Conger helps deliver Poland past Edgewood

The Bulldogs (20-5) advance to the regional tournament next Wednesday against Mogadore Field.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
JEFFERSON -- Since the day of the Division II sectional tournament draw, when it was seeded No. 2, the Poland High softball team has been playing with a chip on its shoulder.
That chip was worn in the form of a Band-Aid on the shoulder of every player and every coach. Tuesday afternoon the Bulldogs took them off.
Ashley Conger rapped a three-run, seventh inning home run and Liz Maher pitched shutout ball over the final six innings, as Poland defeated Ashtabula Edgewood, 5-1 to capture the Division II district championship at JAGS field.
Familiar opponent
It marked the fifth straight meeting between the Bulldogs and Warriors in the district final and it was the fourth win for the Bulldogs, whose only loss came last year in a 3-2 decision.
Poland (20-5) advances to the regional tournament next Wednesday against Mogadore Field in a 5 p.m. contest at Akron's Firestone Stadium.
"It's not that Mooney didn't deserve to be the No. 1 seed," said Poland coach Reid Lamport. "It was just the fact the people thought that Poland softball had taken a step back and these girls went out and played their tails off to prove everybody wrong."
Maher, who gave the Warriors their only run in the first inning, was spotless the rest of the way.
The Bulldogs committed two errors in that first inning and the run was unearned, but the defense came up with some big plays down the stretch and Conger's three-run blast in the seventh made the final inning an easy one for junior pitcher.
Plays when needed
"That's why I love these girls," said Maher. "They always come up with the big plays when we need them."
Maher said a swirling and stiff wind that blew the entire game probably was to her advantage because it enabled her to keep the ball down.
"It was also a help that I had pitched against them last year, so I knew where not to throw the ball and it was a little easier," Maher added.
Lamport said the Bulldogs learned from last year's loss.
"Edgewood likes to put the pressure on you with chopping swings and bunts and they got to us last year, but the kids didn't buckle to the pressure this year," he said.
The Bulldogs also committed five errors in the contest, something that Lamport certainly didn't figure on.
"If you would have told me we would win 5-1 and make five errors I would have said 'No way,' " he added. "It was a close game for six innings, until Ashley hit the big homer and gave us some breathing room.
Big blast
Conger, who has hit four home runs this year but none as big as the one she hit Tuesday, said she was just trying to get on base.
"I went up there and the coaches told me to just concentrate on the pitch," she said. "I wasn't looking to hit a home run, but it just went out."
Poland got on the board first in the top of the first inning when Allie Patton singled to right with one out and when the ball got past Edgewood's right fielder she ended up on third base.
After Maher popped out for the second out, Jenna Barnhart singled to center to score Patton.
In the bottom of the first Trisha Dreslinski opened with fly to center that was dropped as she advanced to second. She was moved to third on a ground out and scored on a grounder to second.
After that it was a pitchers duel between Maher and the Warriors' Megan Dragon.
Dragon rolling
Dragon retired 11 straight Bulldogs until the sixth when Conger walked to lead off the inning, went to second on Maher's single and scored on Barnhart's second RBI single to give the Bulldogs the lead.
In the seventh, singles by Amanda Gittings and Jenna Medina set up Conger's blast over the right-center field fence.