Delahaba's No Hitter Propels Spartans 7-0
ASHBURN, VA - Senior Caitlyn Delahaba fired another no-hitter and struck out 19 to help Broad Run advance to the state tournament for the second consecutive year. Delahaba also went 2-for-2 with two RBIs to lead top-seeded Broad Run to a 7-0 win over fourth-seeded Fluvanna County in the Region II semifinals Wednesday night in Ashburn.
With the win, the Spartans (24-0) advance to Friday's Region II championship, where they will host Dulles District foe and sixth-seeded Loudoun County (19-4). The Raiders knocked off second-seeded Brentsville 5-4 in Wednesday's other Region II semifinal contest.
Broad Run swept its three meetings with Loudoun County this season. The Spartans claimed 8-0 and 7-0 wins in the regular season and added a 6-0 win in the Dulles District championship game.
Delahaba fanned the first 15 Flying Flucos before hitting Danielle Dike to open the sixth. She then struck out the next two batters before retiring the side on a comebacker to the circle. Delahaba sandwiched her 18th and 19th strikeouts around a ground out to second in the seventh to seal the victory.
After being sent down in order in the bottom of the first, Broad Run opened the scoring with an unearned run in the second. With runners at first and second and one out, Anna Blessing sent a slow chopper down the third baseline. Dike's throw to first glanced off Tessa Law's glove, and courtesy runner Alba Crues raced around from second to score. Fluvanna corralled the loose ball and fired to third to nail Regan Doiron for the second out, and Dike threw to second to nab Blessing -- who was trying to take second on the play -- for the third out.
Broad Run then broke the game open with four runs in the third on two-run singles by Hayley Johnson and Delahaba. The Spartans closed out the scoring with two more runs in the fourth. Ashley Kramer roped a run-scoring triple and Michelle Clohan followed with an RBI single.
Broad Run has now won 53 straight and 79 of its last 80 games dating bac]'k to the 2006 season.
