Poland thrown curve but wins softball title at World Series

Staff/wire report

KIRKLAND, Wash.

When the Poland 13-14 softball players and their coaches woke up Saturday, they were preparing to play Virginia’s state champions for the Junior League World Series crown.

But as game time approached, Little League officials in Williamsport, Pa., disqualified the team from Atlee, Va., for what officials say was an inappropriate social media posting.

Little League is the organization that runs Junior League.

The host Washington team, which lost to Virginia 1-0 in Friday’s semifinal game, was awarded the championship berth vacated by Virginia.

Poland defeated Washington, 7-1, to win the World Series crown.

“We were in disbelief, but we always tell our girls that you have to be prepared to play no matter what,” Poland coach Matt Bobbey said.

Jackie Grisdale drove in three runs with her two hits. Brooke Bobbey and Camryn Lattanzio also had two hits while Ally Fabry drove in a run.

Winning pitcher KaiLi Gross of Canfield, the only player on the team not from Poland, struck out 10 batters.

In pool play, Poland needed eight innings to defeat Washington, 4-3. Poland’s only loss of the tournament was to Virginia, 3-0, on Monday.

Little League described the offending post only as “an inappropriate social media post.”

But the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that an Atlee team member posted a photo on Snapchat showing six of the girls giving the middle finger.

The post was directed at the host club from Kirkland, in response to controversy in Friday’s semifinal.

Scott Currie, the Virginia manager, said the post reflected bad sportsmanship. Chris Mardigan, one of his coaches, said the post was a retaliation against some members of the host team who had treated the Virginians with less than ideal hospitality.

Little League’s statement on the disqualification cited violation “of Little League’s policies regarding unsportsmanlike conduct, inappropriate use of social media and the high standard that Little League International holds for all its participants.”

Junior League is for players who are no older than 14.

It was Poland’s second- straight trip to the World Series. Bobbey, Grisdale, Lattanzio and Lexi Diaz are the players who returned from last year’s team that finished fifth at the World Series.