Poland pays price for 6 errors

The Bulldogs lost 8-3 to Akron Hoban in their regional final softball game.

By WILL HANLON

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

AKRON — When the Poland High softball team gathered in right field following its loss in Saturday’s Division II regional championship, the gray skies overhead finally let down a rain that waited to fall until the end of the game.

There the team sat in the Firestone Stadium outfield, in the rain; a fitting setting for an unhappy ending.

The Bulldogs’ 8-3 loss to Akron Hoban ended a strong playoff run one game shy of the state’s final four.

Poland’s five seniors ended their varsity careers one game short of a dream.

“It wasn’t the way I wanted to end my career,” senior outfielder Krystal Rodriguez said.

The most devastating part of the loss may be that only two of the Knights’ runs were earned.

“It’s the third statistic up there that is the telltale statistic — six errors,” Poland coach Reid Lamport said. “And that’s really not indicative of how we played all season.”

Fast start for Knights

The game started downhill for the Bulldogs when Taylor Rice reached base on an error and immediately scored.

With two on and two outs, Knights first baseman Char Wichman doubled to deep right-center field for a 3-0 lead.

The lead grew to 5-0 in the third inning as center fielder Franki Gironda hit a two-run double with no outs.

Poland pitcher Liz Maher recovered to strand Gironda.

In the fourth inning, the Knights added three runs after back-to-back-to-back errors by the Bulldogs’ defense.

Maher was relieved by junior pitcher Allie Patton, who shut the door on the Knights.

With Rodriguez on base in the fourth inning, senior Jenna Susany ruined the Knights’ shutout on one swing of the bat, hitting a deep home run to left field.

Friends forever

“The season was wonderful,” Susany said. “These are some of the best people I’ve ever played with, and they’ll be my friends forever.”

In the sixth inning, the Bulldogs loaded the bases against Knights pitcher Lauren McNeil when Patton, Rodriguez and Susany singled.

But again, McNeil was dominant as she struck out the next three batters.

In the seventh inning, Patton doubled home a run for an 8-3 score. Then the Bulldogs loaded the bases before McNeil caught the a pop-up for the final out.

Four hits for Susany

The Bulldogs were led offensively by Susany, who finished 4-4 with a home run, two RBIs and three singles.

Rodriguez came off the bench and safely reached base three times and scored a run.

On the mound, Maher went three-and-a-third innings and was responsible for the eight runs (two were earned). She struck out four batters. Patton gave up two hits .

Knights second basemen Danielle Cooper finished with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Rice scored three runs.

McNeil gave up three earned runs on nine hits while fanning 10 Bulldogs.

“If you would have told me going in ‘You’re going to have nine hits, a two-run home run and score another run, I would have said we’ve got a great chance to win,” Lamport said.