Brakettes Win Twice at 23-and-Unders; To Play 11 a.m. Friday

July 26, 2007 - The Brakettes won two games Thursday at the 23-and-Under National Championships, by 10-0 and 2-0 scores, at DeLuca HOF Field in Stratford, CT. The early contest was a run rule-shortened five inning win over the Morris County Belles, as Katie Burkhart threw a no-hitter and struck out 10. The latter game was a traditional seven inning game in which the Brakettes' bats struggled, but were led by strong pitching by Brandice Balschmiter, who scattered three hits and struck out five.

The Brakettes started early in the first game, plating three runs in the bottom of the first. Sari-Jane Jenkins led off by getting hit by a pitch, and then stole second with Denise Denis batting. Denis worked a walk, putting runners at first and second for Mandie Fishback. Fishback also walked, loading the bases for Courtney Bures. Bures delivered a single to score Jenkins, and put the Brakettes up 1-0. With the bases still loaded, Killian Roessner grounded back to the pitcher, prompting a throw home. The force at home retired Denis, but still left the bases loaded for Dani Woods' first-ever Brakette at-bat. Woods lined a single through to centerfield, scoring Fishback and Bures, and giving the Brakettes a 3-0 lead.

Jenkins reached again in the second, on a fielding error by the second baseman. Jenkins stole second again, bringing Denis to bat. Denis ripped a single which scored Jenkins, and then came home when Fishback roped a double. Fishback was driven in by another single by Bures, and the Brakettes ended the second with a 6-0 lead. After going scoreless in the third, the Brakettes exploded for four more runs in the fourth. Jenkins led off with a walk, putting her on base her first three times up, and swiped second base yet again, giving her third steal of the afternoon. Denis lined a double, which scored Jenkins from second, and was driven home by a Fishback single. Fishback went first to third on Bures' third single of the day, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Roessner singled Fishback home, and Bures also took two bases on the hit. With a 9-0 lead in place, Woods lofted a sacrifice fly to score Bures, closing the scoring at 10-0.

Burkhart allowed two baserunners for the contest, one reaching on an error, the other hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. She improved to 6-0 with the victory.

The Brakettes were tested in the second game, as the Western New York Xtreme proved to pack a punch. The Brakettes held on to win 2-0, as Brandice Balschmiter improved to 20-2 on the season. In their first game of the day, the Xtreme came back from a 6-0 first-inning deficit against the Morris County Belles, to win 8-7 in 8 innings. The Xtreme tied the score at seven runs apiece with two outs in the seventh, and turned a crafty double play in the top of the eighth to thwart the Belles' rally, setting up the dramatic finish.

The Xtreme provided another solid outing, as the Brakettes had just four hits, only one leaving the infield. Both runs were scored in the fifth, and were unearned.

With one out in the fifth inning, Stephanie Hill reached on an error by the third baseman. She moved to second when Jenkins walked, and Denis had two runners on with one out. Denis blasted a high fly ball to centerfield, which popped in and out of the glove of Amanda Kotz, and allowed Hill to score the first run. Jenkins ended up at third on the play, and Denis moved to second. Fishback laid down a perfectly placed suicide squeeze bunt, bringing home Jenkins for the second score, and providing the Brakettes some insurance.

With a 2-0 lead, Balschmiter went back to work in the sixth. Although she allowed two base hits in the inning, she worked out of trouble, and recorded a 1-2-3 seventh inning to secure the win. Balschmiter moved to 20-2 with the win.

The Brakettes improved to 46-3 on the season, and will face the New Jersey Elite in a Winner's Bracket Quarter-Final on Friday at 11 a.m., at DeLuca HOF Field in Stratford.