North softball closing in on ECIC I title

The Williamsville North varsity softball team had an incredible week as they avenged an earlier loss to Lancaster by turning the tables and defeating the Lady Redskins, 3-1, on Friday at North.

Earlier in the week, North defeated Frontier, 3-2, on Monday at Frontier; West Seneca West, 13-0, on Wednesday at North; and a nonleague home win over Amherst last Thursday, 5-1.

North improved their division record to 9-1 and overall record to 15-6.

The Frontier game was close throughout. North scored their first run in the top of the first inning as Corrin Genovese tripled and scored on a safety squeeze by Kerri Bubar.

North scored their second run in the top of the sixth as Amanda Maraschiello smashed a two-out triple to left center and scored on an RBI single by Erica Stricko.

Frontier responded with a run of their own to make the score 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

North secured an insurance run in the top of the seventh as Genovese homered to deep left field to make the score 3-1.

Frontier made it exciting as they scored once in the bottom of the seventh with a home run, but Tricia Kennery shut the door to secure the victory. Kennery finished with 12 strikeouts and only allowed one walk.

North's bats exploded against West Seneca West. Leslie Ahern was the leader as she crushed a home run, scored three runs and drove in four runs. Caitlin Riegel scored two runs by getting two hits in two at bats.

Robin Kennery and Kayleigh Galliher combined for scoring three runs from the second-base position.

Nikki Attea notched the first shutout of her career, allowing only one hit while striking out eight.

Kristen Weber supplied the power against Amherst as she unloaded with a triple and home run in two at-bats, driving in two of the five runs.

Maraschiello unleashed a triple for two more runs batted in. Robin Kennery and Attea split pitching duties with Kennery, recording eight strikeouts in a row. Combined, they limited Amherst to five and 10 strikeouts.

North's finest game of the week was their victory over Lancaster.

Genovese opened the game with a hard single up the middle and scored on a home run by Robin Kennery over the left fielder's head.

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fourth, when Lancaster scored their only run. Sarah Anthon opened the inning with a walk and scored on a triple by Kristen Hineman. Hineman was gunned down at the plate by Robin Kennery trying to stretch the triple into a home run.

North would answer with an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Stricko led off the inning with a single to right field. Robin Kennery executed a sacrifice bunt to move Stricko into scoring position, where she was driven home on a single by Ahern.

Tricia Kennery made sure of the win by limiting Lancaster to six hits and the one run.

"Tricia has come up big in all the important games for North this season," said coach Rick Bubar.

North also beat Section V's Aquinas, 3-1, in ten innings and lost to Section V's Our Lady of Mercy, 4-2, on Saturday. North beat Clarence, 1-0, on Monday in a rematch of the two top teams and first place on the line.

The Lady Spartans close out their league schedule by traveling to Jamestown at 5 p.m. on Friday. If North beats Jamestown, North is division champs and the top seed in Class A. North can also clinch if Clarence beats Lancaster on Wednesday.