CUMBERLAND — Senior Connor Russell is considered a consistent pitcher for Greely High’s baseball team.

Saturday afternoon he was a bit more than that. Russell turned in a dominating performance as the second-ranked Rangers defeated No. 3 Poland 5-0 in the Western Class B semifinals. Russell allowed four hits and two walks, struck out nine, and retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced.

“Russell was just nasty,” said Poland Coach Mike Connor. “All year long off-speed stuff has given these guys trouble and it continued today. We’re a fastball-hitting team and he stayed away from that.”

Russell used his change-up effectively to keep the Knights off balance. He breezed through the final four innings, allowing just two baserunners.

“Connor was very poised,” said Greely Coach Derek Soule. “He seemed in control both emotionally and physically with all his pitches.”

Greely (15-3) will play top-ranked Lincoln Academy in the Western Class B championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph’s College. Poland finished 12-5.

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The Rangers gave Russell all the runs he would need in the first inning, combining five hits with two Poland errors.

With one out, Sam Porter doubled and came in on a ground single into center by Bailey Train, who went all the way to third on an errant throw from the outfield. Train scored on a single up the middle by Mike McDevitt. Chaz Reade followed with a single to right.

Following an out, Pat O’Shea reached on an infield error to load the bases. Reid Howland then chopped a grounder past the pitcher’s mound where no one could handle it, and McDevitt scored the third run.

“We definitely came out with some fire in our eyes,” said Howland, the junior catcher. “I think we came together as a team and battled.”

Russell said the Rangers were determined to come out fast against the Knights, who had ended Greely’s basketball season.

Poland starter Lukas Johnson settled down, aided by the strong arm of his catcher, Tanner Marston. Twice Marston picked off a Greely runner at first, the first time ending the second inning when the Rangers had the bases loaded.

But Poland couldn’t get anything off Russell. The Knights did get runners on first and third with one out in the second, only to have a double play end that. Then the Knights had runners on second and third with two outs in the third when Russell got out of it on a popout. After that he set down 10 batters in a row.

Greely, meanwhile, got two more runs in the fifth, one on an error, the other driven in by Cal Soule with a single, to secure the trip to the regional final.


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