Fredonia pitcher Danielle Palisin delivers a pitch during Wednesday’s state championship sub-regional softball game against Haverling at Frontier High School. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

HAMBURG — If you told Jesse Beers before Wednesday’s game that his pitcher, Danielle Palisin, would throw seven innings with only three hits and no walks, he would have signed up for it.

Unfortunately for Jesse’s girls, the Haverling Rams did just enough to spoil Palisin’s stellar effort and end the year for the Fredonia ‘Billies.

Fredonia fell to the Haverling Rams 2-1 in a state championship sub-regional softball game, Wednesday, at Frontier High School.

Haverling pitcher Kaili Witherell was overpowering on Wednesday. The senior co-captain pitched all seven innings with only an unearned run in the first inning against her. She racked up 13 strikeouts and set down Fredonia’s hitters 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings to secure the victory.

After both teams scored a run in the first inning on poor throws, only one run was scored through the final six innings of play.

Fredonia leadoff hitter Naomi Muck swings at a pitch during Wednesday’s state championship sub-regional softball game against Haverling at Frontier High School. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

With two outs in the third inning, Haverling’s Makayla Smith blasted a changeup from Palisin over the wall in left-center field for a solo home run. Palisin settled in nicely after that, only allowing two base runners the rest of the game – one on a bloop single and the other on an error.

It was Fredonia’s offense that could not get the job done on Wednesday. In the three innings immediately following the home run, Fredonia left a combined five runners on base – three of which were in scoring position. In the final two innings, Fredonia did not reach base as Witherell struck out the side in the sixth inning and Haverling’s infield retired all three batters in the seventh inning.

Up next, Haverling faces Susquehanna Valley, the Section IV Champion, in the regional round of the state tournament, Saturday at 11 a.m., at Grand Island High School.

This story will be updated.