Gowanda Small Town Times

Gowanda picked up a non-league win over Eden on April 13. After that night game victory, they took a moment at home base for a photo wit their 2022 Championship banner. Photo courtesy of the Gowanda Athletics Department

On April 13 the Gowanda Varsity softball team hosted Eden for a game that was as exciting as anyone could hope for. Although Gowanda secured two quick outs against Eden to start our the game it quickly became obvious that things wouldn’t be that easy going forward. The next batter was on 1st base when Eden’s 4th batter launched the ball over the fence in left center field. Gowanda was down 2-0 as they came up to bat. Gowanda’s leadoff batter was Gao:Wisa:S “Wassy” Stevens. She started out on 1st base after being hit by the very first pitch thrown by the Eden pitcher. Gowanda’s next batter, Addison Kota, answered Eden’s home run by smashing the ball over the fence just to the right of the spot of the Eden homer. Two outs followed and the game was tied at 2 after one inning.

The second inning went scoreless. Gowanda got in trouble early in the 3rd inning. After the first batter was walked the next was hit in the helmet with a pitch. Those two runner made their way to 2nd and 3rd base before a first out was secured. Eden then scored from 3rd on a passed ball. From there, Gowanda pulled done two outs to escape the inning. In the bottom of the inning, after one out, Stevens was up again. She singled down the 3rd base line. She was tagged out at 2nd as Holland Browning singled. Kota was back at bat scoring Browning with a triple to deep left field. That was followed by a Jada Geiger triple to deep right field. Gowanda picked up a third run in the inning as Ella Luther singled.

Both teams saw their batters retired in order in the 4th inning. Things heated up again in the 5th. Eden scored three times in the inning after registering two outs. A strikeout ended their inning with two runners stranded on base. When Gowanda got their turn the first batter would be struck out. That brought up Stevens again and another single straight up the middle along the ground. A pair of passed balls allowed her to move all the way to 3rd base. Browning singled again scoring Stevens and Eden stopped to change pitchers. Browning was, then, cut off at 2nd on a Kota single. Kota scored on a Geiger single. Geiger, in turn, scored on a Luther double before Eden secured a 3rd out.

Gowanda was now up 8-6. Both teams would score twice in the 6th inning. For Gowanda it was leadoff batter Hailey Christopher followed by Aubrie Heron. Heron had initially tried to head for home base getting caught in a rundown just short of the base. After Eden tried to pick her off going back to 3rd, she reversed direction and beat the Eden catcher to home.

To close out the game, down 10-8, Eden had two runners on base with one out on a single and a walk. They moved their score to 9 as the next runner was thrown out at 1st base. With a potential tying run still on 2nd base, Gowanda closed out the game with a strikeout.

Back from the Easter/Spring break, Gowanda Varsity sports teams saw a full schedule of activity on April 12. It was a beautiful Spring day that saw the softball and boys lacrosse teams pick up wins while baseball and girls lacrosse fell short. The track season is still a week away.

After having a pair of games scrubbed previously due to weather issues, the Gowanda Varsity baseball team got their first action of the season at home hosting Fredonia. In what figured to be a good test of the Gowanda team, the game remained in a scoreless tie for three innings. After four innings, Fredonia held a 1-0 lead. Gowanda managed to tie things at one in the fifth. Fredonia broke things open with a 4-run sixth inning. Gowanda came up to bat in the final inning trailing 5-1. While able to pick up a pair of runs in the inning, it was not enough to avoid a 5-3 loss to open their season. John Ondus scored twice for Gowanda with Alex Pachucinski scoring the third run. Credited with RBIs were Tyler Smith, Cole Herman and Carter Capozzi.

The Gowanda Varsity softball team hosted Forestville while the baseball team was playing their game. Gowanda picked up their second win in their first strong defensive game of the season.

For three innings, Forestville batters were unable to reach first base. During that time Gowanda pitcher, Addison Kota, recorded five strikeouts including three in a row in the 3rd inning. Gowanda managed to score single runs in each of those innings building a 3-0 lead. Two scoreless innings followed before Gowanda came up big in the sixth. Leadoff batter, Jada Geiger singled, just barely beating the throw at 1st base. She would be brought home on a Lily Bobseine RBI single. On two outs Aubrie Heron, Kailyn Farner and Corrina John all singled in order with Farner and John both picking up RBIs. That put Gowanda’s total to six runs. In the final inning, Forestville had a runner on base with two outs. A bad throw to first base allowed Forestville to spoil the shutout with a single run.

Addison Kota threw a full game for Gowanda registering 10 strikeouts with 3 walks. She also only gave up a single hit on a play where the lead runner was thrown out at 2nd base. Hot bat for Gowanda was Kailyn Farner with 3 hits in three at bats. Jada Geiger, Ella Luther, and Corrina John each had 2 hits in the Gowanda effort. As a final softball note, it seems that Gowanda in back where they left off last year with many talented base runners. This game saw Gowanda players steal a total of eight bases in the game (Jada Geiger 4, Holland Browning 2, Gao:Wisa:S “Wassy“ Stevens and Kailyn Farner 1 each).

That brings up to the lacrosse teams. While baseball and softball were busy at the school, the Gowanda Varsity boys lacrosse team was playing host to Wilson at Hillis Field. It was another dominating performance for Gowanda at home. They piled up 8 goals in both the 1st and 2nd halves. At the same time, they held Wilson to three goals in the game. This ups their record to 2-1. Leading the Gowanda scoring was Landen Jimerson (4 goals, 1 assist). With three goals each were Winter Rivera (3 goals, 5 assists) and Nakotah Jackson (3 goals, 1 assist). Cashis Montour contributed a pair of goals. Gowanda goal tender, Faolan Quinn, was credited with 3 saves. Four other players scored single goals for Gowanda.

The Gowanda Varsity girls lacrosse was at Orchard Park on the 12th to open their season. a completely one-sided 1st half found the team in a 15-1 hole by halftime. Orchard Park was able to coast through the 2nd half from that point to a 19-2 final. No individual stats were available from the game.

Andrew Musacchio, a biology and general science secondary education certification major at Grove City College from Gowanda, has been named to the Dean’s List with High Distinction for the fall semester.

The last week in March 2023 saw many setbacks for Spring sports as the season continued to face problems. The Gowanda Varsity baseball team saw a late afternoon snowfall postpone a scheduled game hosting Bishop Timon on Wednesday, March 29. The next day, a home game against West Seneca East was cancelled. Their season opener now will not happen until after the GCS Spring break.

While the Gowanda Varsity boys lacrosse team did get in a game the previous week, on March 29 snow also postponed their only game of the week at Newfane. The Gowanda Varsity girls team saw their first two games of the season scratched earlier in the week. A March 28 home game versus Lewiston-Porter was postponed and a March 30 game at East Aurora was moved to May 16.

The Gowanda Varsity softball team was able to get in two of the three games scheduled for the week. After the rainout of a Monday, March 27 game at home against North Collins, the girls hosted Olean on Tuesday the 28th. It was a shaky day on defense for Gowanda.

The first Olean batter was hit in the back by a pitch putting them immediately on base. The next two batters singled followed by a 3-run triple. That batter then scored on a passed ball. That made it 4-0 before Olean registered their first out. Two walks and two singles later, it was 5-0. When Gowanda came up to bat their second batter was walked while the other three of the first four would register outs.

Olean managed a double, a single and a walk in the second inning, but was unable to score. Ella Luther led off for Gowanda in the 2nd inning with a single. Jada Geiger was then sent in as a designated runner. After one out, Hailey Christopher drove a single into center field scoring Geiger. After a second out, Christopher scored on a Aubrie Heron triple. A strikeout closed the inning with the score 5-2.

Olean went on to score three unanswered runs in the third and another in the fourth. It was 11-2 in the fifth inning when Alhanna Gable scored Gowanda’s only other run of the game. Olean’s pitcher, Sophomore Emma Edwards, scored for her fourth time in the 6th inning to close out the scoring in the game. Olean came away with a 12 -3 victory.

The Gowanda girls were back on the field hosting West Valley on Friday the 31st. West Valley scored in each of the first five innings including a 4-run 5th inning. On their part, Gowanda scored in each of the first four innings. It was a 7-run 2nd inning and a 9-run 4th that powered Gowanda to a final 20-9 win.

Leading the attack for Gowanda was Gao:Wisa:S “Wassy” Stevens with 4 runs and 2 RBIs on a single and two doubles. Right behind her were Addison Kota (3 runs, a double and an RBI) and Ella Luther (3 runs on 3 walks). Holland Browning contributed 2 runs and a single. With single runs were Hailey Christopher (double and 2 RBIs), Jada Geiger (double) and Kailyn Farner (single). Four other Gowanda players scored single runs after being walked. They were Alhanna Gabel, Lani Farley, Aubrie Heron and Emily Pound.

Baseball

Wednesday. March 29
Bishop Timon at Gowanda
- postponed / snow -

Thursday, March 30
West Seneca East at Gowanda
- cancelled -

Softball 1-1

Monday, March 27
North Collins at Gowanda
- cancelled / rain -

Tuesday, March 28
Olean at Gowanda
Gowanda 3, Olean 12

Friday, May 31
West Valley at Gowanda
Gowanda 20, West Valley 9

Boys Lacrosse 1-1

Wednesday, March 29
Gowanda at Newfane
- postponed / snow -

Girls Lacrosse

Tuesday, March 28
Lewiston-Porter at Gowanda
- postponed -

Thursday, March 30
Gowanda at East Aurora
- moved to 5/16 -