Poland storms to Ohio Junior League crown

July 19, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

BOARDMAN

Not even an unusual nail-clipper timeout could slow Poland’s march to another regional softball tournament.

During Poland’s 12-2 victory over Rock Hill on Monday at Fields of Dreams, the game was halted briefly when Poland pitcher Brooke Bobbey’s finger was bleeding. When clippers were found on the Poland sideline, a quick snip had Bobbey back in business.

The 13-year-old pitcher scattered eight hits, struck out five and walked four as Poland won the Junior League (ages 13-14) state title to earn a trip to Illinois for this weekend’s regional.

“The nail started to lift up and made a cut, it started bleeding so I had to clip my nails,” said Bobbey with a laugh. She thinks it happened to her once before “in practice but I never thought anything of it [happening] in a game.”

Bobbey is one of six players on the roster who were on last year’s 11-12 Little League team that won state and finished third at the Indianapolis regional. The others are center fielder Lexi Diaz, catcher Camryn Lattanzio, second baseman Jackie Grisdale, third baseman Adeline Schweers and outfielder Rachel Wolfe.

“Amazing,” Bobbey said of another Ohio title. “Last year, we got to share with the younger girls. Now to share the experience with the older girls is amazing.”

Poland head coach Matt Bobbey is happy with how his team has gelled.

“It’s special because we have some [14-year-olds ] on the team who are in the same grade as the 13s, and now they are all going together [to regional],” Bobbey said. “This is kind of our core group, we know we have some good talent coming up in Poland.”

Poland never trailed, taking the lead in the bottom of the first inning on Lauren Sienkiewicz’s homer to center field.

“I didn’t think it was gone,” said Sienkiewicz who drove in another run with a fourth-inning double. “We don’t watch the ball, we just run.”

The Poland shortstop said she finally realized she could slow down when third-base coach Rocky Nittoli “ran home [to greet her], that’s when I knew it was over [the fence].”

Poland increased the lad to 5-0 in its second at-bat against Rock Hill pitcher Kierston Smith. After Diaz led off with a single, Carley Francis reached base on an error. Schweers and Lattanzio drew walks and with two outs Sienkiewicz reached on an error and Ally Nittoli hit a RBI single.

“It felt really good,” Nittoli said of winning state. “This is a first for me. We’re going to have fun playing with the [13-year-olds] who have already done this.”

Nittoli led the Poland offense with three of the team’s 11 hits.

Sienkiewicz’s double and Grisdale’s RBI triple helped Poland score four runs in the fourth for a 9-2 lead.

Poland’s speed helped the game end an inning early when three runs were scored in the sixth inning on three singles, two wild pitches and a throwing error.

“We saw Rock Hill last year as well,” Matt Bobbey said. “They are a quality team. They’ve hit the ball [well] against everybody else.”

Also on the team are outfielder Caroline Aey and infielder Hannah Dinard.

The regional tournament begins Saturday in South Holland, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. Poland’s first two opponents are Missouri (Saturday) and Indiana (Sunday). The tournament will use pool play to determine the semifinalists.