June 11, 2007

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Samantha Howe, a Green Bay softball signee for 2007-08, helped guide her Union Grove High School squad to the WIAA Division 2 state championship in Madison last weekend. The Broncos defeated Southern Door 5-1 in Saturday's title game.

Howe, a catcher, collected two hits and scored two runs in Union Grove's victory. She helped the Broncos jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as she singled to left and then got into a run-down that allowed a runner to come around and score from second. Howe advanced to second on the play and later scored on a two-out single.

After being robbed of a hit on a solid line-drive to center in the fifth inning, Howe came to the plate with two outs in the top of the seventh and capped her final high school at-bat in style, ripping a triple to the gap in left-center. She finished off the game's scoring by coming home on a single up the middle by the next batter.

Howe was also stellar behind the plate as she was part of the Union Grove battery that struck out 13 Southern Door batters. She also had a double in Friday's 2-1 10-inning semifinal game win over Portage, with the opposition also striking out 13 times in that contest.

Howe entered sectional play as her team's leader with a .476 batting average, seven home runs, 18 RBI and 20 stolen bases. She is slated to participate in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Coaches Association Senior All-Star Classic Tuesday in Stevens Point. Fellow Green Bay softball signee Chelsie Held of Horicon is also scheduled to compete in the Division 3 portion of the event.