Championship-caliber teams sprout on diamonds

June 6, 2011 at 12:01a.m.

The rainiest spring in memory delivered a bumper crop of championship-caliber softball and baseball teams from the Mahoning Valley.

Saturday morning at Akron’s Firestone Stadium, the Champion High softball team pounded Baltimore Liberty Union 11-2 to win the Division III state title. It was the Valley’s first softball championship since Canfield won Div. II in 2008.

It took just three hours to add another crown as the Poland softball team defeated Keystone LaGrange, 4-0, for the Div. II title.

Also competing at the state level over the weekend were the Springfield High baseball team and Columbiana softball team.

Saturday at Huntington Park in Columbus, Springfield fell 6-0 to Minister in the Div. IV title contest.

Friday in Akron, Columbiana’s season ended with a 6-2 loss to Convoy Crestview in a Div. IV semifinal.

With 502 career victories, Poland head coach Reid Lamport guided his Bulldogs (25-2) to the school’s first softball championship. Junior pitcher Erin Gabriel (16-1), who threw a one-hitter against Keystone, had to overcome physical problems this season.

“She hasn’t thrown her best this year and she won’t tell you, but there are some physical things going on,” Lamport said. “She hasn’t been capable of pitching this way every game, hardly anybody can; but she came into today with a game plan and executed it perfectly.”

Poland’s victory avenged a 4-3 loss to Keystone in April.

“We were up 3-0 and they got four unearned runs ... so we felt that we had a good shot at it,” said Lamport who coached state runners-up in 2001 and 2010.

Last year’s 1-0 loss to Hebron Lakewood motivated Gabriel, The Vindicator’s 2009-10 Female Athlete of the Year.

“The home run from last year bothered me more than the loss to Keystone this year,” said Gabriel of the Lakewood loss. “That’s an earned run and is my fault.”

She added that a Keystone rematch gave the Bulldogs “more incentive.”

„ÄÄChampion head coach Cheryl Weaver took her third team to state and finished unbeaten when the Golden Flashes (27-0) pounded Liberty Union with a 10-run fifth inning that included two triples by shortstop Tawny Rogers.

“Everyone [in the lineup] got on and everyone scored — you can’t ask for more than that,” Weaver said.

Weaver, whose team was state runner-up in 2006, downplayed her role after Saturday’s victory, going out of her way to credit others in and out of the lineup.

“Our very first game, we lost [third baseman] Darian Rogers with a play at the plate,” said Weaver of the sophomore who suffered a knee injury and broken leg. “I feel bad because she was out there last year. But she’ll be back and she’ll help these juniors to try and come back [to state].”

Sophomore Emilee Hohvart replaced Rogers at third and delivered a three-run double Saturday.

“I am so proud of Emilee because she stepped up and filled that gap,” Weaver said.

Weaver said senior Angell Hohvart also suffered a midseason knee injury and was unable to return.

The Flashes lose three starters to graduation — Tawny Rogers, left fielder Tarn Hanna and catcher Taylor Petersal.

Among those returning are juniors Lindsay Swipas (18-0) and Haley McAllister, who has four hits in the title game.

Bulldogs outfielders Chelsea McCree and Adriana Sikora are graduating. Hoping for a third straight state appearance will be Gabriel, third baseman Jenna Modic, center fielder Maura Bobby and shortstop Kalie Benson.

“We’re the only team in the 2010 final four to make it back,” Lamport said. “And I think that shows how difficult it is to make it to the final four.”

Vindicator correspondent Doug Chapin contributed to this report.