Poland gets walk off win to open World Series

August 1, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

By BRIAN DZENIS

Kirkland, Wash,

Poland’s first outing at the Junior League World Series on Sunday proved to be dicier than expected.

Poland held the lead until the seventh-inning against Hampton, but recovered when it mattered for the 7-6 victory in pool play after Carly Francis’ walkoff RBI-double.

“They’re a good hitting team and they figured out our pitcher,” Poland coach Matt Bobbey said. “They started hitting the ball to places we weren’t.

Poland grabbed the lead in the first inning against the Canadien team after pitcher Brooke Bobbey scored on Lauren Sienkiewicz’s suicide squeeze. Their lead grew to four runs in the second inning as Francis collected her first RBI, Bobbey hit an RBI-double and Francis came home off a passed ball.

Hampton broke the shutout in the sixth before exploding for five runs in the top of the seventh.

Entering the final inning down 6-4, Sienkiewicz singled before Ally Nittoli walked. Sienkiewicz stole third before coming home on Jackie Grisdale’s suicide squeeze. Lexi Diaz’s RBI-single tied the game and she subsequently stole second base. Hitting the first pitch she saw, Francis lined a double to centerfield to score Diaz and get the walkoff win.

Bobbey said the game could have gone better from Poland in the hitting deparment as his team stranded six baserunners.

“We missed those oppurtunites, but the girls strung together some hits when it mattered,” Bobbey said.

Poland is tied for first place in pool play. They take on Rowan —a team from North Carolina— today at 4:45 p.m.