The Knights score eight runs in the fourth inning.

POLAND – Poland begins with a “P.” So does perseverance.

After a shaky start, the Knights rallied for eight runs on just three hits in the fourth inning Friday afternoon to post a 9-4 victory over Greely in WMC high school baseball action.

Poland (3-4) took advantage of five Ranger errors in the deciding frame. In the beginning, however, it was Poland that struggled to make the play.

Greely (3-2) took advantage of a pair of Poland miscues in the first and loaded the bases on just one hit. The visitors took a 1-0 lead when catcher Andrew Bishine’s grounder was misplayed. That was all Greely could muster as pitcher Max Levine got Paul Valente to look at a third strike. Greely then made it a 3-0 game in the third.

“For any number of reasons we had a whole new field lineup out there today,” said Levine. “We made a few errors in the first inning but we stuck with it and really pulled it out.”

Despite the struggle, Poland was still in the game.

“Today was one of those days where you sometimes get angry and today I just kept getting more angry and I threw a little harder,” Levine said.

The Knights got their first baserunner and their first run in the third. Alex Smith opened with a single and stole second. He was sacrificed to third on a bunt by Andy Coleman and scored on Steve Ray’s squeeze.

“This is the way we played in Florida,” said Poland coach Scott Fennessy. “The first two games after we came back we didn’t get enough guys on base. I like to take chances and sometimes be a little unorthodox. Everyone goes by textbook, I try not to.”

In the fourth, Poland sent 12 men to the plate, taking advantage of five Greely errors. Freshman Tyler Merchant started it all off by reaching on an error and six players reached base before the first out.

“We played a lot of games in Florida,” said Fennessy. “I think the first two games after we got back we were little flat. We had a good practice yesterday and talked about needing the intensity we had down there. Today we had it.”

The Rangers had one last gasp in the fifth when they scored one run and had baserunners on second and third when Merchant snagged a bullet at third for the final out. It was the gem of the game in a game where miscues were common.

“He’s the type of kid that puts his body in front of the ball,” said Fennessy. “It doesn’t matter if he stops it with his glove or with his chest. He’s a gamer.”

“We definitely could have put it away in the first few innings,” said Greely coach Derek Soule. “One or two clutch hits could have broken that game wide open. If we had done that, mentally, they might have been done. But they hung in there and battled and kept it close. They got their opportunities in that one inning and we opened the door for them.”

Alex Smith, who didn’t start because of missing practice due to illness Thursday, relieved Levine, and shut down Greely over the last two innings. He also reached base three times with a single, walk, and an error and scored twice.

“It felt great to get in there,” said Smith. “A couple days ago against Gorham I gave up nine runs in the first inning. I was ready to fire today and just wanted to get the outs.”

Eric Piper had two hits for Poland. Valente had two for the Rangers.

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