The two teams were pitted against each other again in the state’s subregional Tuesday at Hamburg High School and the Eagles got their revenge.

Kendall starting pitcher Nicholas Cole gave up just four hits, walked one and struck out seven in an 8-0 shutout victory.

“We were counted out based on the players we lost last year,” Gowanda head coach Tim Smith said. “Every single one of the players on the roster dug in and made it a point we were going to do everything possible to have a chance to make it back to Binghamton. Amongst all the naysayers around because of who we lost these guys did it, they made their mark on the Gowanda baseball program and they made their mark to say that we are sectional champions and the first group that has gone back-to-back.”

Gowanda gave up just two earned runs in the contest. An uncharacteristically sloppy third inning during which Kendall plated four runs via two singles, two errors and three walks gave Cole a healthy cushion to relax on the mound.

OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms Gowanda third baseman Tristin Luther makes a throw to first base during Tuesday's game against Kendall at Hamburg High School.

“No doubt,” Smith said about how impactful the errors were. “We’ve had fantastic pitching and fantastic defense all season long. We picked a bad day to have a bad defensive game, I can pretty much summarize it like that. Uncharacteristic mistakes we made. Hopefully we learn from that and hopefully we are able to change some of that.”

Sophomore Aiden Geiger started on the bump for Gowanda and gave up three hits in the first two innings. In the third, an error turning a routine double play kept Kendall alive and led to a 3-0 Eagles lead before senior brother Seth Geiger took over on the mound for the Panthers.

He was unable to get out of the bases-loaded jam unscathed after an RBI walk and a sacrifice fly gave Kendall a 5-0 lead.

“Aiden has been one of our dudes all year, Seth has been one of our dudes all year,” Smith said about the Geigers. “I felt that they both did their job. We professed the idea that pitchers are going out there in cases pitching to contact and our defense is going to make plays. They did exactly what they’re supposed to do today, we just let them down behind them.”

Gowanda looked for a response in the bottom of the third and after singling a Kendall error allowed Kyan Austin to get into scoring position.

OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms Gowanda's Aiden Geiger delivers to the plate during the NYSPHSAA Class C Far West subregional baseball game at Hamburg High School on Tuesday.

However, one of the key differences in the game was the Eagles ability to put the ball in play when runners were aboard and Gowanda’s inability to do so.

Austin was tagged out heading to third base on a fielder’s choice the following at-bat, but finished the day as the lone Panther with multiple hits adding another single in the bottom of the fifth.

“I felt that we didn’t really have aggressive swings,” Smith said about his offense. “I felt that we were really defensive the whole game, I think Kyan Austin had some real nice swings, aside from that we were very defensive in everything. Up to this point we have been very aggressive in our swings, I just thought if we put some more balls in play a little bit harder I think we had a chance. We just didn’t execute.”

Gowanda did not threaten much over the course of the game, but just in case, the Eagles added some insurance in the top of the seventh with another three runs highlighted by a double from senior Michael Colucci.

Charles D’Agostino also had a double for Kendall. Vincent D’Agostino went 3 for 5, Andrew D’Agostino drove in three runs and Sam Conte went 3 for 4 with two runs scored.

OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms Kendall starting pitcher Nick Cole delivers to the plate during Tuesday's Class C Far West Subregional at Hamburg High School.

Kendall advances to the state quarterfinals this weekend against Section III’s Beaver River.

Gowanda will not hang its head after the loss, still finishing with an impressive 20-4 record, another Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 3 title and back-to-back Section VI Class C championships.

The Panthers graduate several key players such as Seth Geiger, Carter Capozzi, Colin Barnes and Noah Lauer.

“I always like to send a shoutout to our seniors,” Smith added. “Noah Lauer and Colin Barnes who have been two-year seniors, fantastic teammates, fantastic players; Seth Geiger, who has been a three-year senior for us, has been a fantastic lockdown outfielder for us, outstanding pitcher with many wins in his career; then the top dog in that is Carter Capozzi, a four-year player who can finish his career and say he played in four sectional championships and won three of them. He tied the school record for career wins and just a fantastic sports career for him.”

Smith hopes his returning players will use the loss as motivation to come back hungry to improve and maintain the excellence that has been seven straight trips to the sectional final.

“It’s no different than where we were a couple years ago,” Smith said about the future. “We went through that stagger period, this is the seventh sectional championship appearance in a row and there was a point where we won every other year. There were groups that felt the sting of losing and there were groups that can use that for motivation the following year. A lot of young guys here, there’s no doubt about that, we have now won a sectional championship and felt the sting of losing a Far West game. This is hopefully motivation to work in the offseason, to play this summer, to do some of the things nobody is watching you do to hopefully get stronger.”