In a classic pitching dual between the team's aces, Delphi senior pitcher Ashley Brodar needed only one run to overcome an also brilliant performance from Cougar hurler Leann Cossairt, who allowed just four Oracle hits in the 1-0 contest played Monday night in Delphi.

In a rematch of a game just one week ago at Flora (won by Delphi 6-1), which Cossairt missed due to illness, both teams provided solid defensive efforts behind their star pitchers this time around as no batter from either team even reached base until a two-out single in the bottom of the third inning by Delphi's Erika Hawn.

The Oracles (5-9) scored the only run of the game the next inning when Allison Cook singled with one-out and stole second base, her team-leading sixth steal of the season.

Alyssa Lewis followed with another single, scoring Cook with what proved to be the game-winner.

It was all that Brodar would need as she cruised the rest of the way, striking out six Cougars in the

game, while allowing only three hits en route to her second shut-out of the season and her third consecutive victory.

The Lady Oracles have also now won three in-a-row, and four of their last five with the only loss a 21 nail-biter at Pioneer last Wednesday.

But the pitching battle was the story of this one with Cossairt (6-4) also fanning six in suffering the hard-luck complete game loss.

Brodar was in control throughout, allowing only one base-runner to safely reach as far as second base during the game and that batter only got on as a result of the lone Delphi error.

With the victory, Brodar's record on the season improves to 5-6, which includes three tough one-run losses.

Cossairt collected two hits for Carroll (6-7) with singles in both the fourth and seventh innings, with Lucia Zook accounting for the only other Cougar hit, a single in the fifth.

Emily Kayser had the only other Oracle hit, a single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Delphi will travel to Frankfort on Thursday for a 6 p.m. start, before going to Twin Lakes for a doubleheader conference battle on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.

The Cougars traveled to conference rival Central Catholic on Tuesday (too late for print), before hosting the Knights on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. They will then play at Pioneer on Thursday starting at 4:30 p.m.

Oracles sweep Rensselaer

In action on Saturday, Delphi swept a double-header from conference foe Rensselaer by scores of 11-0 (5 innings) and 11-5 (12 innings).

Brodar earned both victories on the mound, striking out 9 in a onehit shutout in the first game. She entered the second contest in relief in the second inning to shut down the Bombers after they had taken a 4-0 lead with a career-high 15 strikeouts, allowing only 2 hits in 10 innings.

Kayla Yates had two hits and two RBI's in the first contest, with Lewis and Brodar each also adding two hits, while both Brittany Tyner and Cook added two RBI's.

In the second game, Yates, Cook and Kristina Barnard each collected three hits to lead the Oracles, while Cook produced a team-leading 3 RBI's. Hawn's two-out single in the top of the 12th inning drove in Cook and Barnard with the go ahead runs to jump-start a six run inning to put the game out of reach.

In the 2-1 Pioneer loss, Cook, Barnard and Sam Grimes each had singles, with Lewis collecting the lone Oracle RBI. Brodar suffered the loss, despite allowing only three Panther hits and striking out six.