Hundreds welcome Poland team home

Poland

It’s good to be home, especially when hundreds of screaming fans are your welcoming committee.

Fresh off of a six-hour flight from Oregon to Youngstown and a berth in the Little League World Series on the West Coast, the Poland team of 11- and 12-year-olds returned Thursday to a heroes’ welcome.

The team met at Inner Circle restaurant and had a police escort lead them to Poland Seminary High School.

Waiting for the girls there were about 500 screaming fans and supporters.

“It’s amazing to have all of these people supporting us,” said shortstop Kathryn Wilson.

The girls won the Central Region championship before heading to the big show in Portland, Ore. There, the girls played teams from all over the country, including California and Georgia. Poland made it to the semifinals, before losing 1-0 to the eventual champions (Warner Robbins, Georgia.).

“It felt great to know that everybody had been watching us and supporting us the whole way through,” said pitcher Aleah Hughes. “It’s a more fun knowing they’re here to support you.”

Win or lose, the girls said the experience will be something they’ll remember for years to come.

“It was a great experience and we all had a lot of fun,” Aleah said. “It was fun to be there, have a great time with our friends and just play softball.”

Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com