BRAKETTES HOST ST. LOUIS SAINTS MONDAY NIGHT TO BEGIN FINAL SERIES OF 2008 REGULAR SEASON

August 3, 2008 - The Stratford Brakettes conclude the 2008 regular season with a four-game series against the St. Louis Saints, a perennial Midwestern power, beginning Monday at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field. The doubleheader begins at 7 p.m. On Tuesday at noon the teams play another twin-bill with all Connecticut summer camps and playgrounds the invited guests of the Brakettes.

Manager John Stratton's club brings a 48-1 overall record into the series with Brandice Balschmiter (17-1) and Leslie Malerich (13-0) slated to pitch Monday night, while Danielle Henderson (4-0) and Bailey Sanders (11-0) work Tuesday.

Both teams leave for Amherst, NY, Wednesday and the annual ASA Women's Major Fastpitch Championship. The Brakettes play the Amherst, NY, Lightning-Brooks Thursday at 5 p.m. in pool play. They play the TC Tremors Friday at 9 a.m. in their final pool outing. Bracket play begins Friday at 2:30 p.m. and the 13-team, double-elimination event continues through Sunday.

The Brakettes have defeated the Saints in both the 2004 and 2006 national events. St. Louis finished fourth two years ago in Amherst.

St. Louis is under the tutelage of Ed Martz, who is in his 54th consecutive season of managing women's fastpitch softball. During that span he has won over 2,500 games and the 1990 ASA Class A National Championship. The Saints are the only St. Louis team to ever win an ASA title.

The Saints played in the N.S.A. National Championship in Cape Girardeau this past weekend before coming to Stratford. The have finished runner-up in the Bloomington Invitational, Pekin Invitational and Pekin Round Robin and took a 35-10 record into this weekend.

Autumn Allen of McKendree College, Erin DeStefano of Marshall University, and Liscombe University's Alaina Jacobson handle the pitching for the Saints. Amanda Clack of Bradley University is the top hitter for the Saints.

Outfielder Kaitlin Cochran has been on a tear of late for the Brakettes. After collecting seven straight hits a week ago, the Arizona State All-America crushed four home runs last weekend to move into third in that category.

BRAKETTES BRIEFS- While the 2009 Nationals are in Auburn, AL, Stratford Softball Tournament, Inc. has put in a bid to host the 2010 event at DeLuca Field. . .Other teams in the ASA event are Southern California Hurricanes, New York Freedom, Topton VIPs, Michigan Explorers, Williamsville South 04, Western New York Xtreme, Amherst Collision, Amherst Lightning Gold, Lady Express, and Sandlot.