The Chittenango Bears will challenge the Marcellus Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Chittenango's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over Christian Brothers Academy. The Bears have beaten the Brothers the last six times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Brothers has come to flipping the script.
Lauren Machan
| 05/12/26 vs Christian Brothers Academy | 11 |
| 05/08/26 @ Whitesboro | 6 |
| 05/01/26 vs Liverpool | 9 |
| 04/24/26 @ Jamesville-DeWitt | 10 |
| 04/18/26 vs Maine-Endwell | 7 |
| + 2 more games |
Lauren Machan made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. She is also on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alivia Cavotta, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Danica Oppenheimer was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Chittenango kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 10-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Marcellus never got on the board in their matchup on Friday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Christian Brothers Academy on Monday. They blew past the Brothers 12-5. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Mustangs' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Carly Sears spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits.
At the plate, Maddy Richer was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. Another player making a difference was Mia Colon, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one RBI.
Chittenango's victory bumped their record up to 13-4. As for Marcellus, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Marcellus' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Chittenango has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Marcellus, though, as they've been averaging only 3.3 strikeouts. Will Chittenango keep running through batters, or will the Mustangs buck the trend?
Chittenango got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in April against Marcellus by a conclusive 14-1 score. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
