POLAND – When the only snow on your field is on the other side of the outfield fence, that’s a pretty good sign this time of year.

The clear field and the balmy temperatures were enough to make it a pleasant day for the Knights, but the 7-1 victory over Freeport made it even better.

“We’re pretty pumped,” said senior outfielder Katie Moreau. “We’ve got a new coach this year. We’ve got new girls brought up from JV. We’re really coming together well. We’re excited to see how it all comes out.”

Poland played a scrimmage with South Portland earlier in the week and had one practice outside prior to the opener. They produced a solid effort in their opener.

“It’s beautiful today,” said outfielder Krystal Malpass, who transferred from North Carolina for her senior year. “I like it, but the other day it was kind of chilly when we played. It’s a lot colder than North Carolina.”

Malpass had the lone hit for the Knights, a two-run single in the sixth, but that was enough. Tori Hricko pitched a fine game, scattering six hits and walking just one. Freeport’s lone run was unearned.

“She got nine strikeouts,” said Poland coach Tarka Anderson. “In one inning, she struck out all three batters. She used all five of her pitches. They all worked.”

Olivia Doane allowed just the one hit, but two walks and four errors proved costly in the sixth. The Falcons also left seven runners on base.

Freeport got two hits each from Jessica Niles, Hannah Schuchert and Tasha Sanders. The Falcons’ only run came in the third. After Schuchert singled and stole second, she scored on an errant throw as she tried to steal third.

Poland got those back in the fourth. Hricko was hit by a pitch and Jen Baril walked. With one out, Moreau’s grounder to second plated courtesy runner Taylor Girouard with the tying run.

“I was actually up to bat and I was thinking ‘I’m a hitter. I’m a hitter,'” said Moreau. “Then I hit it, and I was pretty bummed out because I got the out.”

Freeport couldn’t escape the inning before a wild pitch allowed Baril to score to make it 2-1.

“The energy just turned right around,” said Moreau. “We were all up and cheering and ready to go.”

Despite the momentum, the Knights didn’t have a hit through the first five innings. The Knights’ base runners came from errors, walks or hit batters. When Hricko reached on an error and Baril walked in the sixth, Malpass delivered the blow to open the lead. She singled to right to make it 4-1.

“I knew it was crunch time,” said Malpass. “I needed to get the best hit that I could, especially with two people on base.”

Freeport unraveled from there.

Malpass came around to score on an error on a Courtney Gray grounder. Gray stole home after a walk to Chelsey Cooper, and Cooper made it 7-1 on another error.

“I hope this is how it’s going to be the rest of the season,” said Anderson. “That’s my goal.”