Bianco rewarded his head coach Tuesday evening.

Falconer’s No. 2 hitter hit a walk-off RBI single as the fourth-seeded Golden Falcons beat No. 5 Westfield 4-3 in a Section VI Class C quarterfinal at Denny Meszaros Field.

“He even said it himself, ‘Coach, I’m 0 for 3, what about a 1 for 4,'” Card recalled postgame. “That’s all it takes.”

Sophomore Nicholas Russell, Falconer’s No. 9 hitter, drew a walk to open the bottom of the seventh inning. Freshman Isaiah Washington then laid down a sacrifice bunt to the Wolverines pitcher and Russell raced from first to third on the play.

Falconer’s Chase Bianco watches his game-winning RBI single head toward right field in the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Section VI Class C semifinal against Westfield at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“That’s why Nicholas Russell is there. He’s a quick kid, he’s a smart kid. He’s the No. 9 batter, which is the second leadoff batter for us,” Carder said. “It was crucial for him to get on. He can move around the bases, and he did just that.”

Then, facing a 2-1 count, Bianco slashed a single into right field as Russell scampered home with the winning run, first setting off a celebration at home plate, before the team mobbed Bianco in the middle of the infield.

“I did want him to swing the bat,” Carder said. “Even if he just elevated one, he knew his job and he fulfilled it.”

Falconer, which enjoyed its last playoff victory in 2019 with a Class C championship game win over Frewsburg, will now take on those same Bears in a 5 p.m. semifinal Thursday at the Frewsburg Sports Complex behind Robert H. Jackson Elementary School.

“It’s going to be a battle. We’re going to practice tomorrow and try to prepare,” Carder said. “They have a great squad, a great coaching staff. … It’s going to be fun.”

Falconer’s Erik Stenstrom delivers to the plate during the first inning of Tuesday’s Section VI Class C quarterfinal against Westfield at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Both starting pitchers were effective and, at times, overpowering. Falconer’s Erik Stenstrom tossed five innings of four-hit ball, striking out 14 while allowing three runs (two earned) and three walks.

“He threw great. I didn’t ask anything more from him,” Carder said of his sophomore ace. “We could’ve made a couple of plays behind him, but he threw awesome. I didn’t expect anything different.”

Westfield senior Danny Bratton nearly matched him with six innings of two-hit ball, striking out 13 while allowing three runs (one earned) and walking four.

“Danny was awesome today. He pitched a great game,” Westfield head coach Dan Martin said. “He’s been building and building all year long getting stronger and stronger. Tonight it really showed.”

Despite Stenstrom accumulating 12 strikeouts through four innings, Westfield actually took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Bratton singled with two outs, stole second and went to third on an error before a walk to senior Mason Baum brought sophomore Trent Ramm to the plate. On a 1-1 pitch, Ramm hit a long double to left field, allowing both Bratton and Baum to score.

Westfield’s Danny Bratton and Falconer’s Nicholas Russell look toward the umpire for a call after Bratton slid safely into third base during Tuesday’s Section VI Class C quarterfinal at Denny Meszaros Field in Falconer. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“That was a big hit for Trent. He came through when he needed to,” Martin said. “He drove those runs in and gave us a little cushion so we could breathe a little bit.”

Washington walked with one out in the bottom of the frame and took second on a wild pitch before a Bianco groundout sent him to third. Stenstrom then hit the first pitch he saw off the glove of Westfield’s shortstop and into center field to score Washington with Falconer’s first run.

The Wolverines tacked on a run in the fifth inning. Ramm walked with two outs and stole second before junior Joel Stein’s RBI single to center field made it 3-1.

The Golden Falcons tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Russell and Washington walked with one out before Stenstrom reached on a two-out error. That miscue cost Westfield when junior Logan Johnson was hit by a pitch to force in a run and sophomore Gavin Curtis reached on an RBI infield single. The Wolverines threw out Stenstrom at the plate trying to score on the play, but the damage had already been done.

In Westfield’s half of the seventh, Bratton led off with a walk, but the Wolverines’ cleanup hitter bunted into a fielder’s choice before a strikeout and a pickoff ended their threat.

“It was raining earlier in the week and we got some time inside,” Martin said. “We worked on that situation hoping to execute it and it just didn’t happen tonight. Sometimes it comes down to the little things and it did right there.”

Falconer took advantage of its base runner in the bottom of the inning and will be playing in a semifinal Thursday because of it.

“It’s exciting. This is our first playoff win in a handful of years. This was a big deal for this young group of guys,” Carder said. “It’s a big deal for them to keep moving forward like this.”

NOTES: Falconer beat Frewsburg 4-2 in the 2019 Class C sectional final before losing to Section V’s Gananda 4-1 in the Far West Regional. COVID-19 canceled the 2020 season and Falconer did not field a varsity team in 2021 before a pair of winless seasons followed in 2022 and 2023.