Brocton’s Ray Santiago, right, slides in to home plate to score the lone run of the game for the Bulldogs during Saturday’s Section VI, Class D Championship baseball game at Hamburg High School. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

HAMBURG — An unseasonably bitter cold day had an equally bitter finish to the year for the Brocton Bulldogs. The Franklinville Panthers jumped ahead early and never looked back on the way to a 6-1 victory to claim the Section VI, Class D Baseball Championship on Saturday afternoon at Hamburg High School.

Franklinville (13-6, 1-seed) put up two runs in the first inning behind an aggressive attack against Brocton pitcher Michael Garcia’s fastball. Despite the temperature at 48 degrees with winds dropping the feel into the 30s, Franklinville’s bats were as hot as can be to start the game.

Leadoff hitter Bretton Blecha ripped a single to left field on the first pitch of the game. After the second pitch of the game was popped out to second base, Franklinville had runners on the corners following a hard hit single to the left-center field gap by Matthew Spittler. Cleanup hitter Isaac Towne drilled a two-run double to left field for the first two runs of the game.

“We knew coming in, they were going to be ready to go. We knew they would be hot,” said Brocton head coach Rob Fetterick. “We came in with Michael (Garcia) thinking maybe with a little speed, because it’s cold out here, maybe reflexes wouldn’t be as fast, but they got on his fastball.”

Blecha set the Bulldogs down in order in the second inning with his second consecutive frame of 13 pitches, including a strikeout in each inning.

Brocton pitcher Anthony Cruz delivers a pitch during the Section VI, Class D Championship baseball game, Saturday, at Hamburg High School. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Brocton (11-10, 2-seed) had its first strong chance to score in the third inning after loading the bases with only one out for the heart of the order. After a conference on the mound, Blecha settled down and got Nate Laurito to ground out to the first baseman to come home for the force. Ray Santiago grounded out to second base to leave the bases loaded as Brocton left the inning still without a run.

“We didn’t have our hits today, and a couple routine grounders here and there, we didn’t come away with finding the gaps,” Fetterick said.

After three walks in the fourth inning loaded the bases, it was Towne again who came through with the big hit. With Garcia – now at shortstop – playing back halfway for the double play, Towne smoked the ball into the turf. As the ball picked up speed on the hop, it blew past Garcia and into left field for Towne’s second two-run hit of the game. Franklinville’s lead increased to 5-0.

Brocton went down in order in the top of the fifth inning after a groundout to first base followed by a pair of strikeouts to end the frame.

The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the sixth inning as Ray Santiago came around to score on a throwing error by the third baseman. Santiago slid into home plate as the ball arrived and disrupted the catcher’s process of securing the tag.

Brocton’s Chris Furman swings at a pitch during the Section VI, Class D Championship baseball game at Hamburg High School on Saturday. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Franklinville added a run in the sixth inning on a pickle play by a runner at third base. While two runners were left stranded to end the inning, Franklinville’s lead was 6-1 after six innings of play.

A two-out Brocton rally in the seventh inning came to an end as Drew Gustafson was tagged out while sliding into home plate after a rundown. The Panthers tossed their gloves in the air and began the celebration as the umpire signaled for the final out.

Blecha pitched the entire game for Franklinville, only allowing the one unearned run in the sixth inning. Michael Garcia was credited with the loss after allowing three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Anthony Cruz pitched the final 4 1/3 innings for the Bulldogs.

“Things don’t fall your way sometimes in this game. I preach to these kids all the time that it’s the small things. The little things are what’s going to matter in the biggest way. They see that today. It only helps the kids coming up in years to come,” Fetterick said.

Franklinville now advances to the Far West Regional game next weekend. Brocton’s season ends as a runner up in Class D after winning its first postseason game since 2019 on Thursday.

“Getting here was the goal. These kids battled. They were resilient,” Fetterick said. “… These kids are great kids. Sending off these seniors, it’s tough to see them go, but you know they are going to be in a good place.”