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Gowanda Downs Bolivar-Richburg In Far West Regional

Gowanda's Holland Browning smiles safely at third base during the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Far West Regional Class C softball game against Section V's Bolivar-Richburg. The Panthers won 5-0 to advance to the state semifinals on Friday in Long Island. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

GOWANDA — The program’s first Section VI championship wasn’t enough for the Gowanda Panthers softball team.

They made more history Friday.

Backed by a three-run first inning, Addison Kota threw a three-hitter while striking out just one as Gowanda beat Bolivar-Richburg, the Section V champion, 5-0 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C Far West Regional at Gowanda High School.

“After getting to the finals last year, we hoped to get back,” senior center fielder Jada Geiger said. “There were definitely spots where it was questionable, but I think we deserve to be here and I think we can go win it all.”

Now, the Panthers will head for more uncharted territory as they head to Long Island for the state final four at the Moriches Athletic Complex beginning Friday evening.

Kota is a big reason why.

The freshman went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI. She scored a run and her courtesy runner, Emily Pound, also scored a run. In the circle, the right-hander navigated a Wolverines lineup exquisitely, facing just six batters over the minimum despite setting just one down on strikes.

“We have Addison Kota on our team, the best player in Western New York,” Gowanda head coach Mike Maloney said.

“She’s amazing,” Geiger added of Kota. “I can’t say enough about her.”

Gowanda’s defense was nearly flawless. Senior shortstop Wassy Stevens handled five groundballs and was also the middleman on a key double play after Kota walked the leadoff batter in the top of the sixth inning. CC John also handled a pair of grounders at second base while the Panthers outfield of Alhanna Gabel, Geiger and Kailyn Farner grabbed five fly balls in the outfield.

“We finally put it together. It seemed like all year we would have one or two errors here and there,” Maloney said. “Tonight, we were just clean the whole game.”

Gowanda’s offense got all the runs it would need with an explosive first inning off Bolivar-Richburg starting pitcher Malayana Ayers.

Stevens singled up the middle with one out before Kota blasted a two-strike pitch to the fence in right field to send Stevens to third.

“When I looked up, I thought it was over. … I just wanted to score. We wanted to get up in that first inning,” Maloney said. “This team only lost one or two games, so how many times have they been down this year?”

Geiger then came through with a two-run single up the middle and Ella Luther followed with an RBI triple down the right-field line.

“If you start up, you are going to end up. If you start down, you are going to end down,” Geiger said. “It was good that our team came out early and stayed up the whole game.”

Kota allowed singles in the second and third innings as well as a one-out double in the fifth inning, but the Panthers were able to keep the Wolverines off the scoreboard.

“We count them down,” Geiger said of the remaining outs in the game. “We try to go three up, three down every inning to give her a break.”

Gowanda added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Stevens led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball before Kota’s RBI single.

“She’s the smartest softball player around. She analyzes every single pitch and every single at-bat,” Maloney said of Kota. “She knows when to shorten up and put the bat on the ball.”

Kota went to second on a throw to the plate before she was replaced by Pound. After a strikeout, Luther singled to center field to put runners at first and third. Luther then stole second base and Bolivar-Richburg attempted to throw behind Pound at third base, but the throw went into left field allowing the Panthers’ final run to score.

That was plenty for Kota, who pitched around a one-out single and a two-out error in the top of the seventh inning to send her team to Long Island this weekend.

“The girls came up huge. It’s an awesome group of girls. … They are such fun to be around,” Maloney said. “We can’t wait to go down to Long Island and try to win it down there.”

“It feels great. I’m super excited to go to Long Island,” Geiger said. “Every team is different. We didn’t have the best record and we’re still here, we’re still fighting. Any team can go out and win it.”

“I’m so excited. I can’t wait. I wish we were leaving tomorrow,” Maloney added. ” … We’re going to go down there and give a good showing, hopefully.”

NOTES: Gowanda will take on Section IV champion Edison at 6 p.m. Friday at the Moriches Athletic Complex. At the same time, Section II champion Chatham will take on the winner of Section VIII Friends Academy and Section IX SS Seward. That game will be played this morning. The winners of next Friday’s games will meet in Saturday’s 2 p.m. final.

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