Broad Run Makes It a Clean Sweep

Spartans Add Tourney Title to Regular Season Championship

By Matt Brooks (Contact)

Friday, May 23, 2008

With the field already set for next week's AA Region II tournament, bragging rights were the biggest thing on the line in Thursday's Dulles District tournament final between Broad Run and Potomac Falls at Freedom High School.

After edging out the Panthers for their second regular season title in as many years, the Spartans thwarted Potomac Falls' attempt to repeat as tournament champions, collecting their second trophy in as many weeks with an 8-2 victory.

The top-seeded Spartans scored in each of the first five innings, including a four-run outburst in the fourth, and senior pitcher Trey Brocke held the Panthers' offense in check all night long to notch his seventh win on the season. Although usually overshadowed by senior first team all-district ace Cole Shain, Brocke always seems to be the guy who gets the ball when a championship is on the line. He pitched Broad Run's 2007 regular season title-clinching game and was on the mound at Dominion last Thursday when the Spartans wrapped up the 2008 league title. So it only seemed appropriate that Brocke was on the bump Thursday night in South Riding.

"I love pitching in big games like this," Brocke said. "I'm a lot more motivated and I just love it."

The senior No. 2 – who was a unanimous first team all-district selection as a second baseman – scattered six hits over seven innings with two walks and two strikeouts and consistently mixed up his pitches to keep hitters off balance. While he may lack the overpowering fastball of Shain, Brocke used an assortment of breaking balls and off-speed pitches to short-circuit the Panthers' potent offense.

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Dulles District Baseball Final

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Potomac Falls all-district first baseman Aaron Sweger digs in for his first at-bat against Broad Run starter Trey Brocke in Thursday's Dulles District baseball championship game at Freedom High School. (Matt Brooks)

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Broad Run senior pitcher Trey Brocke delivers a pitch during the Spartans' Dulles District tournament final matchup with Potomac Falls on Thursday at Freedom High School. Brocke allowed only two runs on six hits in a complete game victory as the Spartans took home the title with an 8-2 victory. (Matt Brooks)

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Potomac Falls junior Michael Detaranto delivers a pitch during the Panthers' Dulles District tournament final matchup with Broad Run on Thursday at Freedom High School. Detaranto allowed eight runs on 11 hits in six innings as the Panthers fell to the Spartans, 8-2. (Matt Brooks)

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Broad Run senior shortstop Chris Jessop squares around to bunt in the Spartans' Dulles District tournament final matchup with Potomac Falls on Thursday at Freedom High School. Jessop had two hits, scored two runs and stole two bases as the Spartans' defeated the Panthers 8-2. (Matt Brooks)

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"He makes big pitches when he has to," Broad Run Coach Pat Cassidy said of Brocke. "He gets in a little bit of trouble every game – he doesn't throw hard enough to power pitch people – but he manages to get himself out of trouble when he gets himself in trouble. He throws strikes and makes the other team hit them."

The Spartans (20-3) gave their pitcher plenty of run support, battering Potomac Falls' junior starter Michael Detaranto for 11 hits, but did most of their damage with singles and aggressive base-running.

The Spartans jumped out to a 1-0 lead when senior center fielder Andrew Mann scored on an error by shortstop Greg Woodlief in the bottom of the first inning, but the Panthers answered in the top of the second when catcher Michael Spring came across on junior right fielder Chris Pelto's RBI single.

Broad Run took the lead for good in their half of the inning when junior right fielder Patrick Murphy's triple to right brought in senior third baseman Kurt Reitzel who had doubled to start the inning. The Spartans got one more on an RBI single by senior first baseman Ryan Diviney in the third before blowing the game open in the following inning.

Reitzel led-off the fourth with a single and following a strikeout, sophomore second baseman Shane Vlasic and Murphy hit back-to-back singles to score Reitzel. Vlasic came around to score on a wild pitch by Detaranto and Mann's groundout brought Murphy home from third. The Spartans' fourth run of the inning came on two more singles with a walk sandwiched in between as senior catcher Tommy Meier plated senior shortstop Chris Jessop with his single to right field, giving Broad Run a 7-1 lead. The Spartans had five hits in the inning – all singles – and stole two of their five bases in the frame.

"It's about cutting down strikeouts and putting the ball constantly in play," Cassidy said. "We don't have power, that's just not who we are and we're not going to be that kind of team. We're going to try to pitch and play defense, and we had a whole lot of base hits tonight. It's been working and I hope it keeps working."

Potomac Falls (15-7) got one back in the fifth when Woodlief crossed home plate on senior Pat Nightingale's RBI groundout, but that would be it for the Panthers who were never able to match the energy and intensity the Spartans brought to the field on this night.

"I think that had an effect on the kids," Potomac Falls Coach Joe Terango said of the regional seeds already being decided before the game. "I think Broad Run capitalized on it. We hadn't played a game like that in a while, to where there wasn't excitement. It didn't look like we were having fun out there."

Jessop, Reitzel, Vlasic and Murphy each had two hits with Murphy collecting two RBIs to lead the Spartans who have a first round bye in the Region II tournament. They host a semifinal on Wednesday against the winner of James Wood and Louisa High School.

"I told our kids, 'You've worked hard all year to put yourselves in position to host a regional game,'" Cassidy said. "'Last year we hosted a game on the first night, now you're hosting a game on the second night.' We could not have put ourselves in any better of a position. We're happy where we are, but we can't be satisfied."

The Panthers host their first round match-up with Fluvana on Wednesday in Sterling, where they went undefeated through the Dulles District regular season. Game time is set for 5 p.m.

"I would like to believe that they would be up for the game on Monday," Terango said. "We take a lot of pride in playing at our place, we play well there. We definitely have an advantage on our home field so we're looking forward to that on Monday."

Tagged: 2008 Dulles Tournament, Broad Run High School, high school sports, Potomac Falls High School

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