Below the logo of the program he has guided for the majority of his adult life, the text read, “We are one.”

Jagoda has always had a way of uniting his teams toward one common goal. Tuesday, that goal was to beat the Fredonia Hillbillies.

But the game Tuesday was not just another game.

It was not even just another rivalry showdown with Fredonia.

Dunkirk baseball head coach Frank Jagoda is covered in Silly String after he won his 400th career game Tuesday, a 5-1 win over Fredonia in a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 contest at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

Text messages and well wishes were shared with Jagoda in the moments leading up to the game, as the face of the Dunkirk Marauders baseball program took his first shot at a monumental victory in his career — his 400th victory.

Dunkirk took its shot, and it didn’t miss.

With a 5-1 victory over the Hillbillies, Jagoda claimed his 400th career victory.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of these games. I’ve won a lot of them, and I’ve lost a lot of them. Yeah, I’ve got 400 wins, but I also have quite a few losses,” Jagoda said after the victory. “You remember the losses more than you remember the wins, but I certainly will remember today.”

For a baseball lifer like Jagoda, Tuesday’s win could not have been any sweeter. Not only was it a win over Fredonia, his bitter rival since he was growing up in grade school in Dunkirk; it was also in a spectacular game with each side’s best pitcher at the top of their game.

A game ball from Tuesday's Dunkirk-Fredonia game is pictured. Dunkirk head coach Frank Jagoda earned his 400th career victory with the win. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

“Two senior leaders just battling back and forth, it was a good game. It was a real good game,” Jagoda said.

Fredonia’s ace, Ashton Putney, struck out the side in the first inning to start the game. He struck out three straight batters in the second inning after hitting the leadoff hitter, then retired the Marauders in order in the third inning, as well. The right-hander did not allow a hit until the fourth inning.

Dunkirk senior Greg Orcutt was just as impressive. Despite allowing several baserunners to reach on free passes or by being hit by the pitch, the Hillbillies did not drive the ball off Orcutt at all. In fact, Fredonia (0-2, 0-1) only managed two hits off Orcutt in five innings of work, and neither one left the infield.

“We had opportunities, we just really didn’t get the key hit,” said Fredonia head coach Tim Cowan.

Dunkirk (5-0, 1-0) had a prime opportunity to score the game’s first run after Josh Lemanski led off the fourth inning with an infield single. He stole second base to reach scoring position with nobody out for Orcutt, who did his best to help his cause with a line drive single to center field. After the ball was bobbled in the thick grass of Fredonia’s outfield, Lemanski was sent home. Only a stellar relay throw would thwart Dunkirk’s scoring opportunity. Lemanski was out at the plate and the game remained scoreless.

Dunkirk head coach Frank Jagoda is all smiles during Tuesday's game at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

After Dunkirk’s first two hits of the game resulted in nothing but a stellar Fredonia play at the plate, the Marauders got a shot at redemption in the sixth inning. Gabe Valentine led off the inning with a single down the third base line that stayed fair over the bag by no more than a few inches. That turned the lineup over to Paul Trippy III, Dunkirk’s senior leadoff hitter and one of the team captains.

Trippy and Putney have faced off at the varsity level for several years now. Putney came out on top in the first two at-bats of the day, including a strikeout to start the game and a ground ball to second base. Still, Trippy knew that if he stuck to his approach to take the ball to the opposite field, it would eventually pay off.

“I’ve seen Putney a couple times,” Trippy said with a smile. “He nailed the outside corner in my first at-bat and rung me up. I was just focusing on hitting that pitch, and he gave it to me again.”

The third time was the charm, as Trippy drilled the outside pitch into the right-center field gap. Valentine advanced to third base on a double from Trippy, which put two runners in scoring position with nobody out.

That set the stage for Dunkirk to capitalize, and as Lemanski lifted a ball into center field, another play at the plate was in motion. Valentine dashed home and propelled himself head first into home plate, as the ball trickled past catcher Andrew Cowan. The Marauders finally broke through against Putney and took a 1-0 lead on the sacrifice fly. Trippy advanced to third on the throw, and later scored on a groundout from Orcutt to double the lead.

Fredonia’s Matt Cowan (5) gets back to first base as Dunkirk’s Anthony Cosme takes the throw during Tuesday’s Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 baseball game at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

After Dunkirk took the lead, Orcutt was lifted following five shutout innings. Lemanski replaced him on the mound. He allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base and advance on a pair of fielder’s choices, the second of which Lemanski fielded himself on a quick one-hopper back to the mound. Then, with two outs and a man on third, Davi Alvalle fielded a ground ball near the third base line and ripped a strong throw from behind the bag over to first for the third out to end the inning.

Following the strong defensive play, Fredonia’s ace ran out of gas in the seventh inning. Putney was lifted after allowing two of the first three runners to reach base in the inning. When the frame was all said and done, three more runs crossed the plate and Dunkirk’s lead ballooned to 5-0.

As any good rival would, Fredonia refused to make it easy on Dunkirk in the end. Following a strikeout to start the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hillbillies put the next two runners on base and knocked Lemanski out of the game. Anthony Cosme took the hill needing two outs for the win. He struck out the first batter, but walked the next two, forcing in a run and bringing the tying run to the plate. Cosme buckled down when he needed to, getting Brady Helmer to swing and miss for the final out of the game

After the game, Trippy said the Marauders did not feel much added pressure to win, despite the milestone on the line for their coach. Instead, just as Trippy did in his key at-bat, Dunkirk just stuck to the same approach as it always does.

“We had to do our thing for that win to happen — just going out there and executing like we do together as a team,” Trippy said. “It’s a winning atmosphere that he created for us.”

Fredonia's Matt Cowan receives a throw as Dunkirk's Gabe Valentine dives back to the base during Tuesday's game at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown

Just as Dunkirk did a year ago, the visiting team earned the win on Fredonia’s field in a rivalry showdown, despite another valiant effort from the ace of the Hillbillies. It took another monumental performance this year to top Putney, the reigning OBSERVER/Post-Journal Player of the Year.

Jagoda said of the win, “It was about our kids playing baseball today and coming out on top. I couldn’t be more happy for them to get this win, and what it means to them at the start of our league season.”

Last year, it was Zach Zentz throwing a complete-game shutout for the Marauders. This year, as Zentz watched from behind the Dunkirk dugout, with a direct line of sight at the spot where he hugged his coach after earning the win a year ago, it was Jagoda who was in the spotlight this year, with his sons, Joe and Frank, in attendance to watch their father hit another milestone in his illustrious career, against his lifelong rival program.

“Since I was 11 years old, playing 50 years ago now, it’s always against each other,” Jagoda said. “The rivalry will always be there. Just the intensity that it brings, it’s good for the area, for baseball.”

Across the diamond, Cowan recognized the significance of the milestone after the game. Fredonia players came over to shake hands with Jagoda after the final out.

“You tip your cap to him. It’s a testament to a terrific career,” Cowan said. “He’s got great kids in the dugout and he has for a long time.”

The two teams will not waste any time before a rematch, as Fredonia travels to Dunkirk today for another rivalry showdown in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1. A year ago, after Dunkirk won on Fredonia’s field, the Hillbillies returned the favor with a win in Dunkirk. Fredonia hopes history repeats itself today.

Fredonia's Ashton Putney delivers to the plate during Tuesday's game against Dunkirk at Fredonia High School. P-J photo by Ashleigh Brown