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Defiance outlasts Poland in dog fight
Murray’s Bulldogs
battled back, but rally
fell short in Columbus
COLUMBUS
They may not have realized it until the final out of Saturday’s Division II state title game, but the Poland baseball team played by the famous words of author Mark Twain.
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”
The Poland Bulldogs just couldn’t match the overwhelming power of the Defiance Bulldogs in the early going and dug too deep a hole to fight out of, falling 5-3 at Huntington Park in Columbus.
Defiance got to starting pitcher Adam Knight in the first inning and didn’t let up at the plate until it had built a three-run lead against Poland (28-3).
“The kids were battling just to try and get back in the game,” Poland coach Rich Murray said. “It seemed like every time we would get a run they would get a run.
“It was an uphill battle, but our kids never gave up.”
Knight (9-1) had given up just six earned runs all season entering Saturday. Defiance (28-5) scored four runs on six hits in the first two innings off Knight.
“I think it was more of them hitting the ball,” Murray said.
“They hit it. My hat’s off to them. No one hit him like that all year.”
The senior right-hander was able to quiet the Defiance bats enough for his offense to cut into the deficit. The bottom of the Poland order provided the spark needed in the bottom of the second. Jared Burkert drew a leadoff walk and Jake Hawkins bunted him over to second base. Nick Romeo hit a rope down the left-field line that scored Burkert and got the Poland dugout off its feet.
“I always try to bring something,” Romeo said. “I knew our team was down and we needed something going. I felt like we just needed a big hit.”
With two outs, shortstop Shay Smiddy dropped a pop fly in shallow left field that was also being pursued by left fielder Bryce Borton. Romeo was running hard around the bases and scored on the error.
“Our team fought right until the last out,” Romeo said. “I’m so proud of them for that.”
The teams traded runs in the fourth inning to round out the scoring. Defiance pitcher Michael Hendricks got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with the tying run at second base.
Hendricks (7-1), who is committed to Miami (Ohio), left the game in the seventh after giving up a one-out hit to Marty Malenic. He threw 115 pitches and struck out seven.
“When you see a good pitcher like that that you really haven’t seen all year, it’s tough,” said Burkert, who had one hit and walked twice in his three at-bats.
“When you see a 85-86 mph fastball coming in and then a 75 mph change up, it’s tough to hit.”
Smiddy, a junior who is committed to Louisville, recorded the final two outs to secure Defiance’s third baseball state title and second in the last three seasons.
“We went through a lot of adversity,” Defiance coach Tom Held said. “In the end of April, if you would’ve told us we were going to win a state championship, we would’ve laughed.
“No, we can’t stop smiling.”