Mihas’ first hit helps deliver Poland’s 9-U Little League title

July 13, 2019 at 12:05a.m.

BOARDMAN

Thano Mihas picked a good time to bust his slump.

Mihas spent nearly all of the Poland 9-U Little League baseball team’s run in the District 2 tournament seeking a hit and as a player who usually doesn’t start, he didn’t get too many opportunities to snap the skid.

In Friday’s district final against Boardman at Fields of Dreams, Mihas got one more shot in the fourth inning and made it count. He hit a bloop single into left field to score teammates Blake Barnes and Dom Dellomo.

“It was a big thing for me. I’ve always been hitting it into the infield for groundouts,” Mihas said. “It was my first [hit] in districts and we win it.”

Mihas’ single gave Poland a 4-2 lead and his teammates took care of the rest, run-ruling Boardman for a 12-2 victory in five innings.

“They were all cheering for me and I was so happy,” Mihas said of his teams’ reaction.

Little League rules mandate that every player on a roster must bat once and be in the field for six consecutive outs. Poland coach Zach Marantis was glad to see Mihas’ moment.

“That was huge. Earlier I was telling him how important teamwork is. Some guys don’t get to play as much as the other kids, but he came in there and started us off,” Marantis said. “He’s a good hitter. He just was really struggling.”

An error brought Mihas home to make the score 5-2 before Poland put the game away with a seven-run fifth inning.

In that stretch, Tony Dedo hit an RBI single and Zachary Marantis scored two runs with a single to center field. Poland scored a combined four runs off an error and two wild pitches. Marantis scored from third on a wild pitch to seal the victory.

“Their pitcher and our pitcher were really good,” Dean Marantis said. “We knew once we got (Boardman’s Jack Gocala) out of there, we’d start seeing the ball better and we’d start opening the flood gates and that’s what happened.”

Poland benefited from an efficient outing from starter Colin Simerlink. In 78 pitches, he took his team into the top of the fifth and got the first two outs before making way for Barnes. He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk. He struck out five and hit one batter.

He was aided by two great defensive plays in the first inning, a 6-3-5 double play (Dedo, Zachary Marantis, Dellomo) and a sliding catch from Dellomo on a foul ball.

“Those plays were big. It helped me save my pitch count,” Simerlink said.

Boardman’s runs came from a Poland error in the first inning and Patrick Groner hit an RBI single in the third inning.

Gocala gave up two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out six as Boardman’s starting pitcher.