DIVISION II SOFTBALL Poland seniors lead way in 5-3 win over Mooney

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HUBBARD -- The Poland High softball team has four seniors that know what it takes to capture a district championship.
Two of them, pitcher Jessica Lamport and catcher Stephanie Russell, came through with clutch performances to help the Bulldogs to their third consecutive regional appearance with a 5-3 win over Cardinal Mooney at Hubbard on Thursday.
Lamport pitched a three-hitter and struck out 11, while Russell slammed a two-out hit that drove in two runs in a four-run third inning that gave the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.
Poland (22-5) has captured 10 district titles under coach Reid Lamport. According to Lamport, senior leadership is the reason.
"These girls come to expect MAC [Metro Athletic Conference] and district titles," Lamport said. "Not to sound arrogant, but they just expect it. They've all been here. They've all experienced it. They all know what's waiting down the road for them."
That experience came in handy against the Cardinals.
Leading 1-0 in the third, Poland loaded the bases with no outs. Mooney's defense came up big with two good plays by third baseman Dana Palazzo, who threw home twice to force out Poland runners. Then Russell smacked the two-out hit off the glove of Palazzo that scored two runs.
"That hit was huge," Lamport said. "We had just gone through our two and three hitters and for [Russell] to come through was clutch.
"If [Mooney] gets out of that it would have been a big lift for them. Instead it kind of took the wind out of their sails."
Russell said she knew it was time to step up.
"I was thinking that I really had to crush [the ball]," Russell said. "There was nothing that was going to hold me back. The third baseman nearly made a great play but the ball got through."
Poland tacked on two more runs on a wild pitch and a double by Jess Modic. Mooney made a bid to get back in the game in the fifth after a leadoff double by Adrianne Detesco, but Lamport struck out the next three batters.
Mooney scored two runs in the sixth on an RBI single by Pam Walko and an RBI groundout by Gina Brunetti.
Katie Stickel scored Mooney's third run in the seventh.
"We ran into one bad inning," said Mooney coach Mark Rinehart. "Our third baseman nearly made a great play on a hard hit ball, but it was a hit and we got down five runs."