Brakettes Sweep Bracket Play to Win USSSA's

July 27, 2014 - The Stratford Brakettes continued their dominance Sunday defeating 3 newcomers to Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field this year to go on to win the 2nd annual USSSA Brakettes Invitational.

Game 1 saw the Connecticut Seahawks 23-U team and star pitcher from Shelton High School, Casey Talcik, facing off against the University of Kentucky's Shannon Smith for Stratford. Talcik continued her excellent pitching after a debut against the Brakettes holding Stratford to 1 run the day before the tournament. For 4 innings both teams were held scoreless. Finally in the 5th, after a leadoff walk to Mandie Fishback, Stephanie Call singled to put two on base. Jess Mouse then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put them both into scoring position. Tatum Buckley then ripped a double into the gap, scoring both runners and that ended up being the final score 2-0. Shannon Smith finished the game with ten strikeouts in her second straight no-hitter, walking two and hitting one batter.

For game 2, the Connecticut Titans threw Emily Cinterino of Western Connecticut State University against Brakettes legend Brandice Balschmiter. After a quiet first inning, Mandie Fishback singled and reached second on a Steffi Call walk. Jess Mouse then grounded to third base, but an errant throw brought in the first run. Mariel Schlaefer's single brought in Call for the second run. In the third, Stratford added to the lead with Quianna Diaz-Patterson. Denise Denis, one home run away from the all-time lead held by Pat Dufficy, hit a long fly, but it stayed in the park, caught by Shelby Marquis to bring in a run with a sacrifice fly. Elise Fortier, Elena Bowman, Fishback and Jess Mouse all singled to give the Brakettes a 5-0 lead.

The home team would add additional runs in the 4th and 5th frames. In the fourth, an Amber Radomski line single was followed by a Diaz-Patterson ground rule double, scoring on a Britt Lampert single. Call added her 3rd home run of the season to end the game as time expired with the 7-0 win.

Balschmiter meanwhile continued her dominance, scattering four hits and striking out six. The only threat came in the first following a Megan Rodriguez single, a bunt by Ashley Lapenta, and an infield hit by Shelby Marquis. Julie Bosik then hit a ground ball to shortstop where the throw to first was very close and, after an umpire conference, the 3rd out was decided. Diaz-Patterson, Lamper, and Fishback each had two hits for Stratford while Rodriguez had two hits for the Titans.

For the finals, the New Jersey Rampage, who had edged the Stratford Seahawks 5-3, came in with Worcester Polytechnic's Caroline Medino. Allyson Fournier started the final game for the Brakettes. Â In the home 1st, the Brakettes went on an offensive barrage as Lampert singled, going to 3rd on a Denise Denis blast that one hopped the fence for a ground rule double. With two outs, Elena Bowman slammed a home run to left center for her fourth round tripper of the year. Fishback then singled and Steffi Call slammed a curveball to right centerfield for her fourth home run in as many days. At this point, the Rampage went to Seton Hall's Danielle DeStaso out of the bullpen to control the game.

In the 2nd, both pitchers dominated as Fournier struck out the side, and DeStaso allowed only a walk to Schlaefer. The third inning saw the return of the Stratford bats however, as Denise Denis walked and stole second. However, in the steal attempt, she collided with shortstop Arastina Barry and, after a short time, was back up and running. Elise Fortier then hit a ground rule double for an RBI. Bowman then singled her in and Call slammed the ball off the base of the 300 foot fence in left center for her fifth home run of the weekend.

New Jersey did get on the board in the fourth with a Kayla Lombardo home run blast to centerfield, but after that and the fifth inning, the run rule took effect for the 9-1 victory as the Brakettes swept the tournament, finishing 6-0 overall. Fournier struck out 6 (all in the 2nd and 3rd inning), allowing just 3 hits and one run. Bowman and Call both had multi-hit games.

The Brakettes next travel to Toronto to play the Canadian National team for two doubleheaders on August 3 and 4 before returning home to meet the St. Louis Saints on August 5 in preparation for the season ending Women's Major Softball National Championships August 7-10.