Poland earns second straight trip to state

May 28, 2016 at 12:10a.m.

HUDSON

In guiding the Poland High School baseball team to state appearances in consecutive seasons, head coach Rich Murray hasn’t been overwhelmed with tough decisions.

One presented itself early in Friday’s Division II regional championship game, a 13-3 victory against Chagrin Falls at the Ballpark at Hudson.

Poland starter Mike Maillas struggled for control, hitting one batter and, with two outs, walking four consecutive batters to tie the game.

Murray went to his bullpen, calling in junior Don Drummond, who retired Justin Barger on a groundout after the Tigers’ eighth batter fouled off four strike-two pitches.

Over the next four innings, Drummond cruised. He allowed just three hits and one unearned run while the Bulldogs (28-3) opened up a 5-3 lead.

Asked how hard the change was to make, Murray said not very.

“He was having a little bit of trouble with his control and we needed someone in there who could throw strikes, with that defense behind him,” Murray said. “It wasn’t too [hard].

“I knew [Drummond] could throw strikes.”

Taking the mound with the bases loaded, Drummond admitted he had never been more nervous in his varsity career. What calmed him down was “throwing strikes.

“This was a big one,” Drummond said of the win. “It’s huge — first [Poland] team ever to go back-to-back [to state].”

Pad O’Shaughnessy powered Poland’s offense with four hits, including a triple and two doubles that brought in three runs.

The Bulldogs’ first baseman was impressed with how Drummond handled a difficult situation.

“That was awesome,” O’Shaughnessy said. “That’s a good team, but we knew we could win if we just threw strikes. We didn’t want to beat ourselves [with] walks. He just came in and threw [well].”

O’Shaughnessy’s first hit was a one-out RBI triple that scored Eric White. Nick Petrolla’s sacrifice fly — one of four by the Bulldogs — scored O’Shaughnessy, who said he was happy to snap a slump that began in last week’s district games.

“I was trying to do everything I could to help my team, but I was doing too much,” the Poland junior said. “[Today], I was just trying to relax — I wasn’t thinking too much.”

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the second inning with Matt Baker singling to bring home Jared Burkert for a 3-2 lead.

They added two runs in the fourth inning with Anthony Calcagni and White getting the RBIs.

Things tightened a bit in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Tigers scored their third run.

Tension quickly melted as the Bulldogs scored twice in the sixth inning and six times in the seventh to pull away.

After the game, the players donned t-shirts proclaiming unfinished business. Last year, the Bulldogs lost the state title game, 5-3, to Defiance.

“Hopefully, we can get some revenge and make history,” O’Shaughnessy said.

Baker had three hits and scored three runs.

“It feels great,” said Baker, whose basketball team also played in two regionals. “Last year’s team, it was kind of a surprise getting [to Columbus].

“This year, we were determined to get back again,” Baker said. “We knew we had some unfinished business in Columbus.”

Dan Klase had three hits and Petrolla contributed a triple.

Klase said escaping the first inning provided relief.

“It was a new game,” Klase said. “In the dugout, Calgani, all the seniors, talked to us to calm everyone down to get back into the game.

“And we came out and hit the ball hard.”

The Bulldogs will play the winner of today’s game between Hamilton Badin and Columbus DeSales at 1 p.m. on Thursday at Huntington Park in Columbus.