Brakettes Take Shutout Show on the Road

June 14, 2014 - The Stratford Brakettes blanked the Lyons Spirit twice on Saturday night in Lyons, Pennsylvania, winning 8-0 and 12-0, behind strong performances by Brandice Balschmiter and Allyson Fournier.

Balschmiter hurled a two-hitter and struck out 11 batters in the first game, while walking just one en route to her third victory of the year.

Denise Denis legged out an inside-the-park home run in the early game, her fourth of the year. Quianna Diaz-Patterson and Mandie Fishback each had three hits in the opener, as the Brakettes scored in every inning but the second frame.

Diaz-Patterson and Bri Chiusano opened the game with consecutive singles and advanced a base on a long fly by Denis. Elise Fortier brought Diaz-Patterson home with a grounder to the left side, putting the Brakettes up, 1-0.

Diaz-Patterson got things going again in the third inning, smashing a triple with one out. Chiusano drove her in with a groundball to second base, stretching the advantage to 2-0.

Denis followed with the round-tripper to centerfield, the 81st homer of her career, which pushed the margin to 3-0. Denis now stands just 10 homers behind the Brakettes' all-time home run champ, Pat Dufficy.

Fishback led off the fourth with a single and moved up a bag on a hit by Jess Mouse. With two outs, Amber Radomski reached on an infield single. Fishback took advantage of some confusion among the infielders and raced home for a 4-0 lead.

Chiusano picked up her second hit of the game as she led off the fifth inning, then stole second base. The throw sailed into centerfield, allowing Chiusano to get to third. Fortier delivered a single to left to score Chiusano for a 5-0 spread. Fortier came home on a double by Elena Bowman, who was thrown out at third trying to stretch it to a triple. The Brakettes held a 6-0 lead heading to the sixth.

Tatum Buckley and Radomski reached on back-to-back errors in the sixth. Diaz-Patterson pushed Buckley across the plate with an RBI single for a 7-0 lead.

The Brakettes closed out the scoring in the seventh off reliever Dominique Ficara, who replaced Spirit starter Liz Gall after six innings.

Fortier led off and singled up the middle, moving to second on an infield single by Fishback. Mouse picked up her second hit and drove in Fortier from second, capping the scoring at 8-0.

Gall and Danielle Kitchen had the only hits for Lyons in the early contest.

Fournier also struck out 11 in the late game, a 12-0 victory in five innings. She did not walk a batter and gave up just three hits, as she improved to 4-0 on the season.

Jordan White started the second game for the Spirit and held Stratford scoreless in the first, but the Brakettes erupted for five runs in the second stanza.

Mouse led off with a triple and Radomski walked, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Mariel Schlaefer crushed a triple of her own, driving in both runners for a 2-0 edge.

Britt Lampert walked and stole second, and Schlaefer was erased at home as she tried to score on the throw, which was cut off in front of second base and fired home in time for the tag.

Diaz-Patterson and Chiusano also walked to load the bases for Fortier, who roped a double to score two more runs. Fortier came home on a base hit by Fishback, extending the margin to 5-0. Diaz-Patterson singled to drive in two more runs in the third, after Radomski and Schlaefer both walked and moved up on a single by Lampert. Denise plated Lampert with a groundout to the right side, as Lampert scurried home for an 8-0 lead.

Mouse walked to start the fourth and moved to second on asingle by Radomski. Both runnners advanced on a groundout, putting two in scoring position. Lampert delivered a base hit to score them both, giving Stratford a 10-0 lead after four frames.

Chisuano and Denis beat out infield singles in the fifth inning and scored the final runs for the Brakettes. Chisuano raced home on a double by Fortier, which pushed Denis to third. Buckley contributed a single to bring home Denis, closing out the scoring at 12-0.

The Brakettes and Lyons Spirit will play another doubleheader on Sunday at 12 noon at Lyons Ballfield in scenic Lyons, PA.

All 2014 Brakettes games will be video webcast at www.brakettes.com.