BRAKETTES' 28TH NATIONAL TITLE IS ONE FOR THE BOOKS

August 7, 2007 - SOUTH BEND- The Stratford Brakettes won another ASA women's major fastpitch championship Tuesday, but it was unlike any in their illustrious 61-year history.

Play was suspended Monday night at the Belleville Softball Complex following a severe thunder and lightning storm. At the time of suspension the Brakettes led the California Sliders 2-0 in the winner’s bracket final and they were batting in the top of the fourth. A decision to resume play from the point Tuesday morning was made shortly before midnight.

However, another storm hit the area early Tuesday morning, dumping almost two inches of rain on the complex and making it impossible to finish the 12-team, double-elimination event. It was the first time since 1933 that a champion had to be determined by the ASA Code.

Both the Brakettes and Sliders, the 2006 runners-up, were unbeaten through four games. The tie-breaker was fewest runs allowed per game. The Brakettes allowed only one run in the tournament while the Sliders permitted four runs before they met the Brakettes Monday night.

Manager John Stratton said, “we would have rather won it on the field, but we had beaten the other top teams and we had the game against the Sliders under control. That’s why we play every game like it’s the national title game. In this case, it proved to be just that.”

Arizona State All-American Katie Burkhart (9-1) had allowed only one hit and struck out five batters in the first three innings for the Brakettes. The Brakettes scored both runs in the first inning as Sari-Jane Jenkins led off with a single and then stole second. After Denise Denis struck out, Mandie Fishback dropped a bunt single to third base to put runners at the corners.

Cleanup hitter Courtney Bures caught the Sliders napping as she executed a squeeze bunt off pitcher Anjelica Selden of UCLA. When then throw home eluded catcher Sam Marder, Fishback came all the way around from first base to score.

The Brakettes loaded the bases in the third inning as Denis walked with one out and Fishback crushed a double off the base of the fence in left center. Bures reached on an infield hit with Denis holding the bag at third. Selden then induced Whitney Mollica into a force play at the plate and Killian Roessner flied to left to end the threat.

The title was the 28th for the Brakettes since 1958 as well as their fifth in the last six years. Stratton’s team finished the year with a 56-5 record, leaving them with 3,298 wins since 1947.

Earlier Monday the Brakettes defeated third-place Carbondale, IL, Cougars 4-0 as Brandice Balschmiter tossed a no-hitter in the semifinals. It was the team’s first gem since Leslie Malerich hurled one against the Bloomington Lady Hearts in the 2001 meet in Phoenix. Fishback drove in the first run with a single and she had two hits. Mollica drew a bases-loaded walk for a 2-0 lead and Jenkins hit a two-run home run off Megan Denny of the University of Texas in the top of the seventh inning.

Malerich allowed only two hits in a 9-1 first round win over The Impact of Churbusko, IN, while the Brakettes beat the Lady Hearts 10-0 and the fourth-place Southern California Hurricanes 5-0 in the pool play Saturday.

Bures, Fishback, Jenkins, Malerich and Balschmiter were named First Team ASA All-Americans. Bures won the tournament’s MVP honors, while Balschmiter captured the Bertha Tickey award as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Pitcher.