Poland wins first Section 3 softball title in three decades

SYRACUSE - "The third time's a charm."

That's how Poland senior Shelbi Hagues summed things up Tuesday after proclaiming the Tornadoes' 6-1 win over West Canada Valley in Section III's Class D softball final, "the best thing that's ever happened."

Hagues and the Tornadoes reached the final for the third year in a row and finally won, ending a three-decade championship drought for their school.

More: Section 3 softball, 2023 playoff results and highlights

"This was probably the best way we could end our senior year," said Logan Cookinham, like Hagues a returning all-state Tornado, "and continue our season."

Hagues pitched effectively as she has throughout the playoffs - Poland had allowed one run in three previous playoff victories - and the Tornadoes played error-free defense behind her. Hagues struck out eight batters and walked one while allowing eight hits, all singles and no more than two in any inning other than the sixth.

"We didn't have any errors in the field, and we hit the ball," Hagues said. "This team always has my back; they know how to pick me up."

West Canada Valley (15-4) went scoreless until that sixth inning when consecutive one-out hits by Hanna Burdick, Kiersten Usyk and Kaylee Usyk. Hagues got out of the inning with a popup and a strikeout then struck out the first two batters in the seventh and retired the final batter on a comebacker.

Poland (16-4) had taken a 2-0 lead in the second inning and scored four more runs in the third taking advantage of four West Canada Valley errors in addition to its own 11 hits. All six of the runs were scored with two outs and Hagues at the plate.

Emma Tabor reached base on one error with one out in the second inning and McKenzie Parow, the No. 9 batter, reached on another one out later. The second throwing error allowed both runners to advance, putting them at second and third for Hagues who grounded a single up the middle and drove both runs home.

The Tornadoes had one runner on base when two were out in the third, Morgan Weigand whose pop fly had been dropped. Amelia Guarascio singled and Parow drew a walk to load the bases. Hagues followed with the third of her four hits, a ball to the left of center field that was misplayed and allowed to roll to the fence as the Poland pitcher circled the bases with a Little League grand slam.

"We had a couple mistakes we shouldn't have had," West Canada Valley coach Ron Lindsay said, lamenting that none of the Poland runs were earned. … "Shelbi threw really well and she hit well, too."

Hagues was credited with a double on the play and two more runs batted in.

"She's a star," Poland coach Erin Meeker said of her pitcher. "She always works so hard for us on both sides of the plate. I'm happy she had such a great day."

Tabor and Parow each added two hits and Parow scored two runs. Maddison Haver walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

Burdick had two hits, walked once and scored the lone West Canada Valley run; she also struck out eight batters while walking three. Kaylee Usyk also had two hits.

Hagues and two classmates - first baseman Cookinham and shortstop Sarah Zuchowski - had started Poland's 11-8 loss to Bishop Ludden of Syracuse in the 2021 championship game and the 5-4 loss to Oriskany in last year's final. Maddison Haver and Emma Kraszewski were returning starters from 2022.

"They knew how hard it was going to be to get back here and they really buckled down," said Meeker whose Poland team was seeded seventh for this year's playoffs after entering the last two postseasons seeded fourth last year and second in 2021 when the Tornadoes wound up hosting the title game.

The softball win at Carrier Park follows Poland winning its first-ever sectional girls basketball title in the winter.

The Class D regional playoffs send Poland back to Carrier Park Saturday for a game against Edwards-Knox which shut out previously unbeaten Chateaugay 5-0 Tuesday in the Section X championship game in Canton. Nine players - including Cookinham, Guarascio, Hagues, Haver, Tabor and Weigand - were on the rosters for both squads.

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Poland wins first Section 3 softball title in three decades