Gowanda Small Town Times

Despite a 0-14 regular season record, the Gowanda Varsity girls lacrosse team entered the Sectional playoffs as the #3 seed. On May 23 they hosted #6 Newfane at Gowanda’s Hillis Field. Gowanda got off to a fast start taking the opening draw down the field and scoring just 10 seconds into the game. Twenty-nine seconds later a missed pass to a player in front of the net continued on into the net. Two and a half minutes into the game, Gowanda had a 4-0 lead that grew to 6-0 with ten minutes left in the half. A 5-goal spurt by Newfane tightened things to 6-5 with 1:51 showing on the clock. Gowanda’s Ke’ya Stevens scored on a free shot with 57 seconds left in the half giving Gowanda a 7-5 advantage.

Gowanda got another fast start in the second half. Cadence Luther scored for Gowanda 1:09 into the final half. Newfane had only one player on their bench and running with Gowanda without being able rest players started to show as the game wore on. Newfane wasn’t able to get a shot on the Gowanda goal for the first ten minutes of the period. By that time the Gowanda lead had grown to 13-5. Newfane managed two 2nd half goals, both on free shots. Luther scored Gowanda’s final goal with 25 seconds left leaving the final score at 19-7.

Ke’ya Stevens led the Gowanda season-high 7 goals. Aurora Stevens contributed 5 goals and Karice John had 3 goals and an assist. 8th grader, Cadence Luther collected 8 points in the game with 3 goals and 5 assists.

While the girls lacrosse team was beating Newfane, the Gowanda Varsity baseball team was shutting out Chautauqua Lake at home in a Quarter-Final Sectional game. Cole Herman tossed a 3-hitter with 8 strikeouts in the effort. The Gowanda offense started out slow with a single run in the 1st inning and three more in the 2nd. That was followed by a pair of scoreless innings. Going into the 5th inning at 4-0, Gowanda went on a 6-run surge taking their total to 10-0 for the win. Logan Ruff and Carter Capizzi each had a pair of runs and 2 RBIs for Gowanda. Blake Herman also scored twice for Gowanda. Alex Pachucinski had 4 Gowanda RBIs in the game.

One day earlier, on May 22, the Gowanda Varsity softball team was at Randolph for a Quarter-Final Sectional game. Gowanda started out fast. A 3-run Addison Kota homer gave Gowanda a sudden 3-run lead and they never looked back. Gowanda’s lead was 5-0 after two inning. Randolph had their best inning of the game in the 3rd inning closing the score to 5-3. Gowanda picked up single runs in the 4th and 5th innings which Randolph countered with a 2-run 5th inning. The 7-5 score held into the 7th inning where Gowanda added an unanswered run to their tally. The left the final at 8-5. Noteworthy for the Gowanda offense were Gao:Wisa:S “Wassy” Stevens (2 runs, 2 RBIs), Holland Browning (2 runs) and Corina John 2 runs. Addison Kota had 4 RBIs along with the previously mentioned home run. She also pitched the entire game for Gowanda with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts in a 4-hitter.