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Cicero-North Syracuse (C-NS) claimed its first Section III Class AAA baseball title since 2016 by defeating Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) 5-2 in extra innings on Sunday (June 1) at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York. The victory avenged back-to-back playoff losses to CBA, including last year's championship game.
The Northstars tied the game in the sixth inning and took control in the eighth with strategic plays. Kyle Kulikowski's bunt scored Lawson Weckesser, giving C-NS a one-run lead. Shacory Williams followed with a single, driving in another run, and later scored on a balk, extending the lead to 5-2. C-NS pitcher Jeremy Palmer then closed the game, securing the win.
C-NS coach Stephan Bailey praised his team's effort, saying, "It was a team effort today and I couldn’t be more proud of this group of young men." Palmer, who pitched five scoreless innings, expressed his excitement, stating, "It's been nine years since we’ve gotten a section championship, so we wanted it even more this year."
Despite a strong start by CBA's Tom Menar, who held C-NS scoreless for four innings, the Northstars' resilience paid off. CBA coach Patrick Wiese acknowledged the missed opportunities, saying, "Our guys played a heck of a game and we were presented with a chance to win and unfortunately, the ball just did not bounce our way."
C-NS now advances to face the Section-II champion on Saturday (June 7). The Northstars' victory was led by standout performances from Shacory Williams and Chris Williams, who contributed key hits and RBIs throughout the game.