Nittoli, Wire HRs power Poland
Poland v. Crestwood Division II Regional Softball Final
By MIKE McLAIN
sports@vindy.com
AKRON
Poland Bulldogs coach Jim Serich mentioned the role that luck plays during a championship run.
Being good doesn’t hurt either, which is exactly what the Bulldogs were in advancing to the Division II state softball tournament with a 12-4 win over the Crestwood Red Devils Saturday in a regional final at Firestone Stadium.
The 29-0 Bulldogs combined power (two home runs), solid pitching by Ashley Wire and some key defensive play in an overpowering showing. Poland had 15 hits, including a three-run homer by Ally Nittoli and a two-run homer by Wire that extended the lead to the final margin in the top of the seventh inning.
“You need a break along the way,” said Serich, his shirt soaked after being showered with water by the players. “We got a break here the other day [in the semifinals]. Down 5-1 [to Field], we scored five runs on the top of the seventh and win. Winning that many in a row we’ve had a little luck go our way.
“But it’s a testament to their hard work and their belief in what they’ve been doing all year. They haven’t come off that. It’s keep working, keep playing, keep pushing forward. They brought the bats out today.”
The win propels the Bulldogs to their first state berth since the 2012 season, when they lost to LaGrange Keystone in the semifinals. Poland will play Plain City Jonathan Alder at 3 p.m. Thursday at Firestone.
“We’ve had it on our minds,” Wire said of advancing to state. “We knew we were a good team and that we could go far. We weren’t 100-percent sure.”
Wire was in control most of the way as she scattered eight hits and allowed two earned runs. She struck out five and walked one.
Wire yielded a solo home run to Mikayla Berquist leading off the bottom of the fifth. The biggest threat faced by Wire came in the sixth when three consecutive singles with no outs drove in one run to reduce Poland’s lead to 7-3. An error on a throw by shortstop Lauren Sienkiewicz trying for a force out at third led to the Devils’ fourth run.
Maranda Seither then laid down a bunt that was fielded by third baseman Emily Denny, who threw to first for the second out. Sienkiewicz, covering third on the play, completed a double play when she tagged out Maci Head, who had strayed too far off the bag.
“To me the play of the game was the double play in the sixth inning to sniff out that rally,” Serich said. “As badly as we played a little bit that inning, you do that. It keeps you where you want to be.”
There was a case of nerves on both sides in the early stages. A throwing error by Head allowed lead-off hitter Brooke Bobbey to reach safely in the first. The mistake led to three unearned runs, although Bobbey was doubled up on a fantastic defensive play started by catcher Skylar Gregel.
Camryn Lattanzio doubled after the double play, and the inning was extended when Gregel couldn’t handle a pitch on a strikeout of Nittoli. Walks to Sienkiewicz and Jackie Grisdale produced the first run when Lattanzio scored. Abby Fowler followed with a single to score Sienkiewicz and Grisdale.
The Devils scored one run in the first after Wire threw wildly to first trying to retire lead-off hitter Camille Gibler. A single by Head scored Gibler.
Poland added four runs in the fourth. Lattanzio singled in one run, and three scored on Nittoli’s homer over the fence in left field.
“I was struggling early on,” Nittoli said. “I knew I had to get a base hit. I was feeling it. She [Berquist] pitched the ball, and I knew I was going to drive this pitch.”
Poland’s five-run uprising in the seventh came with two outs. Consecutive singles by Farber, Tori Moderelli and Denny scored one run. Bobby doubled in two to set up Wire’s homer.
“I was making adjustments on my other at-bats,” Wire said. “I knew I had to see the ball all the way in, wait on it and drive it.”