Fredonia Wins Another Crown, Sets Mark For Consecutive Titles
GOWANDA — The No. 3 Fredonia Hillbillies won the Section VI Class B2 title with a 4-2 victory over the No. 4 Royalton-Hartland Rams on Wednesday.
With the win, Fredonia set a Section VI record for most consecutive sectional titles with seven. The streak began in 2011 and breaks the standing record of six, set by the Frewsburg Bears (2007-2012).
It also marks the team’s 10th in the past 13 years.
“These boys set high goals,” said Fredonia coach Vince Gullo. “The Section VI title is one of them and they accomplished that tonight.”
Reid Tarnowski recorded the win for Fredonia, pitching five innings, giving up just one run on four hits. He recorded six strikeouts.
Fredonia scored its first run in the second inning. Trey Swartz led off with a walk. Drew Coniglio followed with a single, bringing Swartz into scoring position. After Cole Tippens sacrifice bunt moved Swartz to third, Tyler Winchell hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Hillbillies the first run of the game.
Roy-Hart tied the score in the fifth inning. After a single by Nick Kubas, and a sacrifice bunt brought him to second, Al Xapsos drove in the first run for the Rams with an RBI single.
Fredonia did not take long to get the lead back, reclaiming it in the bottom of the fifth. After Tarnowski walked and a wild pitch put him on second, Lucas Voss hit an RBI single to bring in Tarnowski.
The Hillbillies added two more insurance runs in the sixth inning. Tyler Winchell was given a free pass to start the rally. After a sacrifice bunt by Seth Schrader and walks by Tarnowski and Ryan Mroczka, Lucas Voss came up with another single, bringing in two runs.
Roy-Hart (13-6, 9-3) battled back with a rally of its own in the seventh with the top of their order. Xapsos began the rally with a single. After Brandon Hess hit a double, Eric Fitch hit a single to bring the tying run to first. A great catch in center field ended the threat and gave the Hillbillies the victory.
Voss came in to pitch the last two innings in relief. He recorded three strikeouts in the process while giving up three hits.
Voss recorded three singles with three RBIs while Coniglio had two hits for the Hillbillies. Xapsos had the only multiple hit game for the Rams.
Jake Bruning suffered the loss for Roy-Hart pitching 4 1/3 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and six walks.
Fredonia will play for the overall Class B championship against the winner of Depew/Alden on Saturday in Gowanda.
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