A look at IAC South Large School softball champion Thomas A. Edison
A look at Interscholastic Athletic Conference South Large School Division softball champion Thomas A. Edison as the Spartans get set to play for the overall IAC Large School crown.
Title matchup at a glance
Edison will face North Large School champ Lansing in the overall final at 5 p.m. May 9 at Wells College in Aurora. That follows the 3 o'clock Small School title tilt between Tioga Central and Union Springs.
The Spartans opened the season with a 14-1 victory over Lansing.
Key victory
Edison's championship came down to taking eight of the nine games against division foes Watkins Glen/Odessa-Montour, Spencer-Van Etten/Candor and Elmira Notre Dame, winner of the previous three division and overall IAC championships.
Perhaps the most significant of those wins was a 21-0 victory over Watkins Glen/O-M two days after the Storm topped Edison, 5-4, in the middle game of their three-game set.
Spotlight player
Edison's loss to the Schuyler Storm came in a contest in which senior pitching ace Gabby Milazzo played first base. Milazzo pitched a five-inning no-hitter in the teams' next meeting, striking out eight and walking none.
Milazzo is a returning first-team all-state pitcher who dominates opponents more with control than velocity. One of her most impressive performances came against Susquehanna Valley, which was unbeaten until Milazzo shut down the Sabers in a 3-1 victory April 27.
Other Spartans to watch
Edison has a lineup of boppers who teamed to put up 197 runs over the first 16 games, an average of 12.3 per contest.
Count Milazzo among those who can hit on a team with significant offensive depth. Other big sticks include Bri Korsky, Kailey Ripley, Emily Aiello, Carissa Cowan, Emma Maggs, Maddison Pack, Mariana Jones-Frosolone, Maycie Bennett and Charlee Stroman.
This game will carry added significance for Pack, who earlier this year committed to play collegiately at Wells College. Last week Wells announced it is closing after this academic semester.
Defining moments in program history
Edison has one of the richest softball traditions in New York state. The Spartans captured state championships in 1991, 2014 and 2019. Last year the Spartans made it to the Class C final four.
About the coach
Liz Warren has coached her alma mater since 2018 and guided the Spartans' run to the Class C state championship five years ago. She has coached Edison to three Section 4 titles in five chances, with the 2020 season canceled because of COVID. Edison won overall IAC titles in 2018 and 2019 under Warren.
Warren was a two-time all-state pitcher at Edison who went on to a record-setting career at Keuka College. She ranks second in program history with 35 wins and her 12 career shutouts are No. 1 among Wolves hurlers.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: A breakdown of IAC Large School softball champ Edison
