Brakettes Sweep Panthers and Classics; To Host Dominican Republic National Team

One of the highlights of the Stratford Brakettes’ home season is on tap this weekend as the Dominican Republic National softball team visits Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field for three doubleheaders Friday through Sunday evenings. Kicking off the lengthy weekend home stand will be a 7 p.m. twin-bill Thursday night against the Connecticut Stars of Hartford.

The Dominican Republic team will use this series with the Brakettes as a tuneup for their trip to the annual Canada Cup in Vancouver before they participate in the America Olympic qualifier in July. The Friday and Saturday doubleheaders begin at 7 p.m. with the Sunday action starting at 6 p.m. All youth league softball players who wear their team jersey will be admitted free for the entire season.

The defending ASA women’s major fastpitch champion Brakettes will bring a 16-0 record into action as they swept doubleheaders from the Connecticut Pink Panthers and Connecticut Classics this past weekend. The Brakettes swept the Pink Panthers by scores of 8-0 and 13-0, while they turned back the Classics 6-0 and 8-4.

Pitchers Brandice Balschmiter and Candice Freel both improved their records to 8-0 with Balschmiter tossing a pair of no-hitters. Freel had a no-hitter against the Pink Panthers, but she was touched up for five hits by the Classics.

“We’re getting ready for the tough part of our schedule,” said Manager John Stratton. After this weekend the Brakettes will play in the Topton July 4th Tournament and then a week later will be back in Allentown, PA, to face the National Pro Fastpitch league’s Philadelphia Force in four games July 11-14 at Bicentennial Park.

In the first game against the Pink Panthers, Chelsea Bramlett and Courtney Bures, the two Mississippi State University standouts, both collected three hits. Mandie Fishback and Bures drove in two runs apiece with Steph Hill also driving in a run. Balschmiter allowed only two baserunners via walks and she struck out nine Pink Panthers in tossing her gem.

Fishback, Bures, Hill and Jill Cimminello hit safely twice in the abbreviated nightcap that was called after five innings because of the mercy run rule. The Brakettes jumped on the Pink Panthers for nine runs in the second inning, using seven hits and three errors to their advantage. Beth Boden, Fishback and Hill all drove in two runs, while Bramlett, Bures, Amber Radomski, Cimminello and Freel also had RBI.

Freel struck out 10 hitters and allowed only a leadoff walk in the top of the fifth inning.

Balschmiter walked three batters in her no-hit performance against the Classics while she struck out 10. Once again Bramlett was sensational with three hits in four at bats, while Oregon speedster Sari-Jane Jenkins made her debut with a two-hit outing with two RBI. Bures had two hits, including a double, and she drove in three runs for the Brakettes.

In the second game, Jenkins, Fishback, 2006 batting champion Killian Roessner and Hill all had two hits, as the Brakettes jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Classics made it interesting with a three-run surge in the fourth, thanks to four straight singles against Freel, but the Brakettes added two insurance runs in the sixth on Allison Twarowski’s sacrifice fly and an RBI Hill single.

Bramlett, a first-team Division I All-America player at MSU, raised her team-leading average to .611 (22-for-36) with a 8-for-13 performance during the four games.

BRAKETTES BRIEFS- The Brakettes will face the Reading, PA, Rebelz in the 39th annual Topton tournament. They play June 29 at 8:30 p.m. at Lyons Field with a second round game set June 30 at 10:15 a.m... The only two members of this year’s team who have not reported thus far are pitchers Kate Burkhart and Leslie Malerich. Burkhart just concluded tryouts for the USA National Team, and is expected in soon, while Malerich continues to pitch in Italy. She will arrive in time for the Brakettes to defend their women’s major championship, August 4-7 in South Bend, IN.

Sunday June17
First Game


Second Game


Thursday June 14
First Game


Second Game