Broad Run, Tunstall Advance to Title Game
One year ago, Broad Run needed a two-out walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to slip past Tunstall in the state semifinals en route to winning its second Virginia High School League Group AA crown. On Saturday, those same two squads will meet again at 1 p.m. -- this time for the state championship.
Tunstall scored twice with two outs in the top of the sixth inning to break open a scoreless contest and edged Poquoson 2-0 in the first semifinal, while Broad Run scored five times in the first inning and senior Caitlyn Delahaba tossed a one-hitter with 18 strikeouts as the Spartans thumped Salem 8-0 in the second semifinal Friday at Radford University.
Broad Run, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the latest USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and winners of 56 straight and 81 of its last 82, is seeking to join James Madison High School of Vienna as just the second team in VHSL softball history to record consecutive undefeated seasons. Broad Run is also looking to become the seventh team to win back-to-back VHSL AA state softball titles.
Broad Run (27-0) will also be making its fifth AA state championship game appearance, tying rival Park View and Rustburg for that mark, and will be chasing record-tying third AA title (tying Park View, Poquoson and Rustburg). In addition to last year's crown, Broad Run also won the title in 2000 and lost the 1994 and 2002 championship games.
Meanwhile, Tunstall (23-3) will be making just its second AA championship game appearance. The Trojans dropped the 1988 title game to Sussex Central 11-5.
In Friday's first semifinal game, Tunstall's Brittany Arnn and Poquoson's Star Gibbs went toe to toe in a pitchers' duel. The two matched five scoreless innings before the Trojans finally broke through with two runs in the top of the sixth to pull out the victory.
With one out in the inning, Jenna Rudder walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sarah Smith. Heather Francisco then laced a single to left, and Rudder raced around third and barely slid under the tag at home for the game's first run.
Francisco, who advanced to second on the throw, then stole third base, and Arnn followed by roping a double to the fence in right center to easily plate Francisco.
Arnn then retired the next six Islanders in order, including three via strikeout.
The game featured a moment of controversy in the bottom of the second, when a runner-interference call prompted a 15-minute delay.
Poquoson's Catherine Clavin singled to start the inning, and Nicole Windham followed with a grounder to Rudder, the Trojan second baseman. Rudder fielded the grounder, and, just before throwing to first, was run into by Clavin. Rudder completed the would-be double play, but the first base umpire called a dead ball upon Clavin's interfering with Rudder.
Poquoson (19-8) argued that Windham should have been safe at first upon the dead ball call, while Tunstall argued that Rudder had successfully completed the double play with her throw to first.
A lengthy delay ensued, with umpires conferring with each other before the home plate umpire eventually met with tournament officials to sort out the play. After 15 minutes, it was decided that Windham was awarded first after the dead ball call, and play resumed. After a sacrifice bunt moved courtesy runner Valerie Sotcott to second, Arnn got Brandy Wyatt to foul out to end the inning.
Poquoson out-hit Tunstall, 5-3, for the game, but the Islanders couldn't string enough of their hits together when it counted. They had solid chances in both the fourth and fifth innings but came away empty both times.
In the fourth, Poquoson loaded the bases with one out on a walk by Taylor Walker and back-to-back singles by Clavin and Windham. Arnn then struck out Sarah Coon on a beautiful change-up for the second out before another runner-interference call created more controversy.
Brandy Wyatt sent a roller to Smith at short, and Smith was grazed by Clavin on her way to third. The ball rolled up Smith's arm and bounced free, apparently allowing Walker to score. However, after a much shorter deliberation, the umpires ruled Clavin out and brought the inning to an end.
Arnn finished with a five-hit shutout with eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter. Gibbs held Tunstall to just three hits, striking out four and walking one.
Game two lacked the controversy and excitement of the opener, as defending champion Broad Run erupted for five runs in the first inning and cruised to the 8-0 victory.
Delahaha was her normal masterful self, allowing just one hit -- a one-out single to left by Katie Stauffer in the top of the first -- and striking out 19, including the final 11 Salem hitters.
Delahaba, who threw just 82 pitches, moved into second place (unofficially) on the VHSL single-season list with 412 strikeouts, behind former Broad Run standout Christy Anch's 435 K's set in 2002.
Delahaba also extended her national record streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 153, and she also recorded her 16th straight shutout, just one shy of matching former Virginia Tech star Angela Tincher's mark of 17 she set with James River in 2005.
Broad Run got all the runs it would need in the first. Ashley Kramer started the home half of the first with a walk but was erased on a fielder's choice by Michelle Clohan. Karla Powell then followed with a double to right center, allowing Clohan to race around the bases to score the game's first run.
Haley Johnson followed with a single to right, and Powell took third on the hit and scored when the ball was bobbled in the outfield. A walk to Delahaba gave Broad Run runners at first and third, and Reagan Doiron stepped up and drilled a two-run triple to right center to plate courtesy runners Jenn Soroka and Alba Crues. Anna Blessing followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the inning and give Broad Run a commanding 5-0 advantage after just one inning.
Broad Run tacked on another run in the second when Clohan ripped a double to the left field wall and scored on a single by Powell. Broad Run made it 7-0 when Kramer scored on a first-and-third double steal in the fourth.
Broad Run scored its final run in the fifth on another sacrifice fly by Blessing.
Powell led a seven-hit attack, finishing 2-for-4 with a single, a double, a walk and two RBI's. Johnson added a single and a double in three at-bats.
Salem finished its season at 20-7.
