PFLUGERVILLE, TX — This was more than an important district matchup for the Elgin baseball team.
A 9-3 win at Hendrickson on Saturday meant more than seizing sole possession of first place in District 18-5A baseball. It was a tribute to the three people killed almost a week ago near the Arboretum in Northwest Austin, including Willie Simmons III, an Elgin senior who had signed a football scholarship with North Texas.
“We wanted to win this game for Willie,” said Elgin infielder Til Nalle. “Willie was a senior and we all knew him very well. He made us smile all the time. We wanted to win this game for him.”
Elgin coach Edward Stringer was hoping for the best following an emotional week for his players that included a candlelight vigil last Sunday and a memorial service at the football stadium on Wednesday honoring Simmons, former Elgin basketball player Alyssa Broderick and Alyssa’s mother, Amanda Broderick. Stephen Broderick, a former Travis County sheriff’s deputy, has been arrested and charged with the triple homicide.
Stringer got so much more.
“I’m ecstatic with how they responded,” Stringer said. “Everybody in the Elgin community is mourning right now. Some of our guys were best friends with those kids. They have an opportunity to do something that two beloved friends and a beloved mother aren’t able to do. Those opportunities were taken from them. For our guys to respond and make the most of those opportunities is about as good as it gets.”
Nalle had four hits, two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base in the victory, which marked the first meeting between the two schools. Elgin (16-13, 11-1 District 18-5A) now holds a one-game lead over Hendrickson (18-11, 10-2), and the two meet again Tuesday in Elgin. Both teams have already clinched playoff spots.
Elgin staff ace Braylon Owens, sidelined with an elbow injury for most of the season, made his first start since the district opener.
Owens, who maintained his composure despite his visible displeasure with several calls made by the home-plate umpire, responded with a four-hit, complete-game performance while thoughts of longtime friend Simmons weighing heavily on his mind.
“I was real close with Willie,” said Owens, who was Simmons’ teammate on the football team. “I played football with him since we came out of the womb. We’ve all been torn up about it.”
Stringer spoke with Owens several times during the game to calm him down.
“He’s a senior leader and a very smart baseball player,” Stringer said. “He’s one of those kids that really knows what he’s doing. When he’s on, he’s on. Today, he felt like he was on and wasn’t getting any calls. To keep his composure and maintain his body language and hang in there is big time.”
“I was furious,” said Owens, who signed to play baseball at UTSA this fall. “He (the umpire) wasn’t calling any strikes. He was squeezing me. I had to take a deep breath, or I was going to get ejected.”
Hendrickson coach Doug Pearce said he’s optimistic the six-run loss will provide a learning experience for his team.
“The game got in their heads a little bit,” Pearce said. “We’ve been pretty good with our energy and we’ve been competing pretty good. It’s the first year competing at the varsity level for some of these guys and really the first big game we’ve had. All you can do is learn from it.”
