The Gowanda Panthers celebrate after defeating SS Seward 6-4 to claim the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C Title on Saturday at the Moriches Athletic Complex on Long Island. Photo by Candy Phillips

MORICHES — Gowanda now has a state title.

The Panthers scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and survived the top of the seventh inning to beat SS Seward 6-4 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class C softball championship game Saturday afternoon at the Moriches Athletic Complex on Long Island.

“I can’t believe it. The girls are so excited,” Gowanda head coach Mike Maloney said postgame. “It’s actually hard to believe that we won. We always thought about winning the section or getting to regionals. We never really thought about winning states.”

The Section IX champion Spartans took a 4-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning.

The Panthers had six outs to answer.

They only needed three.

Wassy Stevens led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to left field. After a fly out, Jada Geiger hit a single to center field. A walk to Ella Luther loaded the bases before Holland Browning — the star of Friday’s semifinal victory over Thomas Edison — came through again with a two-run single to left field that glanced off the SS Seward shortstop’s glove.

“Jada has been swinging the bat well and she had a really good at-bat earlier in the game,” Maloney said. “Holland had some big hits this weekend.”

The Spartans’ throw home attempting to get Geiger was late before their catcher attempted to throw out Luther wandering off second base. That throw went into center field and Luther scored the go-ahead run.

“I just saw the throw going into center field. I didn’t think she was that far off the base,” Maloney said. “As soon as it went out there, we were sending her and going to make them make a perfect throw to get her out.”

After a groundout sent Browning to third base, Kailyn Farner hit an RBI single to make it 6-4.

The Panthers got two quick outs in the top of the seventh, but had to sweat out the final out. After a walk, Hailey Carmack singled up the middle, but freshman Addison Kota got SS Seward’s No. 9 hitter to groundout to Lily Bobseine at first base for the final out, setting off a wild celebration on the middle of the infield.

“I was excited, but then I got nervous. It’s never easy,” Maloney said. “You get the first two really quick, then they get a walk and a base hit. Lily made a nice play at first base.”

Gowanda, which won its first Section VI and Far West Regional titles earlier this spring, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Geiger led off with a ground-rule double to right-center field and Luther singled off the glove of Spartans pitcher Kailey Stolowski. Geiger and Luther then executed a double steal on a strikeout and Hailey Christopher followed with a two-run single to center field.

“Hailey Christopher gave us a two-run lead. That was a great hit by her,” Maloney said. “We just like her swing. She has a really nice swing. We see it in practice every day. We wanted to slow the game down for her and just let her hit. We have confidence that she is going to get a hit.”

The score remained 2-0 until the top of the fifth inning when SS Seward took a 3-2 lead. Stephanie Reicherter walked to start the inning before Kaitlin Stolowski reached on an infield single. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third before a walk loaded the bases with no outs.

“I think she was just pressing. She’s a 14-year-old girl. The later it got, I think she was getting a little more tense,” Maloney said of Kota. “She struggled to find the strike zone, but she’s still overpowering when she throws strikes. Nobody every really squares her up really well.”

Kota nearly got out of the inning with a pair of groundballs that led to force outs at home plate, but Camila Fuentes tied the game with a two-run single to right field. Brook Izizarry followed with an RBI single to center field that gave the Spartans the lead.

SS Seward added a run in the sixth inning when Kaitlin Stolowski reached on a fielder’s choice for the second out and scored when Taylor Vogt reached on an error that would’ve ended the inning.

The two-run lead was not a problem for Gowanda in the end.

“I never really thought about it. I went to Gowanda, I played sports my whole career. We never came close to states,” Maloney said. “First time ever, that’s crazy. G-Town will be hopping tonight.”

NOTES: Kota threw a six-hitter with seven strikeouts and six walks to go along with a hit batter. Geiger had three hits and two runs scored; Luther singled and scored twice; and Stevens, Browning, Christopher and Farner each singled. … The Panthers will lose graduating seniors Geiger, Lani Farley, Farner, Stevens, Starla Smith and Bobseine.