Crestwood ends Poland's season, 7-3

By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
AKRON -- Coach Reid Lamport stood in front of the dugout, took off his cap and ran a hand over his head. Then he began a slow walk toward the pitcher's circle.
His senior pitcher on the Poland High softball team, Jessica Lamport -- also his daughter -- had just labored through four tough innings Sunday in the Division II regional final against Crestwood.
And it wasn't getting any better.
"It was the right time," the coach said of making a pitching change.
The fifth-inning move, in which Jessica Lamport traded positions with second baseman Mallory Conger, was indicative of the Bulldogs' 7-3 loss at Firestone Park.
It also became the underlying theme of the day: This game didn't go as Poland planned.
Falling short
One victory from returning to the state tournament, where they finished runner-up in 2001, the Bulldogs (23-6) unraveled by committing five errors against the Portage County League champion.
"I don't remember the last time a Poland team had five errors in a game," Reid Lamport said.
Crestwood (30-2), which advanced to its first state tournament, displayed a variety of abilities that Poland struggled to handle. The Red Devils were strong at the plate, aggressive on the basepaths and reliable defensively.
"This team pressures you, and we knew that coming in. They force you to make plays," Reid Lamport said. "We got a little tight and a little tense."
Jessica Lamport (14-4) was bothered early by the home plate umpire's tight strike zone, and Crestwood took advantage.
"I usually live on the outside corner," she said, "but [the umpire] didn't want to give it to me."
Reid Lamport added, "When she doesn't get the outside corner on her curveball, it limits her. He was fair with both sides."
Decisive inning
Stephanie Moore's triple off Lamport, deep over left-fielder Amy Nelson's head, highlighted the third inning in which Crestwood opened a 3-0 lead.
Poland also committed three errors in the inning.
"One error started it, and there was nothing we could do to stop it," said Poland senior catcher Stephanie Russell, who will play at Indiana (Pa.) University next season with former Poland pitching standout Sarah Knill.
The Bulldogs' fate worsened in the fourth when Crestwood's Michelle Penney hit an inside-the-park home run.
The ball sailed into the right center-field gap as Penney made her way around the bases, giving the Red Devils a 4-0 lead.
"We don't depend on one kid. It's a different hitter each time," Crestwood coach Leroy Moore said. "That's the solid team concept we've been talking about."
Two more Poland errors in the fifth contributed to Crestwood's 7-0 lead. It was also the inning that brought Conger to the pitcher's circle.
"I'm not a selfish player, so I wanted to do what was best for the team," said Jessica Lamport, who will pitch at Geneva College next season. "I wasn't on today. It wasn't one of my better games."
Two-out rally
The 5-foot-11 Moore, also Crestwood's pitcher with a 27-2 record, silenced the Bulldogs through six innings. She couldn't do so in the seventh.
With two outs, Poland rallied for three runs with the benefit of four straight singles, but it wasn't enough for the Metro Athletic Conference champion.
Senior Katie Naumoff and junior Steffi Graf each had two singles for the Bulldogs, who played without junior catcher/shortstop Krista Ginnetti.
Ginnetti's absence, resulting from a disciplinary action at school, forced Poland to juggle its lineup.
"No one expected this team to win the league, much less be sectional and district champs," said Reid Lamport, citing major position changes in the program. "We had a great year, and I don't want one game to define our season."
richesson@vindy.com