Crunch Time

After solid regular seasons, the BHS Softball & Baseball teams enter the playoffs looking for deep runs.
By: Ben Elliott

​This season, my favorite sports team in the entire universe, the NHL’s Boston Bruins broke all sorts of wins records for the regular season, which left me admittedly feeling a little cocky about their chances at winning a Stanley Cup. 
 
Fast forward to the first round against the Florida Panthers and the B’s held a 3-1 lead, what followed was the most painful fan experience of my entire life. 
 
The B’s blew a 3-1 lead and were eliminated in the first round after the best year in the sport’s over 100 year history.
 
Now, you may be asking yourself, “Ben, what does this have to do with Broadway softball/baseball?”. The answer is simple. Winning at any level is extremely difficult, no matter what you do in the regular season. You could light the world on fire for the entire regular season, you might even set a record for most wins in a season for a sport played on frozen water, only to blow a 3-1 series lead to the lowest seeded team that barely made it to the playoffs. 
 
That leads us to the present day, both BHS teams have handled their business on the diamond all season long which has earned both squads a chance at the glory my Bruins couldn’t achieve. 
 
Our regular season/pre-playoff recap begins with your Lady Gobblers!
 
The team had an absolutely blistering regular season on the diamond. They finish the 2023 regular season with a 15-5 record which is a drastic improvement over the previous regular season, which as a coach that’s all you can ask out of your team. To improve each and every day and leave things better than you found it before, which is why the team sees such a great opportunity in front of them. By far the most impressive statistic was the team’s 6-2 Valley District record.
 
As you all know, the Valley District in every sport is extremely competitive. Over my years I’ve learned that you surely can’t take any of our fellow district teams lightly, which is what makes this record so impressive. 
 
The team went 2-0 versus Harrisonburg, Rockbridge and Spotswood. The only team that gave the Lady Gobblers any trouble was Turner Ashby. The team lost both regular season games with one being very close. The Gobblers also suffered a setback in the Valley District Plus-One game, losing at Turner Ashby 11-3.  Broadway will be the #3 seed in the Region 3C Tournament, and will host #6 Fort Defiance in the Quarterfinals on May 26.
 
The regular season’s Out of District record was a blazing 9-3. Those ten games featured wins over Wilson Memorial, Skyline, Fluvanna, Fort Defiance, Brookville and future Valley District member East Rockingham. The three losses in non-District play came by only 5 runs or less. 
 
It’s been such an enjoyable ride this season following the Lady Gobblers. I enjoyed hearing about all the wonderful pitching performances and Home Runs hit. It was a tremendous regular season and I’m fully confident that the team is primed for a great postseason run.
 
The Baseball boys, just like their softball counterparts, played a 20-game schedule comprised of Valley District opponents and non-district opponents. The team finished the year with a 12-8 record overall and a 5-3 record in Valley District play. 
 
Starting with Valley District play, the team finished with a record of 5-3, which featured a gauntlet of opponents. 
 
The team saw wins over Turner Ashby, Rockbridge, Harrisonburg and Spotswood. 
 
These games played in district were often close games that came down to the final inning, it’s a further indication that our district is in good hands once again, full of tremendous talent that will continue to compete against one another for years to come. Speaking of competing, the Gobblers won a game against each of their Valley District opponents, which spells great for the playoffs considering there’s a high likelihood that we’ll see some of these opponents again. It gives you great confidence that you’re able to outlast whichever team you might draw in postseason play. 
 
The out-of-district record stood at 7-5, with the team racking up wins over Fluvanna, Fort Defiance, Wilson Memorial, Skyline, East Rockingham and Rappahannock Co.
 
Which means they secured at least one win against every team on their schedule. Which is an impressive portfolio to have headed into postseason play. 
 
After falling to Spotswood 6-3 in the Valley District Plus-One Game on May 18, the Gobblers now turn their attention to the upcoming Region 3C Tournament where they will be the #4 seed and will host #5 seed Spotswood in the Region 3C Quarterfinals on May 26.  The meeting marks the fourth meeting of the season between the Gobblers and Blazers.  
 
This season was an impressive success for each team, which is attested to the coaching jobs that each staff put forward this spring. It was surely a pleasure covering each squad during the regular season, I wish both teams the best of luck during the playoffs and I’m looking forward to talking with you all once more for our playoff recap!

BHS Senior Drew Spiggle throws out the first pitch on Senior Night at BHS. Spiggle missed the entire 2023 season due to injury.

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