Friday's Section VI Class D softball championship game at Gowanda High School matched up a three-time defending champion against a school that hadn't won a title in a quarter of a century. After the dust settled, it was Pine Valley who had to watch its opponent get the championship patches. In a game broadcast on WDOE, Franklinville took advantage of three Pine Valley errors to win 5-3 for its first sectional title since 1991. Pine Valley ran into early trouble with two errors in the first two innings, leading to three Franklinville runs. Pine Valley got on the board with a two-out, RBI triple by Kayla Hohl to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the 3rd inning, but another error in the bottom of the 4th led to two more Franklinville runs and a 5-1 lead for the top seed. Rebecca Butcher cut the deficit in half with a two-run single in the top of the 6th, but that's as close as the Lady Panthers got. Sierra McLaughlin knocked a one-out single in the 7th, but she was doubled off of first on an infield pop fly to end the game. Pine Valley senior Jessica Wilcox struck out 13 batters in her final game.
Photo by the Observer
