CENTRAL NEW YORK – It did not sit well for the Cazenovia baseball team to get shut out by its Madison County neighbors from Chittenango in a 3-0 decision on May 4 – especially for Jack Donlin.
All that Donlin did, in the wild week that followed, was twice pitch complete games and, on a soggy Friday afternoon on the Lakers’ new turf field, hand 10-0 Phoenix its first defeat of the season.
Having dropped a 5-4, nine-inning epic to the Firebirds earlier in the week, Cazenovia had motivation enough. Better yet, it had an all-weather field on a day where so many other games were rained out.
Most of all, though, it had Donlin, who in seven innings quieted the Firebirds’ bats, giving up just one hit (a Cameron Dryer single) and three walks while amassing 14 strikeouts.
At the plate, Donlin walked twice, drove in a run and got a single, but was glad to see teammates help out, especially in a decisive five-run third inning. Ten different players scored runs, with Joey Awald getting a pair of hits and RBIs credited to Nico Segall, Robby Livingston, Cy Abbott, Izaak Gilbert and Taven Reilley.
Back on May 5, with an immediate chance to return to action after the defeat to Chittenango, the Lakers handled Solvay 11-1 in the first of Donlin’s gems.
Not content with a first-inning home run, Donlin returned in the sixth and, with the bases loaded, delivered a grand slam to end the game. In between, he added a single and finished with six RBIs overall.
Donlin also pitched a complete game, holding Solvay to four hits while striking out 11. Livingston helped out with a pair of RBIs as Segall and Gilbert also drove in runs, with Danny Bliss and Jacob Genter both scoring twice.
The first game with Phoenix followed two days later.
Reilley gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. Phoenix cut it to 2-1 in the third, but Gilbert kept the Firebirds quiet over the next three innings, accumulating eight strikeouts.
Still, in the top of the seventh Phoenix got even, 2-2, Dryer singling home Matt Froio, but more excitement was to follow.
In the top of the eighth, the Firebirds pulled in front 3-2, but the Lakers tied it again in he bottom of the eighth when Donlin found the gap and didn’t stop running until he had crossed the plate for an inside-the-park home run.
Somehow, Phoenix weathered this and got the game to the ninth, where it loaded the bases against Abbott. Chase Slocum, whose diving attempt to catch Donlin’s line drive led to the home run, walked to again put the Firebirds in front.
Corey, who went all nine innings, got the final three outs, having accumulated 15 strikeouts while limiting Cazenovia to five hits while also going three-for-five at the plate.
Not only did Cazenovia get even for this on Friday, it had enough energy a day later to go out and win a 3-1 rematch with Solvay in much drier conditions.
In the top of the first, the Lakers struck for all three of its runs, Donlin and Segall credited with RBIs, and that was all Bliss would need as the Lakers freshman went the route, getting a season-best 11 strikeouts and limiting the Bearcats to four hits.
Chittenango moved on from Cazenovia to a game early last week against Westhill, nearly making a miraculous comeback in the first game before taking a 9-6 defeat.
Ryan Thousand did not get out of the first innings, the Warriors tagging him for seven runs, but Reagan Poland took over and blanked Westhill until two runs in the sixth made it 9-1.
In the top of the seventh, the Bears’ bats woke up, putting together a five-run rally, the key blow Quinton Hilliker’s home run. Eli Lefort added an RBI and Zailor Caras scored twice as he and Mason Corlis both got a pair of hits.
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