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Poland gets a ‘perfect’ start
By Steve Wilaj
Poland
Ho-hum. Another day at the office.
Typically not how to describe a perfect game.
Then again, Erin Gabriel is not the prototypical pitcher.
The Poland senior tossed five perfect innings on Friday as the Bulldogs defeated Marlington, 19-0, to open defense of their Division II state championship.
“It’s hard to get amazed any more by some things that she does,” Poland coach Reid Lamport said. “You kinda get used to it.”
The University of Tennessee recruit struck out 14 of the 15 batters she faced. The only ball put in play was a dribbler hit to — who else? — Gabriel.
“Everything was really working today,” Gabriel said. “It felt like a good day.”
In his 23rd year as a coach, Marlington coach Bill Koch said he hasn’t seen anyone like Gabriel.
“She can bring it, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “When you got a pitcher like that, you dominate.”
Dominate is exactly what the Bulldogs (20-2) did.
Keyed by a five-run second inning and an 11-run third inning, Poland roughed up the Dukes for 21 hits.
Doing most of the damage was Jenna Modic, who went 4 for 4 with seven RBIs. She hit a grand slam in the second inning and a solo homer in the third.
“When Jenna is disciplined at the plate, patient, and gets her pitch, there really isn’t anything she can’t do,” Lamport said. “She hit good pitches today. The results are kinda what we expect from her.”
The grand slam was preceded by a Marlington error that could have gotten the Dukes (4-17) out of trouble.
“You can’t hand a good team extra outs, and we did that a couple times,” Koch said.
Marissa Trevis knocked two doubles and a single for Poland, while Emily Chandler had a double and single.
Gabriel couldn’t say enough about her offensive support.
“We have hitters one through nine and I’m really not worried when I’m out there pitching,” said Gabriel, who added a two-run home run, double, and single.
Poland’s journey to repeat as state champion will continue next week against West Branch. Lamport wants his team to “take it one game at a time.”
“We’ve tasted it the past few years playing in the state championship game and we really like that feeling,” he said. “We’re certainly not looking past West Branch or anyone else.”