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Last March, Indian River High School softball coach Steve Botchie established three wins in his team's first five games as a reasonable goal.

But when the Indians opened the 1998 season by winning all five, Botchie realized he might be sitting on something special.

He was right.

"After we played those first five games, that was a pretty good indication (of how good we were)," he said.

And the Indians didn't let up the rest of the season, compiling a 21-1 record and winning their first state softball championship. With a 2-0 victory over St. Mark's in the state final on May 30 at Polytech, IR also clinched the school's first state title by a girls athletic team.

The heart of the team was a determined group of seniors who completed IR's turnaround from a combined 2-25 record in the 1990 and 1991 seasons. They were shortstop Christi McHale, first baseman Shawn Browne, second baseman Stacy Campbell, catcher/outfielder Melissa Adams and outfielders Shannon Simons and Stephanie Tietmeyer.

"Those six girls played together since they were 10 years old. That sort of solidified the whole thing," Botchie said.

Another key for IR was a pair of young and talented pitchers ­ freshman Cara Deldeo and sophomore Angela Robinson. Along with junior catcher Sarah Lyons, they formed one of the strongest batteries in the state.

In the state semifinals on May 27, IR erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning en route to a 9-1 rout of Padua.

That victory earned the Indians a berth in the state title game against defending champion St. Mark's. Ironically, St. Mark's was the only team to defeat IR during the regular season, posting a 4-3 extra-inning victory.

Deldeo was the losing pitcher in that game but got her revenge in the state final, firing a two-hit shutout and striking out nine Spartan batters.

"We knew we could hang with them," Botchie said.

A large photo of the team hangs on the wall of Botchie's classroom at Indian River and six months later the magnitude of its accomplishment still hasn't sunk in.

"It's still numbing. You still don't realize something happened," he said. "I think it was a special team. Everyone knew what we had to do."

Botchie also credited assistant coaches Mark Browne and Mary Jane Megee for helping turn the team into a champion.

Indian River Athletic Director Dale Steele, who won a state championship as football coach in 1988, noted Browne allowed players to use the indoor batting cage at his home during inclement weather and was instrumental in maintaining softball fields at the high school and middle school.

The state title capped off what was one of the best years ever for Indian River athletics, he added. "Everything fell into place," Steele said. "It was just a good year and all these girls just came of age."