Fredonia’s Brady Crawford slides home as Salamanca catcher Payton Bradley awaits the throw during the Section VI Class B quarterfinals on Tuesday. OBSERVER Photo by Ashleigh Brown

CHEEKTOWAGA — No. 3 Dunkirk scored 10 runs in the final three innings to put away No. 2 Maryvale 12-3 in a Section VI Class A2 baseball semifinal Tuesday evening.

Josh Lemanski earned the win on the mound for the Marauders, tossing 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out five. Greg Orcutt got six outs in relief, allowing one hit while striking out four. Anthony Cosme got the final out with a three-pitch strikeout.

Dunkirk will now play No. 8 Lewiston-Porter in the sectional final at 4 p.m. Thursday at Frontier High School. The Lancers beat No. 4 Depew 6-4 in the other Tuesday semifinal.

The Marauders took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Gabe Valentine led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Paul Trippy’s RBI triple. Trippy later scored on a wild pitch.

Maryvale made it 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning, but Dunkirk responded with four runs in the top of the fifth. Lemanski walked and stole second before Henry Leone’s RBI double. Orcutt then hit an RBI double and later scored on a two-base passed ball. Cosme singled, went to third on an error and scored on another passed ball.

The Flyers made it 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Dunkirk answered with another four-run inning. Valentine singled, went to third on Trippy’s single and scored on a Lemanski fielder’s choice. A hit batter and an error then set the stage for Cosme’s three-run bases-clearing double.

In the Marauders’ seventh, Trippy singled with two outs and scored on a Lemanski triple. Dylan Bankoski then hit an RBI single.

“Despite striking out 11 times, we had some big clutch hits with runners on,” Dunkirk head coach Frank Jagoda said. “We look forward to the next challenge on Thursday.”

COWAN’S SHUTOUT SENDS

FREDONIA TO SEMIFINALS

FREDONIA — Salamanca had runners on base in every inning, but Fredonia’s Matt Cowan worked out of every jam as the fourth-seeded Hillbillies blanked No. 12 Salamanca 10-0 in a five-inning Class B quarterfinal Tuesday at Fredonia High School.

The victory sends Fredonia into Thursday’s semifinal at No. 1 Medina, which walked off as 3-2 winners over No. 8 Royalton-Hartland in another Tuesday quarterfinal.

Cowan allowed two hits and five walks while also hitting a batter, but six strikeouts helped him get out of every situation.

“He didn’t have his best stuff today, but he battled and he grinded,” Fredonia head coach Tim Cowan said of his middle son. “He made really tough pitches when he needed to.”

In the top of the first inning, the Warriors had runners on first and second, but a strikeout ended the threat.

Fredonia took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning when Ashton Putney led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before Colin Luce’s RBI groundout.

In Salamanca’s half of the second inning, Conner Seeley led off with a double and the Warriors loaded the bases, but again Cowan got a strikeout to get out of the frame.

“He doesn’t panic when guys get on. In the second, second and third with nobody out, and he struck out the next two,” Coach Cowan said. “Then he walked one to load the bases, but he kept his cool and struck out the third guy to work out of that.”

The Hillbillies made it 3-0 in the fourth inning. Luca Gullo led off with a triple to right field and Colin Crowell hit an RBI double to right field. Brady Helmer then ran for Crowell and went to third on an A.J. Kinney single. Putney then hit a sacrifice fly.

Salamanca got the leadoff runner on in its third inning before Cowan retired the next three. In the Warriors’ fourth, they had runners on first and second with two outs before a pickoff at second base ended that threat.

“Four of his strikeouts were offspeed pitches out of the strike zone. To his credit they look good coming in and he gets guys to chase. To Andrew’s credit, he’s able to keep it in front and tag the guy or throw him out at first,” Coach Cowan said of Matt’s pitches and his oldest son Andrew’s work behind the plate. “For our staff to have the confidence to throw any pitch in any count … is terrific.”

Fredonia put the game away with a seven-run bottom of the fifth. Brady Crawford and Gullo walked to open the inning. After a strikeout, Kinney singled to load the bases. Salamanca threw Crawford out at the plate on Pauly Tabone’s fielder’s choice, but Putney and Matt Cowan drew bases-loaded walks to make it 5-0. Colin Luce then reached on a two-out error, which allowed two runs to score, Andrew Cowan hit an RBI single, and Crawford reached on another two-out error to plate the final two runs.

Holleran threw 4 2/3 innings and struck out two on the mound for Salamanca. His leadoff single in the third inning was the Warriors’ only hit other than Seeley’s double.

TROJANS WIN DRAMATIC QUARTERFINAL IN AKRON

AKRON — Cooper Charles hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning and Wilson Genareo struck out the final batter of the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame as No. 6 Southwestern beat No. 3 Akron 6-5 in a Class B quarterfinal.

The victory sends the Trojans into Thursday’s 5 p.m. semifinal against No. 2 JFK, which beat No. 7 Alden 11-6 in another Tuesday quarterfinal.

The Tigers led 5-2 entering the seventh inning before Lucas Genareo singled, Judd Harris was hit by a pitch and Wilson Genareo singled to load the bases. Akron changed pitchers and George Marshall greeted the reliever with an RBI single. Oscar Harris then tied the game with a two-run double before the go-ahead fly ball from Charles.

In the bottom of the frame, Wilson Genareo struck out the first Akron batter before a single and a walk. After another strikeout, Genareo hit a batter to load the bases before a three-pitch strikeout sealed the victory.

Southwestern took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Lucas Genareo walked before Judd Harris and Wilson Genareo were hit by pitches to load the bases with one out. Marshall then hit a two-run single.

The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning and tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to set up the dramatic seventh.

WOLFPACK ERROR PLATES WINNING RUN

CLYMER — No. 6 Portville broke a 3-3 tie with a run in the top of the seventh inning to beat No. 3 Clymer/Sherman/Panama 4-3 in a Class C quarterfinal.

The Panthers’ Dylan Chudy singled with one out and pinch-runner Mekhi Muhyee stole second before taking third on an error in the top of the seventh inning. After a strikeout, Cole Keesler reached on a two-out error to plate the go-ahead run.

In the Wolfpack’s half of the seventh, Bryce Hinsdale hit a leadoff single, stole second and went to third on a groundout, but was stranded there as Portville’s Brady German pitched around a walk to strike out two of the final three Clymer/Sherman/Panama batters.

Portville led 3-0 in the top of the third inning before the Wolfpack got single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

Johnny Abers singled, went to second on a groundout, stole third and scored on Hinsdale’s sacrifice fly in the third. Gavin Burchanowski reached on an error, stole second and third, and scored on a Tate Catanese groundout in the fifth. Isaiah Burkholder singled and stole second before going to third and scoring when Brady Phelps put down a bunt and the Panthers committed an error in the sixth.

Hinsdale tossed a complete-game five-hitter with four strikeouts and four walks while allowing four runs (three earned) on the mound.

Portville will visit No. 2 Gowanda for a 5 p.m. semifinal Thursday.

GOWANDA COASTS PAST EAGLES

GOWANDA — Blake Herman and Seth Geiger combined on a five-inning four-hitter with 10 strikeouts as No. 2 Gowanda beat No. 7 Chautauqua Lake 11-1 in a Class C quarterfinal.

The Panthers will host No. 6 Portville on Thursday in a 5 p.m. semifinal. Portville beat No. 3 Clymer/Sherman/Panama 4-3 in another Tuesday quarterfinal.

Kyan Austin went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored; Herman tripled, drove in a run and scored twice; and Logan Ruff singled, drove in a pair and scored a run Tuesday. Gowanda led 7-0 after two innings.

Devin Hewes had two of Chautauqua Lake’s hits while Cayden Blackman drove in the Eagles’ lone run.

GRUBER, WEAVER NO-HIT RANDOLPH

FREWSBURG — Chase Haglund went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored while Aidan Gruber and Gavin Weaver combined on a five-inning no-hitter with 11 strikeouts as No. 1 Frewsburg shut out No. 8 Randolph 10-0 in a Class C quarterfinal.

The Bears will host No. 4 Falconer in a 5 p.m. Thursday semifinal. The Golden Falcons walked off with a 4-3 victory over No. 5 Westfield in another Tuesday quarterfinal.

Daniel Peterson went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored; Maddox Sheesley doubled, drove in a run and scored a run; Blake Weaver was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored; and Gavin Weaver singled twice, drove in a run and scored a run for the Bears, who took a 6-0 lead with a four-run bottom of the third inning.

ELLICOTTVILLE ADVANCES IN CLASS D

ELLICOTTVILLE — Rylan Benjamin threw a two-hit, five-inning shutout with nine strikeouts to lead No. 4 Ellicottville past No. 5 Pine Valley 10-0 in a Class D quarterfinal.

The Eagles will travel to No. 1 Franklinville for a 5 p.m. Thursday semifinal.

Sawyer Miller went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run scored; Ryan Norton singled, drove in two runs and scored a run; and Parker John singled and scored three runs Tuesday for Ellicottville.

Camryn Slade and Hayden Chase had the lone hits for Pine Valley.