The Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars will challenge the Chittenango Bears at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday. Cicero-North Syracuse is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Cicero-North Syracuse beat Oak Glen 7-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Northstars.
Kiyara Bembry
| 04/14/25 vs Yorktown | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Chesterfield | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Camden | 3 |
| 04/16/25 vs Oak Glen | 6 |
Kiyara Bembry spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up six Ks. Those six strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Marisa Leone was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Aubrey Coyle also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Cicero-North Syracuse kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Chittenango had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They never let the Express get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. The Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by seven runs or more this season.
Not much got past Julia Spencer, who gave up just a hit and racked up ten Ks to keep Oneida off the board. Spencer has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Chittenango got a big performance out of Hannah Machan, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. MacKenna Palko was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Chittenango's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Cicero-North Syracuse, their record is now 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cicero-North Syracuse has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Chittenango struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cicero-North Syracuse took their victory against Chittenango when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-4 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Northstars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
