Poland earns trip to Clyde

July 4, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

Canfield rally falls short in title contest

BOARDMAN

Poland’s Little League 11-12 softball team needed some high stakes to get the juices flowing.

Poland dropped its first game of the District 2 softball tournament, necessitating a fight through the consolation bracket.

On Monday at the Fields of Dreams, Poland was playing Canfield in the district final. Poland watched a five-run lead nearly go up in smoke, but it survived a late rally to win, 7-6.

“What’s special about them is that in elimination situations, they’re loose,” Poland coach David Wolfe said. “They’ll be jacking around even before the game and I’ve tried for a while to get them serious, but it doesn’t work. It’s who they are.”

Poland’s Alaina Scavina seemed to pick up on the trend.

“We get a lot more excited for [elimination games]. We’re pumped up for it,” Scavina said. “When it’s a normal game, it’s a game, but when you’re about to be knocked out, you’re ready and you’ll come to play.”

Poland had a 7-2 lead with three outs to go when Canfield threw its last punches. Scavina hadn’t allowed a baserunner since she took the mound in the fifth, but a walk sandwiched between two errors loaded the bases.

Scavina collected a strikeout before Canfield’s Bridgett Kelly hit a two-run single followed up by Kate Grdic’s one-run single.

Poland shortstop Paige Ogden threw out Kelly at home to give her team it’s second out and a respite.

“We made a few errors, but I wasn’t too nervous. I knew we could come back from them,” Scavina said. “Paige’s play to home was huge, because the next at-bat would have brought the tying run.”

Canfield coach Mike Kelly though Bridgett Kelly had reached home safely. He briefly argued with the home-plate umpire about the call.

“She was absolutely safe. The tag was at the shoulder,” Mike Kelly said. “[The umpire] blew the call, but whatever. That’s my opinion and I don’t care what anybody else says. The tag was at her shoulder and she was clear across the plate.”

Had that run counted, MacKenzie Koenig’s RBI-single in the next at-bat would have tied the game. Canfield second baseman Gianna Snyder grounded out to third to end the contest.

Scavina was a force at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and five RBIs.

“She’s a special player — she really is — just look at her,” Wolfe said. “She’s strong as a bull. “When we have batting practice, there are girls that are scared to be the pitcher for her,” Wolfe said. “When she hits it and it goes past your ear, it makes that [vibrating] sound. She’s a strong and talented girl.”

Poland starter Alaina Francis was perfect through the first three innings, striking out four and walking one. She gave up her first hit and run in one at-bat. Canfield’s Layni Bednar hit an RBI-double. Canfield picked up its second run on a fielder’s choice.

Francis also knocked in one run at the plate.