FREWSBURG — Come Saturday, Frewsburg is going to play for its 22nd Section VI baseball title.

The top-seeded Bears led 3-0 early and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning to beat No. 4 Falconer 4-1 in a Section VI Class C semifinal Thursday at the Frewsburg Sports Complex.

Frewsburg will look for its first crown since 2016 when it takes on No. 2 Gowanda at 11 a.m. Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown. The Panthers topped No. 6 Portville 8-1 in Thursday’s other semifinal.

Early in Frewsburg, it looked like the Bears might run away with their game. Chase Haglund led off the bottom of the first inning with a single and Mason Eckman was hit by a pitch before a Maddox Sheesley fielder’s choice left runners at first and third with one out. Daniel Peterson then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Haglund, but the Golden Falcons’ Gavin Curtis got out of the inning without any further damage with a strikeout.

Frewsburg added on a pair of runs in the second inning. Gavin Weaver and Cole Mazzurco singled to open the frame before Drake Beckstrom was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. After a lineout and a strikeout, Eckman and Sheesley hit consecutive RBI infield singles to make it 3-0.

Aidan Gruber started on the mound for the Bears and pitched four innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out eight.

Frewsburg tacked on its final run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Haglund and Eckman hit back-to-back singles with one out. Sheesley then hit a groundball and Eckman was thrown out at second, but Haglund scored on the play before Sheesley was also thrown out attempting to take second.

Drake Beckstrom faced the minimum in the fifth and sixth innings before running into trouble in the seventh. Falconer’s Erik Stenstrom walked to lead off the frame and Logan Johnson singled to right field to leave runners at first and third. Curtis then hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. A single from Anthony Wood and a walk to Colton Rhinehart loaded the bases.

Haglund then relieved for the Bears and picked up a strikeout before a fly ball to right field ended the game.

GOWANDA ROLLS IN ‘C’ SEMIFINAL

GOWANDA — Carter Capozzi allowed one run and five hits over five innings while striking out eight as No. 2 Gowanda beat No. 6 Portville 8-1 in a Class C semifinal at Panther Park.

The Panthers will play for their fifth sectional title Saturday when they take on No. 1 Frewsburg at 11 a.m. at Diethrick Park in Jamestown.

Thursday’s game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Gowanda put up three runs. With one out, Landen Ashley singled to center field before Brayden Smith and Blake Herman were both hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ashley and Smith both scored when Kyan Austin reached on an error. Herman ended up at third on the play and scored on Capozzi’s groundout.

Portville got its only run in the top of the fourth inning. Ty Kosinski doubled and Cole Keesler singled before Izayah Edmund hit an RBI single.

Gowanda made it 5-1 in the fifth inning. Smith singled to lead off the inning and Herman was hit by a pitch before Austin reached on a bunt single to load the bases. After a fly out, Logan Ruff hit a two-run single.

Herman added an RBI triple to score Smith, Austin had an RBI bunt single and Ruff hit an RBI single in the sixth inning to cap the scoring.

Herman and Noah Lauer combined for the final six outs on the mound for Gowanda, which last won sectional crowns in 2021 and 2023.

SOUTHWESTERN REACHES ‘B’ FINAL

CHEEKTOWAGA — Judd Harris went 3 for 5 with a home run, two RBIs and four runs scored as No. 6 Southwestern beat No. 2 JFK 17-6 in a Class B semifinal at Cheektowaga High School.

The Trojans will play for their fifth sectional crown at 4 p.m. Saturday at Frontier High School. They will take on No. 1 Medina, which beat No. 4 Fredonia 2-1 in nine innings in Thursday’s other semifinal.

JFK scored first Thursday, but Southwestern answered with the next 10 runs to take a 10-1 lead. After the Bears made it 10-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Trojans scored seven of the final eight runs.

Wilson Genareo tripled, drove in a run and scored five runs after walking three times; George Marshall was 4 for 6 with two RBIs and three runs scored; Oscar Harris doubled, drove in two runs and scored three times; Gavin Anderson doubled and drove in three runs; and Kyler Wotojowicz had a pair of hits and an RBI for Southwestern.

Lucas Genareo tossed five innings of seven-hit ball, allowing five runs (three earned) while striking out seven and walking five. Cooper Charles got the final six outs, allowing three hits while striking out two and walking two. He allowed an unearned run.

MEDINA OUSTS FREDONIA IN EXTRAS

MEDINA — A run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning sent No. 1 Medina past No. 4 Fredonia 2-1 in a Class B semifinal.

The Hillbillies led 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning before a Mustangs runner stole second and third before scoring on an error.

Medina will take on No. 6 Southwestern in the 4 p.m. final Saturday at Frontier High School.

FRANKLINVILLE REACHES ‘D’ FINAL

FRANKLINVILLE — Matthew Spittler went 2 for 3 with a home run, a double and two RBIs as No. 1 Franklinville topped No. 4 Ellicottville 4-2 in a Class D semifinal.

Bretton Blecha tossed five innings of two-hit ball, allowing an unearned run while striking out five and walking two for the Panthers, who will take on No. 2 Brocton in the sectional final at 2 p.m. Saturday at Diethrick Park in Jamestown. The Bulldogs beat No. 3 North Collins 4-2 in Thursday’s other semifinal.

Spittler got the final five outs on the mound for Franklinville, allowing two hits while striking out four and walking one.

Trevin Lane went 2 for 3 with a run scored while Blecha and courtesy-runner Brendan MacWilliams also scored for Franklinville.

Rylan Benjamin allowed six hits while striking out four and walking four on the mound for the Eagles.

A.J. Myers had two hits, an RBI and a run scored while Benjamin singled and scored a run.