APRIL
29 2022
BY BILL PEGLOWSKI GOWANDA — The Gowanda Varsity baseball team played host to Jamestown on April 20. After a scoreless first inning, Gowanda pitcher John Ondus piled up three straight strikeouts in the top of the second. The Gowanda offense got going in the bottom of that inning. John Smuda was walked to lead things off. He was thrown out at second base as Tyler Smith singled. Alex Pachucinski was then also walked. After a second out was recorded, Gavin Phillips doubled scoring both Smith and Pachucinski. Phillips scored on a Blake Herman hit that was misplayed in the outfield. With Gowanda up 3-0 after two innings, there would be no further scoring in the game. Ondus pitched 5 innings for Gowanda, registering 10 strikeouts. Cole Herman and John Smuda each pitched for an inning in relief recording one strikeout each. The Olean baseball team came to Gowanda on April 22. Gowanda held Olean scoreless in the top of the first inning with a double play early and throwing out a runner trying to steal second base to move into the bottom of the inning. Gavin Phillips led off for Gowanda with a hit just inside the first base line that a diving Olean fielder missed by inches. He would go on to score on a John Ondus single. The score of 1-0 would hold until the third inning. The Olean batters were retired in order in the top of the inning with three strikeouts. In the bottom of the third, Ondus and Maddox Browning both singled and, eventually, scored for Gowanda. In the fourth inning, the lead Olean batter was walked only to be
Gowanda Sports Report thrown out going to second base as the next batter singled. Three straight walks followed, scoring an Olean run and prompting a change of pitcher for Gowanda. Two more Olean runs scored on a double before a final pair of strikeouts were registered. Gowanda went down in order to end the inning with the score tied at 3-3. Olean did not score again while Gowanda added a run in the fifth inning and two in the third. Phillips pitched into the first 3 innings for Gowanda allowing one hit and striking out four. He also had a double and scored two runs. Smuda pitched from the third inning on, striking out three and allowing two hits. Ondus had a single and two RBIs. — The Gowanda Varsity softball team hosted Randolph on April 21. After two scoreless innings, Randolph scored a single run in the top of the third inning. In the bottom of the inning, Meredith Valone led off for Gowanda and was walked. Two strikeouts later, an Addison Kota home run took the score to 2-1 in favor of Gowanda. No runs were scored in the fourth inning. The fifth inning featured a Randolph solo home run countered with a Gowanda run by Kailyn Farner, who was running the bases for Ella Luther who had been walked. The Gowanda lead held until the seventh inning when Randolph strung together three runs. Gowanda was unable to answer back, leaving Randolph with a 5-3 win. The softball team hosted Pine Valley for an evening game April 23. Gowanda held Pine Valley scoreless in the first inning with the last out being registered against a runner trying to reach home
Photo by Bill Peglowski
Photo by Bill Peglowski John Smuda coming in for a landing at home plate just ahead of the income throw. He scored the 6th and final Gowanda run against Olean.
plate. Gowanda lead batter Cameron Nagel singled. Lily Bobseine followed with an RBI triple. Bobseine scored as Addison Kota was thrown out at first base. With the score 2-0, Gowanda added three runs in the second inning and two in the third, taking the score to 7-0. In the fifth, after Holland Browning and Ella Luther were both walked and Meredith Valone was hit by a pitch, Jada Geiger and Cianna Hidalgo both singled. Kailyn Farner blasted a 3 RBI double. With the score 12-0, a possible early end to the game was avoided with Pine Valley’s best inning of the game. A three-run rally took the score to 12-3. While Gowanda answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, that was still one short of a 12-run lead that would have ended the game. Pine Valley was handed three straight fly outs in the sixth inning. The last of those was made by the Gowanda right fielder who made a diving catch securing
the ball just inches above the turf. Gowanda again failed to add the game ending run in the bottom of the inning taking things to a final seventh. Pine Valley managed only a pair of runs in the inning leaving the final score at 14-5. Leading the way for Gowanda was Bobseine with a triple, a double, two runs and an RBI. Geiger added a triple, a single, two runs and an RBI. Also with two runs were Nagel, Valone and Browning. — The Gowanda Varsity girls team hosted Niagara Wheatfield for a non-league game April 21. Gowanda got off to a fast start as Chloe Luther won the opening draw and scored 12 seconds into the game. The Gowanda lead did not last long as Niagara Wheatfield tied things up 11 seconds later. Five minutes into the game, Gowanda was in a 6-1 hole that grew to 12-2 with four minutes left in the half. With 2:49 showing on the clock, Lily Scanlan scored to start a late Gowanda
Lily Bobseine (33) heads for home to score one of two runs against Pine Valley. She had a triple and a double in the game.
three-goal streak. Starting the second half up 12-5, Niagara Wheatfield controlled the first 10 minutes of the second half taking their advantage to 17-5 before Luther scored again for Gowanda. Aurora Stevens scored with five minutes left in the game tightening the score to 17-7. One last Niagara Wheatfield goal brought the game to an 18-7 final. Luther totaled 5 goals for Gowanda. On April 22, the girls lacrosse team traveled to Williamsville East. Williamsville pulled into a 7-2 lead in the first half. A very similar second half yielded a 15-5 final score. Chloe Luther, Lily Scanlan, Autumn Nephew, Rhianna Bibeau and Aurora Stevens each scored once for Gowanda. Ke’Ya Stevens was credited with an assist. — The Gowanda boys and girls track teams saw their first competition of the year April 22 at the Dunkirk Invitational. In a field of 19 schools, Gowanda’s small,
rebuilding teams finished behind several schools, but still close to both Silver Creek and Springville. Two noteworthy Gowanda efforts came from Dylan Harbison (4th in 110M Hurdles, 19.92) and Noah Vogtli (6th in Long Jump, 18-02.25). For the Gowanda girls, Crissa Scanlan was third in Discus Throw (80-08) and sixth in Shot Put (27-01.00). SCOREBOARD Baseball Wednesday, April 20 -Gowanda 3, Jamestown 0 -Silver Creek 6, Salamanca 4 Friday, April 22 -Gowanda 6, Olean 3 -Franklinville 6, Silver Creek 4
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