Poland Little Leaguers continue tradition

July 20, 2015 at 10:15a.m.

POLAND

For the second time in six seasons, Poland has produced the Little League 11-12 Ohio softball champion and will compete in the Midwest regional.

When you consider how former Poland players have been inspiring the community’s youngsters (Erin Gabriel, Jenna Modic and Taylor Miokovic are Division I college players), it’s no wonder that softball flourishes here.

“When you are around a person like Erin [Tennessee] and Jenna [Pittsburgh] and Taylor [Eastern Illinois], their personality is so contagious that ... you would want to be them because they are all amazing people,” said Kim Grisdale, who is coaching Poland’s Little League champions with Matt Bobbey and Keith Farber. “I just can’t say enough about how incredible they are to be around.

“The fact that they have been incredibly successful in softball really does help our program because parents see that.”

In 2010, Poland’s Little League team won the regional tournament and advanced to the Little League World Series in Portland, Ore. A year later, Gabriel, Modic and Miokovic led the Poland High School softball team to the Division II state title.

This year’s 11-12 state champions are doing it with defense. Poland has not given up a run in either the district or state tournament as pitchers Brooke Bobbey and Lexi Diaz have been dominant.

“They both have speed so it’s hard to hit them,” said catcher Cammie Lattanzio who hit a bases-loaded double in the 15-0 win in the state title game. “They don’t get down on themselves when they throw a ball, they’re never frustrated.”

Grisdale said the shutout streak nearly ended in the state championship game in Portsmouth against Ironton Rock Hill. An unusual double play erased Rock Hill’s best chance to score.

With a runner at third base, one of Rock Hill’s better hitters hit a rocket to right-center field where center fielder Connie Cougras caught it on the run.

“The runner on third thought there was no way it was going to be caught so she was almost at home,” Grisdale said. “Connie had the head about her to make a quick throw in to our third baseman [Adeline Schweers].”

But the ball deflected off the runner tagging up at third.

“She started going home thinking no one was going to be where the ball ricocheted to,” Grisdale said. “Our left fielder [Rachel Wolfe] did such a great job backing up the play that she got to the ball and threw her out at home even off that crazy bounce.

“In the dugout, Rachel said, ‘I wasn’t going to let that be the run the [first] scored on us,’” Grisdale said. “Coaches that we played against have made the comment that our girls are moving to back up from every position every time.

“And that shows such discipline to do that even though 99 percent of the time you don’t need it,” Grisdale said. “That one percent when you do, they are there.”

Poland’s other players are Jackie Grisdale, Abby Farber, Carolyn Boccieri, Kenzie Szolek, Julia Eich and Jordyn Olson. They will be in Indianapolis on Saturday morning for the regional tournament’s opening ceremonies. Poland’s first game is against Missouri at noon.

“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Diaz who plays shortstop when Bobbey pitches. “I’m proud of my team that we are able to go and I’m excited.”

The other opening-round games are against: Indiana, Sunday, 5 p.m.; Nebraska, Monday, 2 p.m.; and Michigan, Monday, 7 p.m.

“There [may be] better teams, but we’re playing strong,” said Schweers, adding that it’s fun playing behind Bobbey and Diaz. “They strike out a lot of girls. They [throw] mainly strikes, they haven’t walked many. And when they do hit, they [usually] are hard-hit balls.”

The top six teams will advance to Wednesday’s championship round. Four games will be played to eliminate four teams. The two survivors will play Thursday for the trip to Oregon.

“I’m thrilled to go and so excited that we got this far,” Schweers said.

The past two summers, Ohio’s representative (Elyria and Tallmadge) won the regional.

Little League softball pitching rules are a lot less restrictive than those for baseball. If a pitcher throws six innings or less in one day, she is eligible to pitch the next day. A pitcher can throw as many as 12 innings in a day.

“It’s almost unlimited,” Matt Bobbey said. “You can basically use your best all the time, unless you have a doubleheader and are playing the next day.”

Poland has a day off following its Monday doubleheader.

Lattanzio remembers ESPN2 televising the 2010 World Series.

“It was exciting, I was very impressed,” Lattanzio said of watching Poland on television. “I was excited for someone we know to be playing there.”

Schweers agreed.

“It was awesome,” the third baseman said. “I said that’s where I want to be, on a team that goes that far.”