Kats Split Slugfest with Cayuga

Erie CC Kats battled through a pair of high-scoring games on Saturday, splitting a doubleheader with Cayuga CC in a day defined by offensive fireworks and momentum swings.

In the opener, Erie came out swinging and built a commanding early lead before Cayuga rallied late to steal a 15-12 victory. Ryan Boyle set the tone immediately with a solo home run in the first inning, and the Kats followed with a five-run second inning fueled by RBI singles from Tyler Pagano and Adam Scibetta.

Erie wasn't done, erupting again in the third inning with six more runs to take a 12-6 lead. Jim Buettner delivered the key hit in the frame with a two-run double, capping a stretch that saw the Kats score 11 runs across two innings.

Cayuga answered right back, however, putting together a decisive seven-run bottom of the third to flip the game to a 13-12 advantage. Erie couldn't recover from the surge, despite finishing with 11 hits. Pagano and Buettner each had multi-hit games, while Boyle drove in three runs. Defensively, the Kats were sharp, committing no errors, with Zach Bedard leading the way in the field.

The Kats bounced back in game two with a 9-2 win, powered by a decisive fifth inning and strong pitching.

After falling behind early, Erie took control with an explosive eight-run fifth. Contributions came throughout the lineup, including RBI efforts from Jordan Jones, Carter McBurney, Yugo Mukai, and Justin Refermat, while Elijah Williams also drove in a run after being hit by a pitch.

The bottom of the order played a key role, as Scibetta, Pagano, and Refermat combined for five hits and helped spark the offense. Refermat and Boyle each drove in two runs in the victory.

On the mound, Kieran Glassford earned the win with four solid innings, allowing two runs while striking out two. Reece Boyle was dominant in relief, tossing three scoreless innings to close it out.

Erie finished with nine hits and continued its clean defensive play, turning a double play and again committing no errors, with Buettner recording a team-high 11 chances in the field.