BINGHAMTON — The Forestville softball team has had the ability this season to come up with a clutch hit when it needed one most.

That magic led the Hornets to the best season in program history, becoming the first girls sports team in school history to reach the state semifinals.

However, the magical season came to an end Friday afternoon when the bats finally went cold as Ellie Freeth of Section III’s Hamilton no-hit the Hornets 5-1 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D semifinals at Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park.

“I told them at the end that I’m so proud of them,” Forestville head coach Brianne Hazelton said about her team. “They shouldn’t hang their head. There is not a softball team in our school history that made it this far. We just couldn’t get the bats going today and that made a big difference.”

In each playoff matchup, the Hornets received a big two-out RBI and also managed to get out of big jams, stranding the bases loaded to either keep the game scoreless or limit damage.

Those opportunities came again in the state semifinals, first when the Hornets were looking to erase a 2-0 deficit in the bottom of the third inning.

After an opening strikeout, Alexandra Kerstetter and Carilene Sliwa worked walks and Jade Work executed a perfect sacrifice bunt.

Work’s bunt turned into a throwing error and Kerstetter scored from second to put the Hornets on the board 2-1.

For those who watched the Hornets playoff run so far it looked like the rally was coming, but the Emerald Knights had other plans. Emily Lillie smacked a hard grounder to first base in the following at-bat, but Hamilton first baseman Alexis LaFrance was ready and made the quick throw home to get Sliwa for the second out, maintaining the lead. An induced pop-up then stranded runners in scoring position again.

“It didn’t seem to me that they were nervous,” Hazelton said about her girls. “Maybe once they get back here they will now know what to expect. It’s just like any other game and we’ve got to do our thing. Like I said, today we just couldn’t get a hit in.”

That momentum gained in the previous inning quickly faded as Hamilton reached on an error and walks to load the bases with one out.

In recent weeks, Gruber and the Hornets had managed to get out of those jams, but this time it was not their day.

Helping her no-hit bid and championship hopes, Freeth delivered the hit of the game, driving a single into center field that cleared the bases for a 5-1 Hamilton lead.

“Our defense has played great and Megan has pitched great,” Hazelton said. “I thought we were going to be able to get out of there, but the umpire was really giving Megan a hard time with her corners. She was kind of forced to give them better pitches and, unfortunately, it worked in their favor.”

Gruber worked a popout and then grounder to get out of the inning, but the damage was already done and the Hornets had plenty of work to do.

Despite the Hornets having three more innings to get back into the contest, Hamilton was not to be denied, finishing out the no-hitter and clinching a spot in today’s state championship against Section II’s Argyle.

Forestville (14-4) will miss its two seniors, Gruber and Work, who played perhaps the two most important positions, but with plenty of youth there is a lot to look forward to in the future of the program.

“Our community was wonderful,” Hazelton added. “I wish I could share with everyone how we felt so much love leaving and every one kept sending us well-wishes. We just want to thank all of our Forestville community, Chautauqua County, all of our league coaches, everybody.”

Gruber finished her career in the circle with Work, giving up five runs, four of which were earned on four hits and five walks with six strikeouts.

“I’m just so happy for them,” Hazelton said about her seniors. “I knew that if they kept working hard they could get here. Getting that feeling of winning championships and going to states. I know that feeling and I wanted them to have that experience.”