Point After: Spartans In Position Again For Title
Broad Run's Kate Sims has been a pleasant surprise for Ed Steele's softball program this season. Sims had a big night against Powhatan, knocking in 2 runs and finishing 3 for 3.....
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Broad Run's Reagan Doiron is back from injury and back to her normal self at the plate. The senior has helped her team get back to Radford.
Photo By: Jan Johnson / Gameday Magazine | VIEW GALLERY
Broad Run will play Orange County on Friday at 10am. The game is set to take place at Veteran's Park in Radford. The Gameday Radio Network will have live radio coverage beginning at 9:45am online at GamedayMagazine.com.....
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ASHBURN, VA - It seems that every year, Ed Steele's softball program at Broad Run continues to reach new milestones. In 2007, it was another state championship, last year it was a state title and a national championship. This weekend the Spartans are attempting to do something that is unheard of; win their 3rd straight state softball title.
Broad Run's road to Radford included a regular season Dulles District championship, a regional title win over Orange County last Saturday, and a quarterfinal win over Powhatan just a day ago. The Lady Spartans will get a chance to see Orange County for the second time in a week when they roll down to Veteran's Park in Radford on Friday.
What makes their journey even more impressive is the fact that they have done it with several new faces on the roster. Over the past two seasons, I'd ask softball coaches from around the area about Judy Betz, Broad Run's senior pitcher who had to wait her turn behind Caitlyn Delahaba, and they all said she was capable of the same type of success.
That was put in jeopardy this winter when the senior had to have surgery on her elbow, and she fought through her recovery in the first couple of months of the 2009 spring season. But now, she's back, and performing much like her predecessor did the past two years for the Lady Spartans. On Tuesday, Betz limited the Indians to just 3 hits in the win.
Betz wasn't the only Spartan to be hampered with injuries. Senior Reagan Doiron missed most of the regular season with a broken foot. Doiron returned in the past month to help bolster the Spartan lineup, which has been lethal for opposing pitchers in the playoffs.
With Doiron out, Maggie Betz was able to see more time at 3rd base, and that has allowed Steele to move Doiron over to second base. Betz has been more than good too at third base. On Tuesday, she had 6 assists in the playoff win, including a 5-4-3 double play.
Senior catcher Haley Johnson has been stellar as expected, and transfer Megan Waterman has done a great job of anchoring the defense at shortstop. She also contributed a single and a run scored on Tuesday.
The surprise player for Broad Run, and there always is one, has been Kate Sims. Just a freshman, the soft spoken Sims has been the catalyst for the Lady Spartans recently at the plate. In Tuesday's win over Powhatan, Sims was 3 for 3, and had 2 RBI's in the 5-0 win.
Sims hasn't been at all intimidated by the high profile nature of being a varsity player for Broad Run. In fact, she has reveled in it. With Sims and junior Anna Blessing anchoring the outfield, the Spartans have little weaknesses defensively, and more than enough pop in the lineup to worry any opposing coach.
First baseman Jen Soroka has also turned in a solid season, and in Tuesday's quarterfinal win, she delivered in a big way with 2 RBI's and two hits.
Jen Kramer, freshman Jennie Himler, the list goes on and on. This 2009 team looks tougher and tougher the more you analyze their roster. Last year against Tunstall in the state finals, Broad Run received a no-hitter from Delahaba. While that performance was dominant, few focused on the fact that the Spartans lit up one of the best pitchers in the state for 8 runs.
With Betz pitching well, and Broad Run starting to turn it on at the plate, this weekend's festivities could be entertaining for Spartan fans once again.
After another spring of watching Broad Run Softball do what they do best, I'm not amazed or surprised that they are one win away from playing again for all the marbles yet again.
If anything, I would be surprised if they weren't.
LIVE GAME BROADCAST:
Friday's 10am game against Orange County will be broadcast live on the Gameday Radio Network with the AID Performance Physical Therapy Pregame show starting at 9:45am. Should Broad Run advance to the state finals, the game time could be altered from 10am to 4:30pm if Patrick County defeats Tunstall in the other state semifinal game. Regardless of the start time, Gameday will have you covered as we will bring the state championship game to you live and worldwide right here at GamedayMagazine.com. A Live TV feed is also a possibility depending on what happens with the other outcomes on Friday.
