Baseball: Broad Run Wins First Regional Title Since 1996 with 6-5 Victory Over Rival Potomac Falls

More photos from title celebration

By Dan Sousa

VivaLoudoun Editor

Ashburn (June 6, 2011) - All year the top of the Broad Run High School baseball line-up carried the Spartans but on Saturday it was the bottom of the order -- on base an incredible 14 times in 18 plate appearances -- and the gutsy pitching performance of No. 3 starter Brandon Craft and a nice close out by Dulles District Player of the Year Taylor Clarke that led the school to a 6-5 win over rival Potomac Falls in the Region II title game.

For Broad Run (22-3), the regular-season Dulles District champion, it was the school's first regional title since 1996 -- the year before Potomac Falls (22-4) opened. Both teams, who have divided open all the district regular-season and tournament titles the last five years, move on to the state tournament with Broad Run hosting Jamestown at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the quarterfinals and Potomac Falls travelling to York.

"The last five years in districts we have each won five titles. We've kind of been chasing them and some years they have been chasing us," said Pat Cassidy after hoisting the regional championship for the first time in his 15 years as the Spartans' skipper.

Broad Run, buoyed by a 5-run 4th inning, took a 6-0 but had to hold on as Potomac Falls, which defeated Broad Run, 3-1, with two runs in the 7th inning in the district tournament title game, clawed back with two runs in the 5th and three more in the 6th.

"Broad run played a great baseball game," said Potomac Falls coach Joe Terango. "Against a team like Broad Run you have to play a flawless baseball game and we didn't do that tonight."

While the Panthers out-hit the Spartans, 12-6, in the contest, Potomac Falls also issued eight walks to Broad Run, hit two batters, and dropped a fly ball and throwing error in the big Broad Run 4th inning.

Craft was making just his third start of the season and he managed to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard until the 5th even though Potomac Falls was hitting line drives around the park.

"I just tried to throw strikes and I finally got used to their cheering (in the dugout)," said Craft.

More photos from game

Sophomore Joe Delahaba drove in Broad Run's first run in the 2nd inning, scoring senior Nick Richardson, who walked to lead off the inning.

In the 4th, Broad Run sent 10 hitters to the plate with back-to-back RBI doubles by senior Patrick Dawson and sophomore A.J. Powell fueling the rally. A key moment came when junior Connor Jessop reached on an infield single that was knocked down on the edge of  the infield. Junior Chris Johnson hustled all the way from first base to score on the play with included a wild throw.

Potomac Falls got two back in the 5th as junior Tyler Caldwell (2-for-3, double, home run, 2 RBIs) doubled and scored on a wild pitch. Senior Ryan Miller drove in junior Jackson Rogers with two outs to make it 6-2 but Craft ended the inning with a strikeout. He finished with three strikeouts and issued just one walk in 5.2 innings.

Craft was about to get out of the 5th inning when junior Tyler Rice smacked a line drive that bounced off Craft's throwing hand. He fielded the ball but couldn't get the toss on target to first and then Caldwell followed with a two-run home run over the left field fence.

Cassidy put junior Caleb Adams on the mound for Craft but the Panthers put the next two hitters on as senior Ben Sweger walked and senior Ryan Mahoney was hit by a pitch. Clarke, who picked up wins in the quarterfinals Tuesday as the starter and in the semifinals Friday as a reliever, then came in but he was greeted with an RBI single by Rogers that made it 6-5 with the tying run on second and go-ahead run at first. \

More photos from game

Clarke was able to induce a fly ball to end the rally and the 7th inning he yielded a two-out single before closing the regional title win.

"It is huge that we get to play at home Tuesday. We don't have to sit on a bus for three and half hours going down to York," said Clarke.

Broad Run 7, Potomac Falls 6

PF 000 023 0 - 5
BR 010 510 x - 6

PF: Fisher, Miller (4), Mahoney (7); BR: Craft, Adams (6), Clarke (6).

2B: BR - Siegel, Dawson, Powell; PF - Caldwell. HR: PF - Caldwell.