BINGHAMTON – For more than a decade and a half, Afton has reigned as the best Class D team in Section IV. A pair of early-season losses gave way to the Crimson Knights’ typical brand of play, and they won their 16th straight sectional title Saturday at the BAGSAI Complex blanking Deposit, 4-0.

Seventh-grader Cassidy Phillips pitched a one-hit shutout victory for Afton (17-4) striking out six, who aim to defend their 2009 state championship.

“We’ve made tremendous strides,” said Afton coach Cindy Bostelman of her team’s progress since game one. “We took some tough losses to Sidney and Greene, and then we went south to play. We got our act together and realized we needed to change some things.”

Afton strung 15 wins in a row together, dropped a tough loss to Greene in the MAC league title game, but steamrolled into the sectional finals beating the Lumberjacks for the third time this season.

The Knights, after going in order the first two innings, put all four of their runs on the board in the third. Brittney Patten and Nicole Mulieri singled to start the inning. Carolyn Elllis – pinch-running for Patten – and Mulieri scored on Holly Andrews’ drive to right-center that was scored as an error. Stephanie Sherman singled to score Andrews, and after another Deposit error, Sherman came home on Stephanie Parsons’ fielder’s choice. Deposit made three of its four errors in the inning leading to three runs.