CATO - The Blue Devils will take it.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Cato-Meridian second baseman Dillon Caswell gets the out as Weedsport senior Bryce Leitten slides to prevent the double play on Thursday afternoon.
Cato-Meridian second baseman Dillon Caswell gets the out as Weedsport senior Bryce Leitten slides to prevent the double play on Thursday afternoon.
After a big loss earlier this season, the Cato-Meridian baseball team defeated Weedsport 11-3 at Cato-Meridian high school Thursday.
On April 7 in the Warriors season opener, Josh Fatcheric hurled a no-hitter for the Warriors en route to an 18-0 shut out of the Blue Devils.
This time around, the game went a little differently with Weedsport struggling to get a hit off a dominating Blue Devils team.
The Warriors, who belted 11 hits in the first meeting, posted only three hits the entire game on Thursday, two of which came in the bottom of the seventh and a four run deficit was the closest they came to the lead.
“We just didn't hit the ball tonight,” Weedsport head coach Nick Wilson said.
“Their pitcher threw lights out, he really pitched well to us.”
Andy Wegman threw all seven innings for the Blue Devils, recording 10 strikeouts and allowing only three hits and three runs.
It was not only pitching that won the game for Cato-Meridian.
“We scored runs right in the first inning,” Wegman said. “That gives me confidence on the mound and helped us win.”
The Blue Devils struck early in the second meeting, once in the first followed by six runs in the second and another three in the fifth to make it a hard lead to break.
“We played a great game,” Cato-Meridian head coach Matt Chalanick said. “We made great plays and everything fell into place.”
Leading the Blue Devils at the plate was Joey Giuffrido who finished with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.
“Giuffrido had a great game and really jump-started our team,” Wegman said.
“This was a really big game because of the rivalry between the two teams and the last game being such a big loss made us really want it today.”
Also active offensively for Cato-Meridian was Preston Dennison, who hit a triple, a single and one RBI, Ethan Pratt added three singles, Jon Schmitt and Shay Stanistreet both contributed two singles and Wegman, Erik Tuttle and Dillon Caswell each finished with one single.
Pacing the Warriors was C.J. Chase, who recorded a double, while Justin Rose hit a triple, a single and one RBI.
On the mound for Weedsport for the first two innings was Jamie Briggs, who recorded one strikeout and allowed eight hits.
Dave Pratt came on to relieve Briggs posting two strikeouts, but giving up five hits.
“The guys played well but they hit and we didn't,” Wilson said. “It's hard to win a game that way.”
This game puts both teams at a point, with three games left in the season, where they both need to win at least two to make it to the Section III playoffs, quite possibly a place that the Blue Devils didn't envision as a possibility with a rough start to their season.
“This kind of game really gives us confidence,” Chalanick said. “We have come a very long way since the beginning of the year and I am proud of the way they played.”
Cato-Meridian (4-6) will try and have the same intensity when they host Port Byron Monday.
“I think we have a good chance to at least win the next two of three games,” Wegman said. “The team is really hungry right now and we have really gotten it together lately.”
The Warriors (5-8) travel to Pulaski Monday.
Blue Devils 11
Warriors 3
On April 7 in the Warriors season opener, Josh Fatcheric hurled a no-hitter for the Warriors en route to an 18-0 shut out of the Blue Devils.
This time around, the game went a little differently with Weedsport struggling to get a hit off a dominating Blue Devils team.
The Warriors, who belted 11 hits in the first meeting, posted only three hits the entire game on Thursday, two of which came in the bottom of the seventh and a four run deficit was the closest they came to the lead.
“We just didn't hit the ball tonight,” Weedsport head coach Nick Wilson said.
“Their pitcher threw lights out, he really pitched well to us.”
Andy Wegman threw all seven innings for the Blue Devils, recording 10 strikeouts and allowing only three hits and three runs.
It was not only pitching that won the game for Cato-Meridian.
“We scored runs right in the first inning,” Wegman said. “That gives me confidence on the mound and helped us win.”
The Blue Devils struck early in the second meeting, once in the first followed by six runs in the second and another three in the fifth to make it a hard lead to break.
“We played a great game,” Cato-Meridian head coach Matt Chalanick said. “We made great plays and everything fell into place.”
Leading the Blue Devils at the plate was Joey Giuffrido who finished with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.
“Giuffrido had a great game and really jump-started our team,” Wegman said.
“This was a really big game because of the rivalry between the two teams and the last game being such a big loss made us really want it today.”
Also active offensively for Cato-Meridian was Preston Dennison, who hit a triple, a single and one RBI, Ethan Pratt added three singles, Jon Schmitt and Shay Stanistreet both contributed two singles and Wegman, Erik Tuttle and Dillon Caswell each finished with one single.
Pacing the Warriors was C.J. Chase, who recorded a double, while Justin Rose hit a triple, a single and one RBI.
On the mound for Weedsport for the first two innings was Jamie Briggs, who recorded one strikeout and allowed eight hits.
Dave Pratt came on to relieve Briggs posting two strikeouts, but giving up five hits.
“The guys played well but they hit and we didn't,” Wilson said. “It's hard to win a game that way.”
This game puts both teams at a point, with three games left in the season, where they both need to win at least two to make it to the Section III playoffs, quite possibly a place that the Blue Devils didn't envision as a possibility with a rough start to their season.
“This kind of game really gives us confidence,” Chalanick said. “We have come a very long way since the beginning of the year and I am proud of the way they played.”
Cato-Meridian (4-6) will try and have the same intensity when they host Port Byron Monday.
“I think we have a good chance to at least win the next two of three games,” Wegman said. “The team is really hungry right now and we have really gotten it together lately.”
The Warriors (5-8) travel to Pulaski Monday.
Blue Devils 11
Warriors 3