Crinnin, who went six innings and held the Hornets to three hits while striking out seven.
Not only did he pitch well, but Crinnin also drove in two runs. Nick Meluni also had two RBIs, while Luis Garcia earned two of WG’s six hits and drove in a run. Talon Elkins added an RBI.
Based on the points system that determines post-season seeds, WG did enough to climb to the top of the Class AA bracket. After its first sectional title since 1977, the Wildcats would host a quarterfinal Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s opening-round game between no. 8 seed Watertown and no. 9 seed East Syracuse Minoa. The semifinals are Thursday and the final Sunday, both at Onondaga Community College.
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