Better Late Than Never

Broad Run's No. 7, 8, 9 Hitters Star in Supporting Roles

By Stephen A. Norris

Thursday, June 14, 2007

As first-team All-Met selections for the second straight year, Broad Run softball players Karla Powell and Caitlyn Delahaba were supposed to shine in the state tournament. It was, however, the performance of those not necessarily expected to post lofty statistics that gave the Spartans the edge in winning their second state title Saturday.

Photo: Tracy A. Woodward

This run didn't score, as Broad Run's Courtney Kramer is tagged at home by New Kent's Laura Bauer in the state final on Saturday. But the Spartans scored many other times, and their 8-0 win gave them their second state title.

Broad Run's seventh through ninth hitters went 8 for 20 in the state semifinals and final (.400 batting average), with three runs and five RBI. They also reached base safely in 13 of 25 plate appearances (.520 on-base percentage).

Kaitlyn Tiplady, the No. 9 hitter, went 4 for 8 with two RBI and a run. She drove in the game's only run Friday in the state semifinals for a 1-0 victory over Tunstall in nine innings.

Freshman Anna Blessing, who was pinch running for Judy Betz, scored the lone run. She got a chance to bat in the state championship game as a pinch hitter and reached base safely in both plate appearances, first on an infield single and then when she was hit by a pitch. She also scored a run.

"That tells you how deep we are," Broad Run Coach Ed Steele said. "You can go down the bench, and we can replace all but a couple players. That makes me feel good about next year."

The Spartans' other freshman -- Jen Soroka -- got a chance to pinch-hit in the championship game after Courtney Kramer fouled a ball off her foot in the second inning. Soroka replaced Kramer, inheriting a 1-2 count, and drove in the first run with a sacrifice RBI during an 8-0 victory over New Kent on Saturday.

"I told [Soroka] I picked her because in practice she is one of the toughest people you will ever meet," Steele said. "She never backs down. I felt pretty strongly that she would hit the ball. If that pitcher threw anything other than a strike, she wouldn't chase a bad pitch. Her and Anna will be stars next year. They just had seniors playing in front of them."

One of those seniors is Kramer, the No. 8 batter, who returned to the state title game in the seventh inning, ripping a two-RBI double. That increased the lead to 7-0 and put the game well out of reach.

"My foot still hurt a lot," said Kramer, the older sister of teammate Ashley Kramer. "I just figured this is the last softball game I am ever going to play, and I might as well make it a good one. I did, and I'm really happy I came back in."

Courtney Kramer went 3 for 5 in the state tournament after entering the weekend with the lowest batting average of any starter.

"I didn't expect [to win the two games] the way we did," Steele said. "I mean seven, eight, nine? If we started a new season now, Courtney would be the number three hitter probably. Kaitlyn probably has the least number of RBI, but she came through.

"That's the nice thing about having talented players in every place. Usually your stars rise big in big games, but here the kids that aren't getting the press showed they can play, too."

Tagged: softball

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