Spartans Succeed Fleeing The Past

Loss Two Years Ago Gives Focus

By Matthew Stanmyre

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The rankings, nationally and locally, are not motivation. All the accolades that have streamed in over the past year, those are not what drives top-ranked Broad Run, either.

To find the Spartans’ true motivation, one must look back almost two years, to the last time Broad Run was defeated.

“As a team, we don’t want to ever feel like that again, so we put everything into every pitch and every play,” Broad Run senior shortstop Ashley Kramer said. “We’re just trying not to repeat that again.”

At this rate, the Spartans may not. On Friday in Ashburn, Broad Run cruised past cross-town and Virginia AA Dulles District rival Park View, 3-0, increasing its winning streak to 39 games. Two-time All-Met pitcher Caitlyn Delahaba threw a perfect game, turning what is normally a nail-biting rivalry game into a one-sided contest.

Like everything else the Spartans do — the grueling practices, the rigid offseason conditioning — the way the team plays is directly dictated by their last loss. Two years ago, Broad Run fell to Powhatan in the Virginia AA state quarterfinals, 2-1, ending a season that began with 26 straight wins.

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Park View's No. 1 Felicia Price bunts and is tagged out at first base by the toss from Broad Run's catcher No. 9 Haley Johnson. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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Broad Run pitcher Caitlyn Delahaba during her game against Park View. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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In the first inning, Broad Run's Karla Powell hit a two-run home run. She is greeted by her team at home plate. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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In the fifth inning, Park View's Rebecca Patton makes the tag at first base on Broad Run's Anna Blessing. After a pop fly was caught, Blessing could not get back to first base before the tag. (Tracy A. Woodward)

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“We all remember the feeling after that, knowing we should have won and knowing we could have done better that season,” Delahaba said. “That is a big part of how we play now. We put everything on the field and don’t take anything for granted now. We work hard at every practice. We know we want to win every game. We know we don’t want to have that feeling again.”

The entire Broad Run team shares that sentiment, and it has shown on the diamond. The Spartans (10-0, 5-0) have beaten opponents by a combined score of 93-3 this season, and only No. 4 Battlefield has scored.

Against Park View (2-3, 1-2), first baseman Karla Powell — also a key member of the 2006 team that lost to Powhatan — smacked a two-run homer in the first inning, and Kramer scored her second run in the third to put the Spartans ahead, 3-0. Delahaba cruised from there.

It would be difficult for Broad Run to improve upon last season’s run — a 29-0 campaign that was capped by a Virginia AA championship. But the Spartans are intent on trying. The team is batting .455 this season, and Delahaba has yet to give up an earned run.

Again, the memory of that last loss — the tears, the hugs, the dreary bus ride home — are pushing the Spartans.

“That loss crystallized them into the hardest working, single-minded team,” Broad Run Coach Ed Steele said. “They just became relentless because they never wanted to feel that again.

“They are the best I’ve ever seen. Seriously. I’ve never played against a team that was better. I’ve never had a team that was better. There’s just no weakness.”

Tagged: Broad Run High School, softball

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