Poland scores on an error in the bottom of the sixth to top Gorham 3-2.

POLAND – It wasn’t just that they won Tuesday, but equally as important for Poland softball team might have been how the Knights earned the victory.

Poland overcame an early deficit and eked out the win in a tight ballgame for a 3-2 win over Gorham. The Knights not only survived a Ram threat in the sixth but broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the inning to get the win.

“The biggest thing for us is we’ve had great potential all year, and we’ve had some tough losses” said Robbins. “Today, I felt we played solid. There’s definitely room for improvement, but overall, I was very proud of their effort. They executed. We got down early , and we came back and that’s really a tribute to their determination to being a great team.”

The Knights (4-2) were coming off two disheartening losses, both games decided in the final innings. Poland lost 3-2 to Lake Region and saw Greely rally for six runs last Thursday in a heart-breaking 6-2 loss.

“We learned we can’t hang our heads,” said Poland second baseman Cortney Clark. “We always have to stick in the game no matter what.”

After tying the game in the fourth, the Knights took the lead in the fifth but securing the win wasn’t going to come easily. The Rams were going to test Poland poise in the final innings.

Poland took the 2-1 edge when Clark scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Kelli O’Connor came on in relief in the sixth for starter Brianna Pratte. A hit batter and an error had the Rams in position to tie the game and more. With runners at second and third and no outs, O’Connor got Ashley Freeman to strike out. After an Ashley Towle ground out to second scored Jen Willis to tie the game, O’Connor served up an inning-ending grounder to first to end the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, O’Connor found herself in the middle of the action again. With two outs, she walked and Mindy Thomas singled. That brought up Clark, who already had two hits on the day.

“I was focused and saying to myself that I needed to win this for my team,” said Clark. “I needed to hit the ball and get some runs.”

Her hard grounder to short was bobbled, but the Rams still had a force at third. The throw was errant, allowing O’Connor to score the game-winner.

O’Connor then got three straight outs to end the game. She gave up no hits in two innings while Pratte allowed only three hits in her five innings of work.

Gorham (4-3) took the lead in the first when a Willis single scored Melissa Sanborn. Poland had just two hits through the first three innings but managed to tie it in the fourth. Carolyn Hricko and Jen Gleason each singled. Meghan McNally plated Hricko with a two-out single.

“One of our weaknesses last year was we didn’t have that core where when that group came up you knew that meant runs,” said Robbins. “This year, we have a really great core of kids all the way through the lineup. You know that at any given time, these kids can be a spark plug for us.”