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Live by the sword, die by the sword, the saying goes.
In the last couple of weeks, on a few occasions, the Baldwinsville baseball team has taken advantage of timely hitting in the later innings of games to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
On Thursday, the role was reversed. The Bees lost to West Genesee, 6-4, as the Wildcats scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to overtake B'ville.
Cameron Morrissey pitched an excellent game, striking out seven batters and yielding only two runs over the course of five innings. When he left the game, the Bees were winning 3-2 and would add another in the top of the sixth to make it 4-2.
West Genesee struck first with a walk, single and sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second, to make the score 1-0 after two innings.
In the top of the third, the Bees got on the board, as Tommy McKee was hit by a pitch and Frank Levanti singled. Zach Bush reached on a fielder's choice which forced Levanti out at second base. With runners on first and third, David Cerqua lined a single to right field to bring home McKee, while Bush advanced to third. Then, Anthony May hit an RBI sacrifice fly to center to plate Bush. The Bees led 2-0.
In the top of the fifth, the Bees extended its lead to 3-1, as McKee walked, Levanti sacrifice bunted him to second, and Bush and Cerqua singled.
West Genesee responded in the bottom of the fifth, as they took advantage of walks and an RBI single to close the gap to one run again.
Baldwinsville added another in the top of the sixth to make the score 4-2. Cam Williams doubled to center to lead off the frame. Carson Hayes hung with a breaking ball and lined a single to left to bring home Williams. With two outs, Bush singled again and Elijah Borja, who was pinch running for Hayes was thrown out at home, as the Bees tried to get an insurance run.
The bottom of the sixth proved pivotal, as two singles, a walk, and a triple against reliever Nate Valentine gave the Wildcats a 5-4 lead with no outs. They would add another run on a wild pitch by reliever Billy Clifford, but Clifford stopped the bleeding there and got three consecutive outs. West Genesee led 6-4.
The Bees had no answer in the last inning, although they threatened with two outs and runners on first and third, but a flyout to right field ended the game.
Valentine took the loss for the Bees. Bush finished with three hits and Cerqua, Clifford, and Cam Williams finished with two hits each.
The Bees play at Oswego on Wednesday.
