CORTLAND — The sky got nearly as dark as it did during the solar eclipse when Lakeview hosted Hubbard on Tuesday. After a beautiful start to the day, the weather didn’t cooperate long enough for a winner to be decided.

The game had to be delayed, in the top of the sixth with Lakeview ahead 12-9, after the clouds moved in and a couple of raindrops fell. They will resume action in Hubbard today before the teams play their scheduled game against one another.

“You never want to have to make up a game,” said Lakeview coach Cam Carson. “Then you’re scrambling pitching-wise, trying to figure out what you’re going to do the rest of the week. You’ve just gotta deal with it and keep going.”

Hubbard jumped out to a 4-0 advantage before the Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the second. Senior Andrew Brown knocked in a pair of runs including sophomore Nathan Paolucci.

Senior Mathew DeProfio added an RBI single as Lakeview cut Hubbard’s lead to 4-3 heading to the third. The Eagles made it 5-3 when junior Gabe Rusnak nailed a line-drive double off of the wall and scored on a wild-pitch. Braydon Songer had a bloop single and Geno Leshnack made a heck of an effort on a dive in the outfield.

Then, Lakeview erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the third to go ahead 11-5. Jason DeMonica and Carter Doran both had multiple hits in the inning. Isaiah Lantz singled in a run. Senior Jake Nicholas had an RBI single before Matt Bobovnik came in to pitch for Hubbard.

“We’re looking for our young guys to step up,” Nicholas said. “We’re trying to win as many games as possible and make a deep run in the playoffs. We made it to the regional semifinals last season. We’re still trying to figure some things out. But, we want to at least get back to the regionals again.”

Carson thinks the best baseball is still to come for Lakeview.

“We’re trying to find our identity and get in a groove,” he said. “We’ve played some good baseball. We’ve played some bad baseball. Once we find that rhythm, I feel good about where we’re going to go.”

Hubbard coach John Schiraldi would like Mother Nature to give his team a chance of finding its groove.

“It’s hard to get into a groove with the way the weather has been,” he said. “We’ll play games in a bunch. Then, we’ll be off for like four or five days. Once the weather breaks, and everyone gets to play a little more consistently, I think the play will get better.

“Every team I’ve seen so far has no real rhythm yet. I’m hoping we can get a little more consistent. It’s hard to get in a rhythm hitting the ball when so many games are canceled. We need to be able to put the ball in play. Our pitching has been pretty solid.

“Our league is tough. You know you’re going to be playing a good team every time you come out. Hopefully, we can get it together and get things going in the right direction.”

Have an interesting story? Contact the Sports Department by email at sports@tribtoday.com. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @TribChronSports.