Kramer, Powell Pace Spartan Regional Title Win
ASHBURN, VA - If the Broad Run softball team was trying to make a statement to the rest of the seven teams remaining in the Virginia Group AA softball state tournament, consider it done.
Caitlin Delahaba set a national high school record for consecutive scoreless innings, firing a three-hit
shutout with 16 strikeouts, and the Spartan offense pounded out 20 hits, led by Ashley Kramer's 5-for-5
performance, as top-seeded Broad Run thumped sixth-seeded and Dulles District foe Loudoun County
16-0 in the Region II championship game Friday night in Ashburn.
The Spartans, now 25-0 and winners of 54 straight games over the last two seasons, will host Region I
runner-up New Kent in the state quarterfinals Tuesday. The game is a rematch of last year's state
championship game, which Broad Run won 8-0 behind another Delahaba no-hitter. Loudoun County (20-5),
which won road games against both Orange and Brentsville to reach the region title game, will
travel to Region I champion Poquoson Tuesday. Poquoson edged New Kent 7-6 in the Region I title game.
Broad Run took control of Friday's Region II final from the opening inning, sending nine hitters to the
plate in a five-run first. The Spartans then tacked on four more runs in the second to build a 9-0 cushion,
and they added two more runs in the third and another five in the fifth.
With Broad Run taking control of the game early, the only suspense remaining was Delahaba's run at the
national consecutive scoreless innings streak. The hurler entered the contest with 132 straight innings
without allowing a run, and she needed to toss a full seven innings of scoreless ball to surpass the record
of 138 2/3 innings.
Delahaba stranded single runners in both the first and second innings before running into trouble in the
third. After Delahaba struck out the first batter, Raider leadoff hitter Rochelle Latka slapped a single
to left and took second when the ball got past left fielder Judy Betz. Delahaba then struck out Lindsey
Gorman before walking Lindsey Packard and hitting Hope Flanagan to load the bases. Delahaba then struck out
Elisa Moroz to end the inning.
The Raiders nearly ended Delahaba's streak again in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs on a single
and back-to-back walks. After going to a full count, Delahaba fanned Holly Norris to end the threat and
keep her shutout streak intact.
Delahaba then fanned the side in both the sixth and seventh innings, with her final strikeout of the game
sealing the record and giving her 138 straight innings without allowing a run.
Not to be overshadowed was the Spartan offense, which posted double-digits in runs for the seventh time this
season. Kramer had three singles, a double, and a triple and scored four times, while Karla Powell was
4-for-5 with three singles, a double, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Reagan Doiron went 3-for-5 with two singles, a double and four RBIs, and Delahaba and Michelle Clohan added
two hits apiece.
Latka, Gorman and Megan Lindsey each singled for Loudoun County, which stranded nine runners on base.
