Young Poland softball team has bonded through tourney run
By TOM WILLIAMS
POLAND
The success of the 2010 Poland High softball team offers inspiration to the teams from Boardman and South Range.
Saturday, Poland defeated Navarre Fairless, 5-0, in the Division II regional final at Firestone Stadium. Thursday at 12:30 p.m., the Bulldogs (29-1) will play New Concord John Glenn at Firestone Stadium in a state semifinal.
It will be the Bulldogs’ second appearance at state in Coach Reid Lamport’s 21 seasons. In 2001, Poland finished state runner-up.
Last year, Lamport inserted three freshmen into his lineup and the Bulldogs responded with a 24-7 season that ended with a 1-0 regional final loss to Tallmadge.
Saturday, the seasons ended for Boardman and South Range with regional final losses (the Spartans falling 3-2 to Massillon Perry in Division I and the Raiders losing 7-0 to Jeromesville Hillsdale in Division III).
Both have so much talent returning next year that a state bid is not out of the question. The Spartans’ best players — pitcher Alex DiDomenico and shortstop Brooke Meenachan — will be seniors. So will third baseman Julie Olbrych and center fielder Danielle Petrus. Five seniors are graduating but Coach Mike Trell used his bench often and has younger players ready.
The Raiders (29-2) lose one senior (Laura Biroschak) from a lineup that featured three freshmen and a sophomore. Pitchers Madison Yanek and Carly DeRose will return a second season together. Yanek, Emily Seman, Gab Naples, Tab Stanton and Julia Coburn will be seniors.
During last week’s regional games, Lamport did his best to downplay the semifinal rematch with Tallmagde that the Bulldogs won, 12-2.
“If I said it didn’t feel good to beat Tallmadge, I’d be lying because of their tradition,” Lamport said. “We had a couple of rough goes with them — last year and [in 2003] when my daughter Katie was a senior. After beating them 10 days earlier, we got beat by them in a regional final.
“What’s good is beating a good, solid program with tradition,” Lamport said. That’s what we feel we are.”
That 1-0 loss to Tallmadge in 2009 was the last time sophomore Erin Gabriel suffered a defeat. She’s 20-0 and has three no-hitters plus a five-inning perfect game in five postseason contests.
“You know what’s neat about this?” asked Lamport after the Tallmadge win. “It wasn’t one of Erin’s best games, which is weird to say about a three-hitter. She’s nursing some things.
“What was neat was the way the team stepped in for her,” Lamport said. “She’s been there for us in the circle all year long.
She came up to me and said, ‘Coach, I’m sorry.’ And I said, ‘what are you sorry for? Look at what your teammates did for you. You’ve been there all year for them and they stepped up for you today and that’s why they call this thing a team.’ ”
Sophomore third baseman Jenna Modic, the Bulldogs’ most dangerous hitter, feels the Bulldogs have bonded.
“This year has been unbelievable,” Modic said. “Words can’t describe the feeling that we have for each other. Every one of these girls are like sisters to me.
“And when you have that kind of bond, you want to come out and play 110 percent for everybody on your team and play for everyone else but yourself,” Modic said. “Playing for the people you love and care about, it just makes everything so much better.
“We’re a family, the chemistry that we have this year is ridiculous. Last year, it wasn’t like it was this year.”
Two more wins and it will be a year unlike any other Poland softball has enjoyed.