After erasing a one-run deficit in a two-out fifth-inning rally started by freshman Emily Lillie, fellow freshman Olivia Valentine smashed the biggest hit of her young career with a two-run single to right field that returned the Hornets the lead for good.

Valentine was then driven home by sophomore Kaylee Adamczak and the 5-2 lead stood as the Hornets held off Fillmore in the Class D Far West Regionals at Frontier High School on Friday, advancing them to the program’s first state final four.

“The young girls have been able to step up this entire season,” Forestville senior pitcher Megan Gruber stated. “Obviously, the top of our lineup is great, but these younger girls have really come through in the middle when we absolutely need them. I think they are the whole reason we are here, honestly.”

Since 2018, Section V has dominated the Far West Regional, winning every contest and advancing to the state final four. Coming into the contest, Fillmore was billed as the state’s top-ranked team by the New York State Sportswriters Association, but from the beginning Forestville showed it was up for the challenge.

Forestville shortstop Carilene Sliwa tags out Fillmore’s Tenlee Miller attempting to steal second as second baseman Madison Christian backs up the throw during the fifth inning in the NYSPHSAA Class D Far West Regional at Frontier High School on Friday. P-J photo by Christian Storms

After stranding a runner on second in the top of the first inning, the Hornets came out swinging with leadoff batter Carilene Sliwa slugging a home run that just cleared the wall in center field for the 1-0 lead.

“Going up first, I knew I had to set the tone,” Sliwa stated. “It was very overwhelming going up first, facing a team first with regionals on the line. But I just believed in my hands and took the ball where it should have been.”

Striking first put the Eagles on notice that the Hornets meant business, and with how Gruber has performed so far in the postseason the pressure was now on the visitors.

Gruber made it through the first three innings with relative ease, but one swing of the bat shifted the momentum again. Leading off the top of the fourth inning, Fillmore’s Mattie McCumiskey struck a line drive that kept on going over the center-field wall and tied the game 1-1.

Mylee Miller then was hit by a pitch and, after stealing both second and third, the Fillmore pitcher did herself a favor, scoring on a sacrifice bunt from Kelsie Songster by getting out of a pickle between home and third on an error.

The Forestville Hornets celebrate after defeating Fillmore in the NYSPHSAA Class D Far West Regional on Friday at Frontier High School. P-J photo by Christian Storms

Fillmore looked to do more damage as Abby Earley laid down a bunt single, eventually setting up two Eagles in scoring position with just one out.

However, Gruber locked back in, striking out the next two batters and leaving the inning with just a 2-1 deficit.

“It fuels me to do better,” Gruber said about the adversity. “It puts pressure on me and I think the pressure makes me throw harder. I just trust myself so much and I think that’s a big part of it.”

In the top of the fifth, Fillmore eyed its opportunity to pull away and Forestville again managed to keep the game close. After Tenlee Miller reached on error to start the frame, catcher Jade Work caught her stealing second for a big first out.

Work’s throw was timely as the very next pitch was a single by Morghyn Ross, who eventually made her way to third base. Instead of Fillmore adding to its lead, the Eagles stranded runners on the corners, thanks to a violation from Ross.

Forestville seniors Megan Gruber, left, and Jade Work are presented the NYSPHSAA Class D Far West Regional plaque after defeating Section V’s Fillmore 5-2 at Frontier High School on Friday. P-J photo by Christian Storms

After Gruber walked Mylee Miller, Ross was called out on the “Circle Rule,” as she failed to make the decision to return to third or attempt an advancement to home within three seconds of Gruber having the ball in the circle.

With Fillmore (16-5) failing to put runs on the board, it was Forestville’s chance to make the Eagles pay as the top of the lineup began the bottom of the fifth.

Quick groundouts from Sliwa and Work really put the pressure on, but then came the freshmen. Lillie slapped the third ball to third base and this time an error occurred to keep the Hornets alive. Gruber followed Lillie with a bunt single the same way and the two-out magic paid off when Madison Christian hit a single to score Lillie to tie the game.

Valentine then drove in both Gruber and Christian to take a 4-2 lead and Adamczak’s RBI single had the Hornets buzzing with six outs between them and a trip to states.

“They’re cool, they’re confident and they’re not rattled by the pressure,” Forestville head coach Brianne Hazelton said about the freshmen. “Maybe that’s because they’re young and they haven’t been here, but they’re doing a great job.”

Gruber struck out three of the final six batters, including two in the seventh to finish the game, surrendering just one earned run on two hits and two walks while recording 11 strikeouts.

“I didn’t really have in mind their batting average,” Gruber said about the Fillmore lineup. “I wasn’t really too worried about them. I mean, obviously, I knew they were really good hitters, (so) I couldn’t throw them anything good that they could hit. I think I did a really good job with throwing them inside. I think doing what I know to do and trusting myself is a big part of it.”

The Forestville (14-3) win marks the first time in school history that a girls team has advanced to the state final four and the first team since the boys baseball team reached the final four in 2005.

“We’re the first team from our school to go to states,” Hazelton said about girls sports at Forestville. “It’s just something special, such a great memory for us.”

Next Friday the girls will play in their first-ever state semifinal at Greenlight Networks Grand Slam Park in Binghamton against Section III’s Hamilton (17-2), which defeated Section IV’s Morris/Edmeston 13-0.

“I just have no words, I am so happy,” Gruber stated. “This being such a young team and us being able to do this. We’ve never won regionals and me being able to be a part of that as the pitcher and this young team coming up and being able to pull this together was amazing.”