Poland softball falls, 1-0, in Div. II pitchers’ duel against Tallmadge

By Tom Williams

AKRON — With three freshmen vying for key playing time, Poland High softball coach Reid Lamport admits he wasn’t sure how good his Bulldogs would be this season.

“We didn’t have an identity at the beginning of the season,” Lamport said. “How can you count on freshmen?”

Two months later, Lamport’s Bulldogs already have an identity for next season — state contenders.

Poland, winners of the All-American Conference Red Tier plus a 15-inning district title game over Edgewood, lost a heartbreaker to Tallmadge, 1-0, in Saturday’s Division II regional final at Firestone Stadium. The Bulldogs will be back — they lose just one senior (center fielder Brittany Gamble).

“We knew that our freshmen were pretty special and as the season progressed, they grew with every game,” said Lamport, referring to pitcher Erin Gabriel, third baseman Jenna Modic and designated player Kalie Benson. “Right now, there is no way they are freshmen, not experience-wise, not performance-wise.”

The only run that the Bulldogs (27-4) surrendered came in the first inning when the Blue Devils (27-4) converted two walks, an error and an infield hit.

Katie Swejic drew a walk to lead off. Fernanda Frajia laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached first on an error. After Lauren Grimes’ bunt single loaded the bases, Danielle Schaefer fouled off two two-strike pitches before drawing a walk.

“Losing on a walk is tough, it might be tougher than a batter knocking one through the infield in a crucial situation,” Lamport said. “But we’ve [relied] on [Gabriel] all season. She’s what got us here. If we can’t support her with two runs, then we don’t deserve to win.”

Gabriel (17-3) took charge to finish her 31-pitch inning, catching Jen Cottrell looking at strike three on the eighth pitch of her at-bat. Gabriel retired Brittany Lightel on a popup and whiffed Lindsay Montanari.

“Erin never lost her poise,” Lamport said. “We thought getting out of that with just one run was a lift for us. Her performance was awesome. Our defense, outside that early error, played great.”

Cottrell limited the Bulldogs to four singles.

Nicole White led off the third inning with a hit off third baseman Schaefer’s glove. After Megan Hirschbeck sacrificed White to second, the Bulldogs were victims of a call that Lamport said he’s hasn’t seen in his 20 years of coaching. Adrianna Sikora bunted the ball to first baseman Montanari and stopped.

“She leaned back,” said Lamport of Sikora. “The umpire said she backed up and when you back up it’s a dead ball. We didn’t think she did.”

The play kept White at second base and Gabriel’s flyout to center field ended the threat.

White also was stranded at second base after a fifth-inning hit.

“They are a good team, but we just didn’t come through when we should have,” said White, a junior.

williams@vindy.com