17-05-2025
‘It means everything': Boardman softball on conference title
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) – After Boardman softball beat Canfield, 13-3, in six innings on Friday night, Sports Team 27 caught up with the co-conference champion Spartans after the dominating win.
'It means everything. Since I took the job, I've never won the league, so for us as a team in the school to win the league,' Spartans head coach Fred Mootz said. 'I know they got the job done on our field, but we came today and showed up and showed out obviously.'
Watch the video above to hear postgame comments from Mootz, senior Tori Strines and freshman Addie Rudge.
'To be right there with these teams [Canfield, Fitch], it feels great, but these girls have earned it. They've worked hard for it, and like I said yesterday, we started the tournament run with a win, we didn't play our best yesterday in that game,' Mootz said. 'But I told them we got the win and let's put yesterday behind us and come out today and win a conference, and we did.'
Strines tossed a complete game in the circle for the Spartans and was charged with just one earned run.
'We worked so hard for this, we worked so hard in the offseason, everyone gave their full effort, and it was just a full team win all around,' Strines said.
For the freshman Rudge, she smacked a grand slam in the second inning and finished with five runs batted in.
'It feels really great, especially going into the tournament when we play these good teams,' Rudge said. 'It gives us a lot of confidence to go into the tournament because it makes us it gives us a run, so let's hope we do good there.'
The Spartans will share the title with Austintown Fitch, who previously locked up the other half last week. Boardman will host Geneva in the OHSAA tournament at home on Tuesday, May 20.
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