Brakettes' Bottom Bracket Battle Begins

July 28, 2007 - The Brakettes began their long climb out of the loser’s bracket in the 23-and-Under Nationals Saturday morning, with an 8-1 victory over their long-time rivals, the Connecticut Classics.

The Classics got on the board before the Brakettes, plating their lone tally in the top of the first inning. Courtney Blachford reached on a one-out walk, then went first to third as Amanda Morin followed with a single. With runners at the corners, Amanda Acampora grounded to Courtney Bures at shortstop. The usually sure-handed Bures saw the ball carom off her glove to the ground behind her. Blachford ran home for the unearned run.

The Brakettes came right back as quickly as possible, with leadoff batter Sari-Jane Jenkins reaching base on a single and scoring soon after. Denise Denis lined a double to left field, which Jenkins watched to make sure it dropped in safely. The speedy Jenkins had to stop at third, as Denis reached second base. Mandie Fishback dropped a perfectly-placed suicide queeze bunt, which was fielded by catcher Kristi Rochette. Rochette reached back and attempted to swipe-tag Jenkins, who had already slid in safely. Denis moved to third, and Fishback was credited with an infield single, as she would have been safe at first.

With a 1-1 tie, and runner at the corners, Fishback took off for second with the intention of drawing a throw. As the throw went to second, Fishback retreated toward first. Second baseman Kristi Stefanoni ran toward Fishback, and Denis left for home. Stefanoni threw home, but over the head of Rochette. Denis scored the second Brakette run, and Fishback moved to second. Rochette recovered the ball and threw to second, but it sailed into centerfield. The second Classics’ throwing error on the same play allowed Fishback to go to third. Bures then launched a high fly to right, sending Fishback home on the sac fly.

The 3-1 lead stood until the fifth, when the Brakettes scored four more. Denis led off with a bunt single, and went to second on Fishback’s ensuing base hit. Bures delivered a single, and Denis came home. Fishback went from first to third, and the Brakettes again had runners at the corners. Roessner singled to score Fishback, and the lead was 5-1. Bures advanced to third, and the Brakettes had runners at first and third. Roessner took off for second to again initiate the double steal, and Bures came home. With Roessner safe at second, Dani Woods singled to send Roessner over. Stephanie Hill followed with an RBI single, and the fifth inning ended with a 7-1 Brakettes’ lead.

Jenkins led off the sixth with a single, and scored her second run when Fishback doubled. The 8-1 score would prove to be the final, as Brandice Balschmiter notched the victory, She struck out seven, while allowing just three hits and a single walk.

The victory moved the Brakettes into another elimination game against the Western New York Xtreme at 3:00 Saturday. The matchup pitted the Brakettes’ Candice Freel against the Xtreme’s Jenna Frieling. Freel got the best of the Xtreme, allowing two first inning runs, but fending off the attack thereafter.
The Xtreme set their runs up with small ball, then relied on a big two-run double by Rachel Clonick. Sammi Vara worked a one-out walk and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Ashley Kotz. Nikki Sabuda took first on a bunt single, and the table was set for Clonick’s big hit.

The Brakettes responded to going down 2-0 in the first by scoring three of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Denis got on base with a one-out walk, and advanced on Fishback’s single. Bures singled to push home Denis for the Brakettes’ first run, leaving two runners on with one out. Whitney Mollica smacked a triple to right field which brought home Fishback and Bures, and the Brakettes took the lead 3-2.

Joanna Gail singled, leading off the second inning. Roessner drove her home with a double, then scored on a single by Denis. Bures walked with two outs, and Mollica followed with another run-producing hit, a single which brought home Denis and Bures. Mollica drove in four runs in the contest.

The Brakettes remained up 7-2 until the fifth, when they added another run. Allison Twarowski singled and scored on a base hit by Jenkins, pushing the advantage to 8-2. Bures and Woods scored in the sixth inning to invoke the eight-run mercy rule, as they scored on a throwing error on Twarowski’s bunt single.

The Brakettes will play the Frozen Ropes at 6:30 Saturday night, as the Virginia Legends edged the Ropes 1-0 in the Winner’s Bracket Final. The 6:30 game winner will play the Legends at 8:30 in the Championship Game. The Legends would need to win one to clain the crown, as the Ropes or Brakettes would have to win to force an “if game” Sunday morning at 10:00.