Padua streaks past Poland 11-1

The Bruins scored eight runs in the first two innings to win the regional title.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HUDSON -- The Parma Padua Franciscan High baseball team took a 4-0 lead against Poland in the first inning Saturday at the Division II regional championship game at the David J. Gagat Instructional Facility field.
The contest was then delayed two-and-a-half hours because of lightning and rain.
Parma Padua coach Mark Zofka thought that long delay might re-energize the Poland baseball players. He was concerned about their hitting abilities after seeing the Bulldogs wallop Mentor Lake Catholic, 12-2, on Friday.
But it was the Bruins who took advantage of the long delay by scoring four runs in the top of the second inning en route to an 11-1 victory.
Five Poland errors
Padua (23-7) used two hit batters, five walks, five errors and two hits in those two innings to take that commanding 8-0 lead.
"You can't win when you make six errors and only get five hits," Poland coach Richard Murray said. "We didn't make plays or hit enough."
Jake Plata (7-3), a junior pitcher for the Bruins, worked a complete game as he handcuffed the Bulldogs' batters. He allowed only five hits and struck out 10.
"That big start was huge for us," Zofka said. "In this type of a game, you have to start strong and when we scored four more runs after the rain delay, that meant a lot. We put the ball in play when we needed to."
"Jake kept the ball down in the strike zone against them and he threw his curve for strikes. He's a bulldog-type kid," Sofka said. "Poland has a solid team and they have some nice ball players."
Bulldogs' lone run
The Bulldogs, who completed the season with a 22-8 record, scored their run in the fifth inning as Joe Renaud reached second base on an error and raced home on a single by Frank Larubbio, who led Poland with three singles.
"We had a good season," Murray said. "At one point in team were 10-10 and to get this far is a tribute to the kids and its something to built on."
After Poland scored, Padua answered with a run in the sixth on a pair of singles, wild pitch, stolen base and a fielder's choice.
The Bruins added two more runs in the seventh on three singles, error, fielder's choice, sacrifice and a walk.
Tony Holz hit three singles for the Bruins with Mike Zemerick and Plata adding two hits apiece.