Gowanda Small Town Times

Southern New Hampshire University has announced the following Gowanda student was named to the Spring 2025 President’s List: Marisa Lopez of Gowanda.

On Friday, June 13, the Gowanda Varsity baseball team was at Union-Endicott High School for a Class C Semi-Final game against Deposit-Hancock. D-H came into the game ranked 1st in the state and this always figured to be a very low scoring game. As it happened, the D-H pitcher tossed a 3-hit, 5-strikeout game that allowed just one Gowanda run. Gowanda would have needed a shutout to win. They came close to achieving that with just one 2 RBI single making the difference in the game. During the game D-H had 12 runners on base at one time or another and it took a lot of Gowanda heroics to keep the game close.

Gowanda initially got off to a fast start. Leadoff batter, Blake Herman pounded a shot that hit the pitcher’s leg and bounced all the way back across the 3rd base line into foul territory. Three straight outs followed stranding Herman on the basepath.

Defense prevailed on both sides through four quick innings. In the 3rd inning, D-H opened with a walk and a single. After one out, they had runners on 2nd and 3rd. The runner on 3rd base started for home as the pitch was delivered. The batter took a swing and missed trapping the runner between 3rd and home. That led to a second out. An intentional walk put runners on 1st and 2nd. That set up a third out as the runner on 2nd attempted, and failed, to steal 3rd.

The big inning of the game was the 5th. Jayden Fish opened the inning for Gowanda with a walk. After one out, Seth Geiger added a single to right field that got Fish to 3rd base. Madden Lay followed with an RBI while being thrown out at 1st. That put Gowanda up 1-0 going to the bottom of the inning. The Gowanda momentum was short lived.

Deposit-Hancock answered with a big inning of their own. With two runners on base by a single and a walk, and with one out, a hit to left center field got past two Gowanda players for a 2-RBI single. Gowanda finally closed out the inning with a fly out to center, two intentional walks and a final strikeout.

The one-run deficit would stick as Gowanda was unable to answer. They managed only a Carter Capozzi double in the 6th inning. While Drew Kota was walked in the 7th inning, that only set up a double play that ended the game.

While Gowanda made many impressive plays throughout the game, the fell just short of the flawless game they needed, 2-1

The Gowanda Varsity baseball team will be at Binghamton on Saturday, June 14 for a 7:00 pm semi-finals game. Digital tickets are available for in-person attendance and the game will be streamed on NFHS Network. The school has announced plans for related local pre-game celebration including the Send-Off parade as the team leaves Gowanda just after 4pm on Thursday.

baseball 21-3
softball 9-8
boys lacrosse 12-3
girls lacrosse 13-4

Friday/Saturday, June 6 & 7

Section 6 Track & Field State Qualifier
- at Falconer, NY -

-76 schools represented -
Gowanda Top 10 finishes

boys

Maddox Hudson
3rd(high jump, 5-7.25; 110m hurdles, 16.93)
4th (pentathlon, 2770)
5th(long jump, 18-8.75)
6th(shot put, 33-6.75)
7th(1500m run, 4:59.61)

Chase Bolan
6th(3200m run, 9:59.49)
8th(1600m run, 4:47.34)

Owen Farner
10th(400m hurdles, 1:04.17)

girls

Isabella DeGolier
2nd(high jump, 5-2)

Rhianna Woods
5th(200m dash, 26.18)
6th(100m dash, 12.99)

Saturday, June 7

baseball vs. Kendall
Far Western Regional
- at Dwyer Stadium, Batavia, NY -
Gowanda 8, Kendall 1
Gowanda 0 0 6 0 0 1 1 | 8
Kendall 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 | 1

On June 7, the Gowanda varsity baseball team was in Batavia for the Far Western Regionals facing Kendall. Kendall came into the game with a 16-game winning streak and a record of 23-1.Their starting pitcher had a season record of 11-0 with 59 strikeouts. On paper, it looked to be a tight, low scoring affair.

Gowanda had the home team designation and batted first. After two scoreless innings, Gowanda shifted into high gear. Leadoff batter in the inning was Brayden Smith who was walked. Next up was Blake Herman. Herman connected, blasting a shot over the left field wall for a 2-run homer. After getting an initial out, the Kendall pitcher walked both Carter Capozzi and Logan Ruff. Jayden Fish singled and brought Capozzi home with the help of an errant throw to 1st base. Drew Kota followed with a bunt up the 1st base line scoring Ruff while being thown out at 1st. Seth Geiger was then hit by a pitch advancing Fish. A Kendall meeting on the mound followed. It was the third such stoppage in the inning and it led to a pitching change. Up next, Madden Lay powered a shot to right field bringing Fish home. Brayden Smith came back up to bat for the second time in the inning. While he was at bat, Lay got caught up in a rundown between 1st and 2nd that lasted just long enough for Geiger to up the Gowanda tally to 6 runs.

Two more scoreless innings followed. Brayden Smith was walked again in the 6th inning. He then stole 2nd base. A Kyan Austin hit was fielded by the Kendall shortstop who made a bad throw to 3rd base that allowed Smith to continue on to score again. Gowanda added an 8th run in the 7th inning. With one out, Jayden Fish drove a single into center field and would later score that run.

Pitching for Gowanda, Blake Herman put forth a 4-hit, no walk effort. He came one out short of getting the second shutout in two games. The lead-off Kendall batter was hit by a pitch before outs were registered on the next two batters. An RBI single followed getting Kendall on the board. Herman stuckout the next batter ending the game with a 8-1 score.

Screenshot from the NFHS Network stream. Blake Herman connects on the home run blast into left field.

Screenshot from the NFHS Network stream. The Gowanda players were out on the field to meet Blake Herman as he arrived back at home plate to complete the 3rd inning home run.