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Bulldogs rally for 30th win
By TOM WILLIAMS
AKRON
The Poland High softball team probably could not have picked a worse moment for the biggest defensive letdown of the season as a two-base error led to a four-run fifth inning in the Division II state semifinal game.
The Bulldogs certainly could not have selected a better time to respond, turning one hit and two New Concord John Glenn errors into three runs in their next at-bat to tie the game.
Then in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs (30-1) loaded the bases and eked out another unearned run to oust the Muskies, 5-4, at Firestone Stadium.
Saturday at 10 a.m., the Bulldogs will take on Hebron Lakewood (28-5) for the state title.
Lakewood has won the past two Div. III titles and defeated Ursuline, 5-0, in last year’s championship contest. Poland will be playing for its first crown.
“I thought the key was after their big inning when they went up 4-1, we came right back,” said Poland coach Reid Lamport, who also led the Bulldogs to the state title game in 2001. “That was huge for us.”
Trailing 4-1 and with their state dream in danger of turning into a nightmare, senior catcher Megan Hirschbeck revived the Bulldogs when she led off Poland’s fifth at-bat by reaching first base on third baseman Macey Brosie’s error.
After Erin Gabriel singled to send courtesy runner Meredith Testa to second base, Testa and courtesy runner Maura Bobby advanced on Jordan Palumbo’s groundout.
With first base open, the Muskies (27-4) walked Poland’s most dangerous hitter, Jenna Modic, on four pitches. Shortstop Jenna Shingary fielded Adriana Sikora’s grounder and threw wildly to the plate, allowing two runs to score.
“This team has been hitting great, so I had no doubt that we would come back,” said Gabriel (21-0) who found herself trailing for the first time this season.
Nicole White’s ground out scored Modic to tie the game.
“That gave our girls confidence and got momentum back in our favor,” Lamport said.
The Muskies were in deep trouble in the seventh inning after Modic clubbed Townsend’s first pitch off the right-field fence for a double.
“I just knew I had to get on base somehow,” said Modic who was asked if she thought she had her second homer of the day.
“I’m not gonna lie, I did,” Modic said. “But when I saw that it wasn’t, I started running hard.”
Sikora bunted to Shingary who chose not to throw to first as Modic took third.
White walked on four pitches to load the bases and the Muskies came close to escaping after Shingary fielded Jessica D’Apolito’s ground ball and threw to catcher Sydney Brown to retire Modic.
Kalie Benson then tapped the ball back to Townsend but her throw to Brown was high, bouncing off the catcher’s mitt to allow Sikora to score the winning run.
“When I saw the ball go over [Brown’s] head, the excitement just took over,” said Sikora who had two singles.
Lamport expressed sympathy for Townsend,
“But I was told a long, long time ago that it’s not always who makes the plays, sometimes it’s who doesn’t make the plays,” Lamport said. “They didn’t make the play they had to make and we took advantage.
“I told the girls that you don’t feel bad about a play like that to win a game,” Lamport said. “We had the bases loaded, the pressure was on them.”
Gabriel and Townsend (27-4) each allowed just one earned run. Townsend made two of the Muskies’ five errors.
Gabriel scattered four hits, struck out nine and walked two to remain unbeaten.
“I didn’t think it was a bad outing, but I definitely think I could have done better,” Gabriel said.