Photos by Sam Dean | The Roanoke Times

A card in the trainer's officer at Alleghany High School memorializes Britney Sims. Third baseman Amanda Redman wrote, "My home run hitter has gone home" beside a photo of Britney. She said her teammate's death is still hard to believe.

Each time center fielder Whitney Sparks takes the field, she pauses at the center field fence to pray and remember her friend Britney Sims. She and other Alleghany High School softball team players have unique ways to remember fellow player Britney Sims, who was killed last year.

Members of the Alleghany High School softball team memorialize Britney Sims with armbands that display a softball and the number 17 — Britney's number.

Alleghany High School softball players chant "Three angels, Lady Mounties" earlier this month to honor Britney Sims and her slain sisters. They chant this before and after every game. The team recalled Britney as a passionate player, who would kick the dirt when she got mad during games, but who would also lift her teammates' spirits.

Karen Sims, Britney's mother, wanted to do something special for the Mountaineers, so she bought them all new uniforms this year. The players did not order No. 17, Britney's number. They plan to ask the school board to retire the number.

COVINGTON -- Last spring, Britney Sims started at first base and wore No. 17 for the Alleghany High School softball team.

Her sister Amber cheered her on from the stands while her other sister, Morgan, played in the dirt behind the left-field fence.

The Mountaineers' games are different now.

No. 17 is not on the field. But she is in the Mountaineers' hearts.

In August, only days after the school year began, Britney, 17, Amber, 14, and Morgan, 8, were shot to death by their father as the girls slept in their home. Edward Sims Jr., who also was a regular at Alleghany games, then killed himself.

Center fielder Whitney Sparks and third baseman Amanda Redman weren't sure they wanted to play softball this year. Not without Britney.

"I [didn't] know if I could put myself through a game without her," Amanda said, crying.

But they decided to continue. They, and the rest of the team, now play for Britney.

Among their many tributes, the Mountaineers gather before and after each game and say, "Three Angels. Lady Mounties." It is also a rallying cry when they fall behind.

"It's definitely not the same without her," catcher Hollee Warlitner said. "You go to say something to Brit and she's not here.

"But I know she's thinking about us, and she's watching us. And we do everything for her."

Stunning news

Britney was passionate about softball. She would kick the dirt if she got mad during a game, or throw a helmet.

But she would also lift her teammates' spirits.

"We'd always kid around in practice," Hollee said. "If I had a bad day, I'd go to her, because even if I was in the worst mood, she could make me happy.

"I miss that every day. But when I think about it, it makes me happy."

Whitney thought of Britney as a sister.

"When she got to know you, she'd talk your ear off," Whitney said. "Them cheeks, they never stayed quiet."

Britney hit .310 for Alleghany as a junior last season.

She was supposed to move over to shortstop this season and had set her mind to do a good job there. She played shortstop for her AAU and Senior League teams last summer to prepare.

"She worked her butt off," said Amanda, who also played with her last summer.

Britney no doubt would have been one of the Mountaineers' captains this season.

"She was really looking forward to this year, talking about ... all the good times we were going to have," Hollee said.

But on the final weekend of August, the lives of Britney and her sisters were taken by their father in the family's Potts Creek home. The girls' mother, Karen Sims, had moved out of the house about a week earlier.

The bodies of the girls and their father were found on a Monday morning by a deputy sheriff after Karen Sims asked police to check on the family because she hadn't heard from the girls in a few days.

Amanda's mother is a teacher and assistant softball coach at the high school, so she broke the news to her daughter that day. The third baseman choked up as she recalled hearing of the killings.

"It's [still] hard to believe," Amanda said.

"I think she's off playing travel ball. ... I'm just lying to myself."

Whitney's mother went to the school, and along with former Alleghany softball coach Danny Keene, broke the news to Whitney before taking her home.

Hollee -- the team's star player, who was praised by Britney's father after every game -- heard the news along with the rest of the student body in a PA announcement.

"I just don't know why he did what he did," she said.

Britney was buried in her Alleghany uniform.

Trying to cope

There were two candlelight vigils for the girls that week.

The following week, there was another one at the softball field. All the players were there, as well as some other Alleghany students and the seniors from the previous year's team.

They put candles at home plate. A white candle was placed at first base, and a red candle at shortstop.

That fall, seniors Amanda and Whitney considered putting a premature end to their Alleghany softball careers.

"My whole mind-set and philosophy of life just totally changed," Amanda said. "I was questioning everything."

Whitney's family used to have cookouts at their home with the Sims family and Keene's family.

So last fall, Whitney told Karen Sims -- who had always been at the games, cheering Britney on -- that she was not looking forward to softball season and wanted to quit.

"She said, 'Britney doesn't want you to quit. She wouldn't want that,' " Whitney recalled.

After Christmas, both girls decided to remain on the team. They were later elected by their teammates as tri-captains, along with Hollee, a junior who figures she has the tri-captain spot Britney would have had.

"I'm glad I [stayed]," Whitney said. "These girls have been a help."

Keene had given up his coaching job after last season because he wanted to watch his son play for Alleghany's baseball team this year. His successor, Ty Dobbs, had already been named when the killings occurred. Keene is still a teacher at the school.

Keene said it was a blessing in disguise that he had already stepped down as coach, because he doesn't know how he would have been able to steer the team this year without Britney.

"Time will never heal this for me," Keene said. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of that girl or her sisters or their mom."

Keene remains close to Karen Sims, who lives in Clifton Forge. He has tried to offer her support.

"I would listen to her and let her vent," he said.

Karen Sims wanted to do something for the Mountaineers, so she bought them new uniforms this year.

"She'll never be healed of this situation, but being able to buy those girls those uniforms I think really, really helped her tremendously," Keene said.

When the players ordered those uniforms, they did not order a No. 17.

On Mother's Day, they plan to give a gift to Karen Sims.

Remembering Britney

During games, the players wear black armbands designed by Whitney. The armbands have the number 17 and a softball.

The sweat shirts they wear to school -- and wear in the dugout when it gets cold during games -- have the number 17 on the front pocket.

On a tree by the entrance to the school's parking lot, the seniors on last year's team painted, "#17 I [heart] you." They also painted, "RIP #17" on a nearby boulder.

In the trainer's room, Amanda has put up a card she made that has a photo of Britney and "My home run hitter has gone home."

Every inning when Whitney goes out to play center field, she touches the fence and says a prayer to Britney. She has worn a necklace with a "B" on it since the killings; she tucks it inside her jersey during games.

Amanda wrote the number 17 on her hat. Hollee wrote the number on her glove, and draws it behind home plate when she takes her catcher's position.

The season opener, a win over backyard rival Covington, was "real hard," Whitney said. There was a moment of silence before the national anthem. The players held hands during the anthem, and began crying.

The Mountaineers have a 9-2 record.

"Our season is for them. ... We lost a lot, but we have a lot," said Whitney, her voice cracking.

For Senior Night next month, the team plans to frame one of Britney's No. 17 jerseys and hang it in the dugout. After the season, the players plan to ask the Alleghany County School Board to retire her number.

Karen Sims has not been to a game this year, but the players are hoping that she will attend on Senior Night.

Senior Night will be especially emotional this year, so the team is debating whether to honor the seniors before a Blue Ridge District game or a less important nondistrict game.

"Senior Night's not going to be good this year ... so hopefully we'll get it done in a nondistrict game," Whitney said.

Time has helped the Mountaineers cope, Hollee said. She keeps a picture of a smiling Britney at her home, and looks at it when she has a bad day.

Hollee misses all three girls.

"I think about them before I go to bed every night," she said. "I miss seeing her smiling face.

"But I definitely know that I have an angel now, and she's watching over us and is going to keep me safe."