Poland bulldogs shut out by Gilmour Academy

By DAN HINER

dhiner@vindy.com

HUDSON

Poland baseball coach Rich Murray said it bluntly: “It was bad.”

Gilmour Academy scored five runs in the first inning en route to an 11-0 rout of Poland at The Ball Park at Hudson in a Division II regional semifinal Friday.

Poland starting pitcher Braden Olson hit Gilmour lead-off batter Matt Christopher, beginning a five-run first inning for the Lancers.

The first three batters of the game reached base for the Lancers. Nick Christopher gave Gilmour Academy a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Lancers (23-6) sent 11 batters to the plate in the first, adding runs on an infield single and three bases-loaded walks.

“We just took ourselves out of the game,” Poland head coach Rich Murray said. “We would have had to have something special to come back from that. It just wasn’t there today.”

Nick Christopher led the Lancers, going 1 for 3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Joey Hollis drove in two runs and scored once.

The Bulldogs (20-7) allowed just seven hits, but gave up seven walks. They also committed five errors.

“There was nothing really good to take from it at all,” Murray said. “I’m proud of the kids for getting this far. You come here, you want to play a good game, relax and play.”

Olson lasted just two-thirds of an inning before Alex Barth entered in relief. Olson allowed five runs — four earned — on two hits and four walks in the loss.

Barth allowed four runs — three earned — on three hits and two walks. He struck out four in 4 1/3 innings of work.

“[Barth] always shows guts when he’s out there playing,” Murray said. “And enjoys the game, he gets excited.

“He couldn’t carry us today. Just dug too deep of a hole.”

Senior Robbie Seitz pitched a scoreless sixth and Mike Kushner allowed two unearned runs in the seventh.

The Lancers extended the lead in the fourth on Ben DeMell’s RBI single and Nick Christopher’s three-run home run to right field. They added two runs in the top of the seventh to cap the scoring.

DeMell committed to Penn State before playing a high school game. The sophomore right-hander pitched a complete game. He allowed four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts.

Ian Lu led off the third with a triple to right field, but was stranded. It was the Bulldogs’ first hit, and Lu was their only runner stranded in scoring position.

“We got down five in the first,” Poland shortstop Braeden O’Shaughnessy said. “Kid going to Penn State like that, big-time pitcher, if you don’t get one or two on him early, you’re in trouble.

“He just got in a rhythm, pitched well, pitched a great game and they just killed us today.”

Barth went 2 for 2 for the Bulldogs and Zach Yaskulka added a single.

The Bulldogs’ best chance to score came in the fourth. Barth walked and Yaskulka hit a one-hopper to shortstop. The ball kicked off Matt Christopher’s glove, but Barth was tagged out at home trying to score from second.

The Bulldogs will lose 11 of 21 players to graduation, including O’Shaughnessy.

“You don’t ever see a class stick around like that — four years, 11 guys,” O’Shaughnessy said. “Usually you get up to senior year and there’s four, five guys left. For all those guys to stick it out all year, had a great time. I wouldn’t trade one of those kids for anything.”

Poland’s shortstop will enroll at Youngstown State and play for the baseball team next year.

“It’s been awesome. I don’t even know what to say,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It’s been a great four years ... wouldn’t trade it for anything.”