Fredonia’s Jenna Fryberger slides safely into home on a passed ball while Allegany-Limestone’s Kailey Truman looks on during Tuesday’s Section VI Class B semifinal at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

FREDONIA — The Fredonia softball team had its worst defensive outing in years Tuesday in the Section VI Class B semifinals, but thanks to Danielle Palisin the damage after the first inning was just three runs.

The three-time defending sectional-champion Hillbillies got right to work chipping away at the Allegany-Limestone lead with runs from Anna Delcamp and Bella Buckley to make it 3-2. Then, in the bottom of the fifth inning, freshman Jenna Fryberger hammered a two-run triple into the right-center field gap to seize the lead 4-3 which Fredonia did not look back from en route to a 7-3 victory.

“Fryberger has been our No. 3 hitter and outside of Danielle I would be arguing for her to be Player of the Year in our league,” Fredonia head coach Jesse Beers said. “She’s been nails for us all year. She put a good swing on the ball.”

While it was Fryberger coming up with the clutch hit for Fredonia, Palisin’s performance in the circle kept the game within reach.

In the top of the first inning, Allegany-Limestone reached base with three errors and it was 3-0 with one out and the bases loaded. Palisin dug in and picked up two of her eight total strikeouts, keeping Fredonia at a deficit that was not too daunting for a comeback.

“When we did our circle talk she was the first name I brought up,” Beers said about Palisin. “If that 3-0 turns into 5, 6, or 7 now we’re scratching our heads. For her to lock in, that was the difference in the game. For her to be a leader like that, I expect it from her at this point. She pitched a really nice game today, she did a really nice job.”

Kailey Truman was strong in the circle for Allegany-Limestone, giving up just five hits and striking out eight, but she did walk six batters making for a lot of Fredonia traffic on the basepaths.

On top of Fryberger’s two-run triple, Delcamp also tagged Truman for a big hit in that same inning, an RBI triple and scored on a passed ball that made the final score 7-3.

“Anna has sort of been the quiet hero of our team,” Beers said. “I told her before the at-bat she’s probably been the best two-out hitter for us this year. She’s really put together an all-star caliber year for us.”

No. 2 Fredonia (17-3) seeks its fourth straight title against No. 4 Alden (15-2) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Grand Island.

CHAUTAUQUA LAKE

CRUISES INTO FINAL

MAYVILLE — No. 2 Chautauqua Lake led 8-0 after two innings en route to a 13-1 six-inning victory over No. 6 Randolph in the Class C semifinals.

Cayzlee Johnson threw a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts while allowing just an unearned run in the circle for the Eagles, who will face No. 1 Barker in the 5 p.m. sectional final Friday at Olean. The Bulldogs beat No. 5 Falconer 1-0 in the other Tuesday semifinal.

Kinslee Motter went 3 for 4 with two triples, five RBIs and two runs scored; Johnson was 3 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored; and Karagan Fairbank had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored for Chautauqua Lake.

Jillian Miller and Johnson singled with one out in the first inning before Lucy Gates singled to load the bases. Fairbank followed with an RBI single before Motter’s three-run triple to right field. Motter later scored on an error to make it 5-0.

In the Eagles’ second inning, Johnson tripled with two outs and scored on a passed ball. Gates then walked and Fairbank singled before Motter’s two-run triple to center field.

Randolph’s lone hit was a Grace Arnold-Hill singled in the fourth inning.