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Tuesday, July 1st
Stratford Brakettes vs. CT Lightning 18U
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| 6:30 PM - CALLED, RAIN |
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Game 2 - RAIN |
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Batteries: Lightning- Peyten Stebbin (L), Nora Lennon (5) and Brecke Blooin; Brakettes- Kat Gallant (W, 2-0), Anna Gedacht (5) and Morgan Tainter
Homerun: Brakettes- Anna Gedacht (1) |
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| Batteries: Lightning- ; Brakettes- |
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Monday, June 30th,
Junior Brakettes vs. Softball U
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| 6:30 PM - FINAL |
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Game 2 - FINAL |
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| Batteries: Softball U- Leah Parkowitz (W) and Janeese Serrano; Jr. Brakettes- Emily Rerick (L, 3-2) and Avery Toth, Carolyne Burlone (4) |
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Batteries: Softball U- Hana Beauguard (L) and AlexaYoung; Jr. Brakettes- Karissa Spring (W, 2-0) and Paige Perkins
Homerun: Jr. Brakettes- Karissa Spring (1) |
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Saturday, June 28th,
Junior Brakettes vs. CT Rebels 23U
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| 6:00 PM - FINAL |
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Game 2 - FINAL |
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Batteries: Rebels- Gabby Heim (W) and Meredith Joo; Jr. Brakettes- Emily Rerick (L, 3-1) and Olivia Lugo
Homerun: Jr. Brakettes- Tai Byrd (1) |
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| Batteries: Rebels- Shayanne Raccio (L), Paige Staley (4) and Meredith Joo; Jr. Brakettes- Karissa Spring (W, 1-0) and Carolyne Burlone |
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Thursday night, June 26th
vs. Stratford Fire Department
Exhibition Game - 7:00 p.m. - FINAL |
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Batteries: SFD- Kat Gallant, Emma Bayor (4), Sydney Adolfson (7) and Morgan Tainter; Brakettes- Anna Gedacht, Nadia Andarowski (4) and Morgan Tainter
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| The Stratford Brakettes and the Stratford Fire Department battled to a 1-1 tie Thursday night, in a charity exhibition game to benefit Linked: Autism Safety Project. |
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| Hall of Famer John Stratton (right), long time former coach and manager of the Brakettes, reminiscences with Jim Fetter, long time women's fastpitch and Lyons Spirit fan, by the foodstand at Lyons Ballfield on Saturday during the 2025 Arlan Schwoyer Honorary Tournament. |
(Left to right) Long time Spirit players and friends of the Brakettes Jenn Shellhammer, Liz Gall, and Karen Bauer helped the Lyons Spirit win the Arlan Schwoyer Honorary Tournament championship at Lyons Ballfield over the weekend. |
Stratford Brakettes Head to Lyons, PA for Schwoyer Tournament
June 20 - The Stratford Brakettes play three pool play games Saturday June 21 at the Arlan Schwoyer Honorary Tournament in Lyons, Pennsylvania. The Brakettes finished runner-up in the event last year, beaten by Virginia Mizuno, which is entered again this year.
The Brakettes first game is at 11:30 a.m. against the NYC Warriors, then 3:00 p.m. vs. the Newtown Rock and 4:45 p.m. vs. the Gold Coast Hurricanes. The first game is at Fleetwood Field, the next two at Lyons Field-1. Single elimination bracket play Sunday will be based on Saturday's pool play results.
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| Meanwhile the Junior Brakettes are 5-1 |
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| Emily Rerick is 3-0. |
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Sophia Scarpa leads the Juniors with 3 homeruns. |
Wednesday, June 18th
Mission City Queen Cobras vs. Junior Brakettes
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| 6:30 PM - Final |
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Game 2 - Final |
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Batteries: Cobras- Lauren Vitarisi (L) and Angie Charbeneau; Jr Brakettes- Emily Rerick (W, 3-0) and Paige Perkins
Homerun: Jr. Brakettes- Sophia Scarpa (2) |
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Batteries: Cobras- Juliana Janezic (L) and Angie Charbeneau; Jr Brakettes- Ashley Lewis (W, 1-0) and Carolyne Burlone
Homerun: Jr. Brakettes - Sophia Scarpa (3) |
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Brakettes and Juniors Set for 2025 Opening Night Twinbill
 May 29 - The Stratford Brakettes are fast approaching June 7th's Opening Night 6:00 pm doubleheader against the Junior Brakettes, and the dawn of their 79th season of women's fastpitch softball. The game has come a long way since the Brakettes' creation in 1947 as the Raybestos Girls All-Stars, but the franchise still serves as the anchor of women's major fastpitch.
However, with the Central Jersey Lightning capturing the last two Women's Major Softball (WMS) National Championships, Stratford's 2022 title game victory over Stripes & Strikes (PA) seems like a distant memory. After a third-place finish in the 2023 WMS and second place a season ago, the 2025 Brakettes find themselves on a mission back to the top.
Brakettes Manager Lauren Pitney (third year) has again assembled an impressive roster and looks to improve the team's record yet again. After taking over for legendary Brakettes manager John Stratton before the 2023 season, Pitney led the squad to a 22-8 record. Her 2024 club saw steady improvement in all facets of the game and finished 27-3.
Prior to managing the Brakettes, Pitney was the head coach of the Select Brakettes 18U squad in their only two seasons, (2021 and 2022), and led them to an overall 57-23-1 record. Pitney will be assisted by Mark Dempsey, also in his third year of coaching with the Stratford Brakettes.
Key Dates on the 2025 Brakettes Calendar
Important dates for the Brakettes 2025 season include a road trip to the Arlan Schwoyer Honorary Tournament in Lyons, Pennsylvania (June 21st-22nd), the annual charity exhibition vs. the Stratford Fire Department (June 26th), a celebration of the Top Players of the 2000's (July date to be determined), the Micki Stratton Round Robin (July 26th), and the 17th Annual Women's Major Softball National Championship (July 31st-August 3rd).
The Brakettes will also partner with the Stratford Rec Department and Stratford PAL to offer the second annual Brakettes Softball Camp (week of July 7th). The five-day camp at DeLuca Field will focus on providing softball fundamentals for young local players, with the Brakettes themselves featured as the camp instructors. Over 70 campers registered for the 2024 camp, with the turnout expected to grow this summer.
The 2025 Brakettes pitching staff is headlined by Kat Gallant (Villanova) and Anna Gedacht (Merrimack), both of whom return for their second season in Stratford. Gallant posted a 7-1 record and 1.08 ERA in 2024 and struck out a team-leading 121 batters. Gedacht was 12-0 with a save last year in 18 appearances. Anna struck out 75 for the season with a 1.61 ERA.
Katie Sciglimpaglia (St. Peter's graduate) will again return for the Brakettes after a stellar 2024, when she batted .414 with three homers and a team-leading 33 RBI. Katie serves as the longest-tenured Brakette, having played for the club since 2020. Sciglimpaglia also played for the Junior Brakettes during their inaugural 2019 season.
Chelsea Villar (Hofstra) is coming back for her second season with the Brakettes after batting .397 with three doubles, three triples, a home run and 16 RBI in 2024.
Molly Lennon (Wesleyan) got the permanent call up after batting .373 in 2024 for the Juniors with a team-leading three home runs, 17 RBI, and 20 runs scored. Molly also batted over .400 with a walk-off homer and 5 RBI in 10 games with the Stratford Brakettes last season.
Jill Guilfoyle (Rhode Island College) will also start her first full campaign as a Stratford Brakette, following an impressive year for the Juniors in 2024. Guilfoyle batted .592 with 15 RBI in 18 games and led the team with six doubles. Jill was called up by the big club for limited action in 2024 and went 3-for-8 with two doubles and four RBI in eight games.
2025 Junior Brakettes Preview
The 2025 Junior Brakettes will be coached by longtime assistant Rob Sciglimpaglia, who is taking over for his daughter, Mary Brainard. Mary, a former Brakettes catcher, stepped down following last season after she became a mother (Congratulations again, Mary!). Brainard coached the Juniors from their founding in 2019 through 2024.
Coach Sciglimpaglia is looking to replace plenty of production from last year's Juniors squad, while the Stratford Brakettes will benefit from a total of four promotions from the younger club. In addition to Lennon and Guilfoyle, the Juniors also lost Morgan Tainter and Cat Palmer to the big club.
Top returning Junior Brakettes include pitcher Emily Rerick, who led the 2024 Juniors' pitching staff with a 5-3 mark, while striking out 38. Ava Slavinsky returns to the Juniors after picking up 22 hits, 12 RBI and 16 runs scored in 2024. Only Molly Lennon scored more runs (20) on last year's Junior Brakettes club.
Former Ledyard High School star Sam Money figures to be one of Coach Scig's top pitchers, while he expects big contributions at the plate from Hannah Irons (University of New England) and Tai Byrd (committed to Central Connecticut).
Graduating Stratford H.S. senior and Connecticut High School All-State catcher Carolyne Burlone will make her return to the Juniors after appearing previously as a fill-in player. Carolyne will play softball next year at Castleton University in Vermont.
Quinn Sandor will serve as the Juniors' assistant coach after joining the team last season.
All Stratford Brakettes and Junior Brakettes games are webcast live at www.brakettes.com.
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Recent Hall of Fame Honors Abound
December 11, 2024- 
The 2024 Brakettes season ended in early August, but the accolades deservingly continued to roll in for five former Brakettes and a pair of current staff members this fall.
Former Brakette Kate Bowen and Brakette Staff Members Kathy and Harlan Gage were inducted into the Connecticut Scholastic & Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame on September 15th.
 Kate Bowen, who was recently named head coach at Southern CT State University after an eight-year stint as head coach at Springfield College, played for the Brakettes from 2011-13. Kate starred at Newtown High School and Manhattan College. Bowen was also a big part of three WMS Championship teams in Stratford, batting .345 in three seasons with six home runs and 104 RBI.
Kathy and Harlan Gage were inducted in the Hall of Fame's Honorary Category for their devoted work with the Brakettes and beyond. The married couple are not only proud parents and grandparents, but also a driving force in the local fastpitch softball community.
 Kathy has served as the Brakettes photographer and player liaison since 2005, while also leading the team's community outreach program. Kathy's work was pivotal in organizing the 2011 and 2016 Brakettes Reunions, and she continues to play a major role assisting Brakettes management with day-to-day operations. Harlan created and launched the Brakettes' website (www.brakettes.com) in 2001 and has served as the webmaster for the club ever since. Harlan also oversees and updates the Brakettes Archives and has run the websites for all Women's Major Softball (WMS) Tournaments since 2009.
 Former Stratford Brakettes Rachele Fico and Tatum Buckley were inducted into the Masuk High School (Monroe, CT) Athletic Hall of Fame on October 10th.
Rachele Fico played for the Stratford Brakettes from 2008-2012 and posted a nearly untouchable 94-1 record in five seasons, leading the squad to three WMS Championships and the 2012 FCI tournament title in Henderson, Nevada. Fico went undefeated against amateur teams during her time with the Brakettes, with the only loss coming in 2012 against the professional Akron Racers, who went on to select Rachele #1 overall in the 2013 National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Draft.
 Tatum Buckley posted a 28-2 record in the circle over four seasons with the Brakettes, while also starring at the plate and middle infield. Tatum posted a career .357 batting average with 16 home runs in 99 RBI from 2014-2017 and was a vital part of three WMS Championship teams in Stratford.
Former Brakettes Kathy Arendsen and Barbara Clark were both recently inducted into the USA Softball of Connecticut Hall of Fame on October 19th in Monroe.
Kathy Arendsen stands as the third-winningest pitcher in Brakettes history with a 337-26 record. Arendsen threw 79 no-hitters, 42 perfect games, and struck out 4,308 batters. Kathy was named to the ASA All-American team 13 times in her Raybestos/Hi-Ho Brakettes career (1978-1992), which included nine ASA National titles and two ISF World Championships with the franchise. Arendsen was also inducted into the National ASA Hall of Fame in 1996 and ISF (International Softball Federation) Hall of Fame in 2003.
 Barbara Clark played for the Raybestos Brakettes for nine years (1970-1978) and was part of the juggernaut that won an unprecedented eight straight ASA National Titles (1971-1978). Clark enjoyed career-best seasons in 1975 (.354 batting average) and 1977 (.357) and served as catcher for National ASA Hall of Famers Joan Joyce, Donna Lopiano, Barbara Reinalda and Kathy Arendsen during her time with the Brakettes.
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| Attendees at USA Softball Connecticut Hall of Fame dinner, Oct. 19, 2024: Front row, from left- Keri Stratton, Kathy Arendsen, inductee, John Stratton, Barbara Clark, inductee. Back row- Patti Fernandes, Kathy Elliot Krygier, Barbara Reinalda, Diane Schumacher |
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| Left to right: Linda Finelli, Donna Lopiano, Lou Gecewicz, Willie Roze, and John Stratton. At the 1974 World Tournament held in Stratford, Finelli and Stratton were Brakettes assistant coaches, former Brakette great Lopiano was head coach of the Italian team, and Gecewicz and Roze were players on the World Champion Raybestos Brakettes. Lopiano, Roze and Stratton are National Hall of Famers. |
Brakettes to Honor 50th Anniversary of 1974 World Title; Ceremony Saturday, July 20th, 7 pm at DeLuca Field
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see New Haven Register article
July 18 - Nearly 50 years have passed since the Raybestos Brakettes won the Third International Softball Federation World Tournament title on Friday night, August 16, 1974, before a reported 12,500 fans at Raybestos Memorial Field in Stratford, CT. The Brakettes represented their country in the tournament, by virtue of winning the previous year's 1973 ASA National Title, also held in the team's hometown of Stratford.
Late great Joan Joyce and teammates would celebrate the 3-0 Worlds final victory over Japan that night not just as Stratford's beloved Brakettes, but also as America's sweethearts, proudly wearing USA across their jerseys. The Brakettes would return to their familiar Raybestos uniforms just weeks later, as they battled out of the Loser's bracket to win their fourth consecutive National ASA title in Orlando, FL.
Fifty years later, the Stratford Brakettes continue to produce topnotch softball players and memories, and the club is delighted to welcome members of the 1974 ISF World Championship Raybestos Brakettes to DeLuca Field to celebrate their historic accomplishments.
Please join us in welcoming 1974 Raybestos Brakettes Barbara Clark, Lou Gecewicz and Willie Roze, 1974 Brakettes assistant coach Linda Finelli, former Brakettes manager and 1974 assistant coach John Stratton, and 1974 Italian National Softball Team Head Coach Donna Lopiano back to Stratford, CT.
The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame and Youth Foundation, which recently inducted coach Stratton into their Stamford-based Hall, is proudly serving as the sponsor for this 50th Anniversary event. The Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame has inducted a total of 11 Brakettes since it opened in 2005.
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1974 World Champions
(click image to enlarge) |
Eventual ISF and ASA National Hall of Famer Joan Joyce was also enshrined by the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, and Donna Lopiano was inducted the following year.
The entire women's fastpitch softball world has changed much since that historic 1974 tournament in Stratford, with the dawning of Olympic softball competition in 1996 in Atlanta, the NCAA Women's College World Series soaring to new heights, and the coming-and-going of professional leagues. No matter which direction one looks in women's fastpitch softball to this day, it's impossible to escape the tremendous influence of the Brakettes.
Joan Joyce joined Billie Jean King to become a founder of the International Women's Professional Softball Association (IWPSA) after leading the Brakettes to the 1975 National ASA title, and led the Connecticut Falcons to all four IWPSA trophies before the league suspended operations in 1980.
| photo by Joani McCarthy |
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Joan Joyce warming up at 3rd Worlds
(click image to enlarge) |
Joyce, still considered by many to be the greatest softball player of all-time, later went on to play on the LPGA golf tour and coach college softball at Florida Atlantic University.
Peggy Kellers and Rosie Adams retired on top after the 1974 season, and both were eventually inducted into the ASA National Hall of Fame. Kellers was enshrined in Oklahoma City in 1986 and Adams followed in 1987.
Willie Roze and Sharon Backus both played another season with the Brakettes and joined Joyce on the Connecticut Falcons in 1976, playing key roles en route to winning IWPSA professional titles. Roze and Backus were both inducted to the National ASA Hall of Fame in 1985.
Brakettes great and ASA National Hall of Famer Donna Lopiano continued her pioneering work in women's sports after coaching the Italian National Softball Team at the 1974 Worlds, becoming the first Women's Sports Athletic Director at the University of Texas, and later serving as the CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation.
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| Ralph Raymond |
The Brakettes went on to win four more ASA National titles in a row after the 1974 crown (eight straight from 1971 to 1978), and a total of 12 more under Ralph Raymond, who served as the Raybestos/Hi-Ho Brakettes manager from 1968-1994.
Ralph Raymond enjoyed his first taste of success at the highest international level with the '74 world title, and would later serve as the first US Olympic manager in history for gold medal-winning teams in 1996 (Atlanta) and 2000 (Sydney).
Raymond and more than half of the Brakettes' top players left in the mid-90's for a chance to pursue their Olympic dreams. Seven of the original US Olympians played for the Brakettes prior to the 1996 Games.
1974 Raybestos Brakettes assistant coach John Stratton and fellow longtime Brakettes assistant coach Andy Van Etten served as co-managers in 1995, and then Stratton took over as the sole manager from 1996 onwards, rebuilding the franchise as the Brakettes captured five more ASA titles in the 2000's.
After the final ASA Women's Major National Tournament was played in 2008, and far removed from the Raybestos sponsorship days, late Brakettes General Manager Bob Baird created the independent Women's Major Softball National Championship in 2009, and the Brakettes have captured 12 of the 15 WMS titles since.
In 2024, the (on-again, off-again) Olympic softball dream remains in the hearts of young players everywhere, while the impact of Team USA's first ever Women's World Championship, won by Stratford's Raybestos Brakettes way back in 1974, is still felt today.
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| July 7, 2018 |
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2025 17th Annual
Women's Major Softball
National Championship
July 31~Aug 3 Stratford, CT |
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