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Coming back from way behind
Poland’s 5-run rally in 7th earns regional final date
By Tom Williams
AKRON
As the ball sailed off Jackie Grisdale’s bat into right field, the Poland softball team’s dream of an unbeaten season appeared to evaporate.
But as Field right fielder Devon Carpenter settled under the ball, she stumbled to her knees. She nearly made the catch but the line drive glanced off her glove then rolled away.
As pinch-runner Connie Cougras raced home from third base to tie the game, Grisdale, a five-sport athlete, jetted to third base.
Abby Farber smashed Alexsa Hurd‘s next pitch to shortstop McKenna Voiers, who bobbled the ball, sending Grisdale home with the eventual winning run in Poland’s 6-5 wild victory at Firestone Stadium.
The Bulldogs (28-0) scored five times in the top of the seventh inning to earn a date on Saturday against Crestwood in a Division II regional final.
“I saw her fall and I was like ‘Holy Cow,’ ” Grisdale said. “My heart dropped ... and I just turned the base and ran.”
Poland head coach Jim Serich was coaching third base and told himself as Grisdale’s ball sailed, “That’s the end of the inning, that’s it.
“They just never refused to quit and they refused to lose.”
The Falcons (28-3) made things interesting in their half of the seventh inning when Kiley Weis and Hurd led off with singles. But Bulldogs senior Ashley Wire retired the next three batters to seal the victory.
“I was nervous, I’m not going to lie,” said Wire (19-0) as she watched Grisdale’s fly ball. “[But] I believed in us and I had faith.”
The Bulldogs trailed 5-1 going to the seventh inning, but Serich’s hopes were high with Emily Denny leading off their final at-bat. The freshman third baseman already had reached base twice (single and error) and scored Poland’s first run.
Denny reached base again with a sharp hit that Voiers mishandled and Brooke Bobbey singled. One out later, Camryn Lattanzio and Ally Nittoli each hit RBI singles. Lauren Sienkiewicz’s ground out scored Lattanzio to make it 5-4.
“Denny in the nine hole was having a great day,” Serich said. “She set the table, we rolled the top of the order over.”
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Weis bunted for a hit and took third base on a throwing error. Hurd singled her home.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the third inning when Denny singled, was sacrificed to second base by Bobbey and came home on an error.
The Falcons put together a four-run rally in the fifth inning by packaging two hits, three walks and two errors.
“Little mistakes will hurt you,” Serich said. “We made a couple of mistakes and they scored four runs. In the seventh, they make a couple of errors and we score five runs.
“It’s those little plays that makes a difference in a regional setting like this.”
Grisdale, who has also runs track, said she doesn’t know where she will compete on Saturday should she qualify today for the Division II regional final in Austintown. She said a decision will be made after she speaks with her parents.