Heading into the Section III Class A playoffs, the Chittenango softball team had put its early-season struggles far behind them — and now posed a real threat to make a deep tournament run. The Bears reached double digits in the win column last Monday, against Cortland, as Kaleigh Koegel put up another shutout and beat the Purple Tigers 5-0. Though she allowed six hits and three walks, Koegel kept Cortland from turning those chances into runs, often escaping with strikeouts as she posted 10 before it was done. Chittenango inched ahead with single runs in the first and third innings, then locked things up with a three-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth. Mackenzie Perry emerged with a pair of RBIs as Brandy McDermott, Haley Landers and Samantha Weeks each drove in one run. Koegel and Shelby Bogle added doubles as Weeks and Koegel got two hits apiece. One more win was attained Thursday, against Mexico, as the Bears tamed the Tigers 8-1. Here, the game was 0-0 until the fourth inning, when Chittenango (11-7, 10-5 league) exploded for five runs, all it would need, though it would tack on three more runs in the sixth. McDermott, Koegel, Landers and Allysa Mroczek each had two hits, with Weeks joining Landers as they earned two RBIs apiece. Koegel, McDermott, Erin McPeak and Jennifer Sternberg drove in single runs as McPeak scored twice. All this backed up Koegel’s three-hit pitching that included 18 strikeouts, one of the best totals of her career. Only on Saturday did the Bears cool down, falling to Fulton 7-1 as the Red Raiders used six runs in the first two innings to move out in front after McDermott scored in the top of the first. Chittenango got just two hits off Fulton ace Jessica Palmitesso, who had 15 strikeouts to pass the 1,000 mark for her high school career. Chittenango’s baseball team began its push through the last week of the regular season by going to Cortland and taking a 5-4 loss to the Purple Tigers. Even as it charged to an early 2-0 lead, the Bears left things open — and Cortland took advantage, tying it with a pair of fourth-inning tallies before using a three-run fifth to surge ahead. Still, the Bears nearly tied it, scoring twice in the seventh before Matt Carr, pitching in relief of Alex Stacey, got the final out. Jeff Pierce took the loss, with Greg Jasek seeing a long relief stint. Chittenango lost despite getting 10 hits to Cortland’s eight, as Wes Burghardt went three-for-three and scored a pair of runs. Jasek doubled, tripled and drove in two runs as Devin Christopher also got a pair of hits and added an RBI. In Thursday’s clash with Mexico at DiChristina Field, Chittenango was steady and productive, yet fell victim to two big outbursts and fell to the Tigers 11-9. The Bears (11-9) put up runs in each of the first five innings to counter Mexico’s six-run rally in the third and seize a 9-6 lead. Burghardt had three hits and three RBIs, with Zach Boswell also getting three hits. Jasek had two RBIs and two runs scored, while Christopher scored three time. Mike Moon, Zach Drake and Steve Mesmer joined Christopher with one RBI apiece. Burghardt was pitching in relief of Kevin Streeter and Jeff Pierce when, in the top of the sixth, Mexico roared back with five more runs to move ahead for good. John Beck, with a home run and three RBIs, led the rally. Tyler Dunsmoore shut down the Bears in the last two innings to get the win. Now the baseball Bears entered the Class A playoffs, carrying the no. 10 seed as it met no. 7 seed Jamesville-DeWitt, the winner to advance to Thursday’s quarterfinal against no. 2 seed Watertown. Meanwhile, the softball Bears have the no. 5 seed in Class A. With just 10 teams qualifying, Chittenango goes straight into the quarterfinals – and has a chance at payback against Fulton, the no. 4 seed.