Blacksburg Soccer, Chatham Baseball, Altavista Softball win state gold

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STATE SOCCER
RADFORD, Va. – Allistair Moore scored off a through ball from Eli Betz in the 97th minute to lift Blacksburg to a 3-2 victory over Potomac Falls in the Group AA Boys Soccer State Championship Sunday afternoon at Cupp Stadium as part of the Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
With the triumph, Blacksburg claims its third state title in the last five years and 10th in school history, which is also the most in Group AA Boys Soccer history.
Outside of Moore’s difference-maker, perhaps the most excitement came in the closing minute with the match tied at a goal apiece.
Potomac Falls, which tied the score 1-1 in the 61st minute on an Eddie Funes strike, took its first lead of the match when Asa Fox struck for the third time in two days to give the Panthers their first lead of the contest.
ust as it appeared Potomac Falls was going to claim its second state crown in the last four years, Blacksburg’s Serxho Hasa found the net’s top left corner in the closing seconds of regulation to send the match into extra sessions.
Moore set up Hasa’s 80th minute equalizer. Christian Burton gave Blacksburg the early advantage with a goal in the 7th minute of action.
Both teams finished with six shots, while Potomac Falls held a slim 4-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
RADFORD, Va. – Broad Run successfully defended its state title with a 3-0 victory over Hidden Valley to win the 2009 Group AA Girls Soccer State Championship Sunday afternoon at Cupp Stadium as part of the Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
The Spartans become the first team in Group AA Girls Soccer history to win back-to-back state titles. It was also the third state title in school history for Broad Run, which is also a new Group AA Girls Soccer standard.
Erin Brady (14th minute), Whitney Church (39th minute) and Valerie Powell (49th minute) each found the back of the net for Broad Run, while Kelly Evans provided the game’s only assist on Brady’s eventual difference maker.
Broad Run finished with an 8-1 advantage in shots and finished with a 5-0 edge in corner kicks.

RADFORD, Va. – Junior Nick Smirniotopolous’ second-half strike proved to be all George Mason needed as the Mustangs defeated the two-time defending champs, Radford High, 1-0, to win the 2009 Group A Boys Soccer State Championship Sunday afternoon at Cupp Stadium as part of the Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
Just 3:49 into the final period, Smirniotopolous went far post with a breakaway shot from just outside the box to give the Mustangs their first state title since the 2004 season and fourth in school history.
Five of the last six Group A Boys Soccer state title matches have been decided by 1-0 scores.
George Mason and Radford have combined to win six state titles in the last 11 years.
The Mustangs finished with a 5-3 advantage in shots, while the Bobcats held a 5-3 edge in corner kicks.
RADFORD, Va. – Violet Miller’s goal with 2:25 left in regulation gave George Mason a 3-2 victory over Radford and its second straight and fourth overall Group A Girl’s Soccer Championship from Patrick D. Cupp Memorial Stadium on the campus of Radford University.
The Mustangs trailed 2-1 going into halftime, but Kim Kenny netted the equalizer in the 52nd minute after knocking in a cross from Miller inside the left post.
George Mason, who controlled much of the play in the second half, continued to put pressure on the Radford defense and it finally paid off. After a foul 25 yards left of the goal, Mayssa Chehata’s service found Millers foot just inside the box and she ripped it inside the left post for her second goal of the game.
Radford had a golden opportunity to tie off the restart, but Mary Wiley’s cross from the right went by three Bobcat players and was eventually cleared away.
The Mustangs outshot the Bobcats, 13-6, including 8-2 in the decisive second half. Britt Smith made seven saves for Radford. Caitlin Sickler stopped one shot for George Mason.
In the first half, Miller put the Mustangs on the board in the 20th minute on a breakaway.
Wiley tied the game four minutes later. Anna Witkowsky service from 25 yards to the far post found Wiley in stride and she tucked into the goal.

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BASEBALL
RADFORD, Va. – Poquoson scored three unearned runs, including one off a bases-loaded fielding error in the bottom of the seventh to edge Rustburg 4-3 and win the 2009 Group AA Baseball State Championship Sunday afternoon as part of the VHSL Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
With the triumph, Poquoson claims its second state title in school history.
Along with three of the Islanders’ runs being unearned, Rustburg’s middle infield committed four errors.
With the game tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Red Devils’ Chad Wisecarver misplayed a Chad Hoogstraten groundball that scored Poquoson’s Clark Schurz, who was called on to pinch run.
Schurz, who replaced Adam Posey following the designated hitters’ leadoff single, quickly moved to third on a Clark Pinder sac bunt and Taylor McConnell groundout. With two outs and Schurz 90 feet away from scoring the winning run, Rustburg head coach Barry Godsey decided to roll the dice and intentionally walk both Kyle Crockett and Chad Pinder to load the bases.
 
RADFORD, Va. – Along with going 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI, Drew Kirks tossed a complete game while striking out 13 to lead Chatham to the 2009 Group A Baseball State Championship with a 10-4 victory over Gate City Sunday afternoon at the RU Baseball Field as part of the VHSL Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
Kirks’ battery mate Gavin Hylton hit his second blast in as many days with a three-run shot in the first to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead.
After singling to left in his first plate appearance, Kirks’ belted a Jordan Estepp fastball over the wall in left centerfield to give himself the only runs he would need as the lefthander recorded a pair of strikeouts in all but two innings.
Besides not scoring in the bottom of the second, Chatham (25-2) pushed across runs in the final four innings, including two more in the fifth and sixth to put the game out of reach.
Chatham’s Matt Bray, who also added a pair of hits, put the finishing touches on Chatham’s second state title in school history and first since the 1987 season, with a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth.
Beau Cassada, who contributed three RBI in Chatham’s semifinal victory Saturday, finished 2-for-2 with a pair of triples from the nine spot.
Despite the loss, Luke Kirk led the way for Gate City (21-6) with two hits, while scoring two of the Blue Devils’ runs.
Both Estepp and Kirk struggled on the mound for Gate City allowing five run each. Estepp suffered the loss, while Kirk pitched four innings in relief and struckout four.
Chatham finished with nine hits, five (three home runs, two triples) of which went for extra bases.

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SOFTBALL

RADFORD, Va. – Brooke Short saved her best for last as the senior was nearly perfect at the plate and in the circle as Altavista defeated Glenvar 7-1 in the Group A Softball State Championship Sunday afternoon as part of the Spring Jubilee hosted by Radford University.
Along with going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, Short carried a no-hitter into the top of the seventh before Glenvar got its only two hits and run in the contest. Short was perfect through four until Chasidy Williams led the fourth off with a walk.
Julianna Caldwell was the only Highlander to put the ball in play in the first three innings as Short fanned eight of the first nine hitters she faced en route to 11 strikeouts.
Short retired the side in order through six innings before Glenvar sent six batters to the dish in the last.
Lori Cox also recorded a pair of hits for the Colonels.
The title gives Altavista its first in school history, while Glenvar has fallen in each of the last three state championship games.
RADFORD, Va. – For the second straight day, Broad Run’s Jen Soroka came up with the big hit this time it was a two-out double in the bottom of the 11th that knocked in Maggie Betz with the winning run, giving the Spartans (22-3) a 2-1 victory over Tunstall (22-1) and their third straight Group AA Softball State Championship, Sunday afternoon from Veterans Field.
After two quick outs, Betz drilled a single up the middle to keep the inning alive and Soroka roped a ball to the leftcenterfield fence. Betz did not hesitate about going home and beat a wide throw to the plate, crossing the dish with the winning run.
Soroka also knocked in the Spartans’ first run of the game with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly.
Just an inning and a half earlier, Tunstall had a golden opportunity to score when Heather Francisco doubled to rightcenterr with one out in the 10th. On the play, Taylor Dix tried to score from first, but Spartan centerfielder Anna Blessing threw her out 15-feet from home plate.