Brakettes Hold Off Seahawks Again, as Sanders and Malerich Notch Wins

July 26, 2008 - The Stratford Brakettes defeated the Stratford Seahawks 10-2 and 7-0 Saturday at DeLuca HOF Field, but not without a fight from their closest rivals. The Seahawks led 2-0 going into the third inning of the first game, before the Brakettes came from behind for a run-rule shortened decision.

Bailey Sanders picked up the win in the early game, striking out five along the way, and improving to 10-0 for the season. She allowed two first-inning runs, before settling in and retiring 13 of the last 14 batters she faced.

The Seahawks scored the game's first runs, as Shari D'Amico walked with one out in the top of the first. Christine Bourdeau followed with a double to left-center, scoring D'Amico for a 1-0 Seahawks' lead. Sam Salato drilled a single to left to score Bourdeau, and the Seahawks enjoyed a 2-0 margin. Sanders stranded runners at first and third, as she struck out Jen Michels to end the inning.

The Brakettes tied the game in the bottom of the third, as Jess Mouse reached on a leadoff walk. Jess Serio smacked a single, and Kaitlin Cochran strategically placed a blooper for a base hit, loading the bases. Denise Denis singled home Mouse to pull to within a run of the Seahawks, and Whitney Mollica launched a sac fly to score the tagging Cochran, tying the game at 2-2.

Laura Trout led off the fourth with a triple, before scoring on a single by Amber Radomski for a 3-2 Brakettes' lead. Mouse then launched a double of her own, pushing Radomski to third. Radomski came home on a wild pitch, putting the Brakettes up 4-2. Mouse moved to third on the wild pitch, and Serio worked a walk. Cochran followed with her third single of the game, scoring Mouse for a 5-2 lead. Denis then smacked a triple to right to drive home Serio and Cochran, and the Brakettes were in control with a 7-2 advantage. Denis tagged to score on a sac fly by Fishback, and the Brakettes led 8-2.

Cochran added her fourth single of the contest in the sixth, scoring Mouse for a 9-2 lead. Denis added a double to score Serio from second, ending the game via the run-rule with a 10-2 final.

Leslie Malerich scattered three hits in the nightcap, while striking out nine Seahawks. She moved to 12-0 on the year, as the Brakettes improved to 44-1 with the two victories. Malerich did not have her best stuff, but dug in when she needed to. She stranded the bases loaded in the fifth, and left five runners in scoring position without allowing a run.

Cochran contributed three more singles in the second game, going 3-for-4, and finishing with seven hits in the doubleheader. She led off the first with a single, and stole second. She took third base on a pitch in the dirt, and scored on a sac fly by Denis.

Fishback then singled, bringing up Mollica, who clobbered her team-leading eighth homer of the year. The two-run shot put the Brakettes up 3-0. Trout kept the inning moving with a single, and eventually scored on an RBI single by Mouse. The Brakettes led 4-0 after the first, and would add one more in the third.

Trout led off the bottom of the third with a single, and advanced on a base hit by Mouse. Jill Cimminello added a single to score Trout, putting the Brakettes up 5-0.

After Cochran led off the sixth with a single, Denis smacked her sixth home run of 2008, rounding out the scoring at 7-0.

The Brakettes will be back in action on Thursday night, with a 7:00 pm doubleheader against the Polar Crush of Worcester, MA. Both games will be broadcast right here at www.brakettes.com.