Brakettes Sweep Set With Topton VIP's

July 15, 2007 - The Brakettes finished their weekend set with the Topton VIP's Sunday, gaining two run-rule shortened victories in five innings apiece, 8-0 and 15-0. The Brakettes produced 39 runs for the weekend in just 22 innings.

Katie Burkhart and Candice Freel pitched for the Brakettes, both hurling impressive shutouts, while relying on the Brakettes’ offensive juggernaut to shorten their workloads. The Brakettes jumped out early in both games, a 2-0 advantage in the first, while exploding for eight first inning runs in the latter.

Burkhart struck out four in the first game of the matinee doubleheader, while scattering two hits and allowing two walks. She now stands at 3-0 on the season, and sports a nifty 0.39 ERA.

Sari-Jane Jenkins got the ball rolling in the early showing, leading off the first with a single. She advanced on Denise Denis’ sacrifice bunt, and scored on Mandie Fishback’s RBI double. Courtney Bures followed with a double of her own, pushing Fishback home and putting the Brakettes up 2-0.

The Brakettes kept the pressure on the VIP’s, adding two more runs in the second. Hill led off the inning with a single, and Twarowski earned a walk. Freel then pushed both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt, bringing up Jenkins. Sari-Jane did not disappoint, as she doubled home Hill and Twarowski, to push the lead to 4-0.

Courtney Bures singled and scored another run in the third, and the lead stood at 5-0. Candice Freel was hit by a pitch leading off the fourth, and then pinch-run for by Amber Radomski. Jenkins walked to push Radomski to second, and both runners moved up on another sacrifice bunt by Denis. Fishback launched a fly ball to center, and Radomski tagged from third to score. Bures then smashed her second double of the game, plating Jenkins, and giving the hometown favorites a 7-0 lead.

Hill reached on an error with one out in the seventh inning. Jenkins continued her impressive showing, bringing home Hill on a sacrifice fly to end the game.

Freel recovered from being hit on her left elbow with a strong start in the second game. She struck out four, while allowing just one hit and a walk. With the win, Freel is an impressive 19-1 for the season, with a dominating 0.63 ERA.

The Brakettes’ first eight batters reached base and scored in the first inning of the second game, as 12 batters came to the plate. Jenkins again set the table, leading off with a walk. Denis laid down a sacrifice bunt, but an error allowed her to reach safely and Jenkins to score. Fishback smashed a triple to bring home Denis, and the rout was on. Bures lined another double to score Fishback, and Beth Boden and Hill walked. An RBI single by Radomski followed, with Twarowski then reaching on an error. Jenkins had an RBI single her second time up in the inning, and Denis drove in the seventh and eighth runs on a single of her own.

The Brakettes scored five more runs in the second, and added single runs in the third and fourth. Denis had three hits and three RBI, continuing her torrid July. Fishback had two hits and two RBI. Bures contributed two more doubles, giving her four on the day, and Radomski also added two hits.

The Brakettes return to action on Thursday, July 19th, at DeLuca HOF Field in Stratford, CT, against the New York BATS. The doubleheader will start at 7:00 PM.