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STRATFORD BRAKETTES OPEN 63RD SEASON FRIDAY NIGHT; CONNECTICUT PANTHERS, NEW JERSEY ELITE IN FOR 6 GAMES

June 3, 2009 - The Stratford Brakettes will open their 63rd consecutive season of women's major fastpitch play Friday night at DeLuca Field, Stratford, when they face the Connecticut Panthers in a 7 o'clock doubleheader. The New Jersey Elite provide the opposition in doubleheaders Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 12 noon.

Entering his 15th year at the managerial helm, John Stratton again has assembled another formidable roster. The majority of the roster is set with Stratton just waiting on a few late commitments.

Missing from last year's 59-2 team are pitchers Leslie Malerich (17-0, 0.27 ERA) and Brandice Balschmiter (18-2) and collegiate All-America Katie Cochran (.556) of Arizona State. Malerich is pitching professionally in Italy and playing for its national team, while Balschmiter and Cochran, the No. 1 overall pick, are playing in the National Pro Fastpitch league with the Chicago Bandits and Akron Racers, respectively.

"We always lose outstanding players," said Stratton, "but every year we find a way of replacing them with equally talented ones. That’s what makes every season a special one."

Returning pitchers include Bailey Sanders (13-0, 0.64 ERA) of UMass, Danielle Henderson (8-0, 0.68 ERA), and Masuk High School phenom Rachele Fico (3-0, 0.71 ERA) once her season concludes June 13. Oklahoma freshman Kirsten Allen, a 5-foot-11 right-hander from Union, KY, and 5-foot-11 Baylor freshman lefty Whitney Canion of Aledo, TX are the touted newcomers. Allen will be the Sooners' ace next year, while Canion compiled a 27-17 record with 415 strikeouts for the Bears. She is not expected to arrive until the end of June.

UMass catcher Jessica Serio (.351, 29 RBI), second baseman Ashley Waters (.375, 40 RBI), shortstop Mandie Fishback (.376, 41 RBI), third baseman-catcher Jessica Mouse (.279, 35 RBI) of LSU, and outfielders Jenna Lopez (.376, 33 RBI) and Denise Denis (.445, 45 RBI) are the returning position players. Former LSU All-America catcher Killian Roessner, who played sparingly last summer, returns for her sixth year with the Brakettes. She recently concluded her first year as assistant coach at Memphis University.

Stratton and assistant Rich Roessner have three touted first-year players lined up in University of Florida standouts Tiffany DeFelice, a catcher/utility player, and second baseman Aja Palcuba, and Kentucky All-America shortstop Molly Johnson, who has a .395 career batting average. Johnson won’t be in until June 15 as she has been invited to the USA Softball Women's National Team selection camp June 8-12.

Veteran utility players Jill Cimminello and Amber Radomski are also back.

The team will play a 67-game schedule with 56 of those scheduled at DeLuca Field, the team's home site since the 1988 season. A two-game road trip to play the professional Philadelphia Force, the team’s seventh appearance in the Topton July 4th Tournament, and a four-game series July 24-25 against the Gold Coast Hurricanes of Florida, the defending 18-and-under Gold National Champions, are a few of the regular-season highlights.

The Brakettes will host the Women's Major Softball National Championship tournament August 6-9 at DeLuca Field and the Short Beach Rec Complex. Twelve teams are already entered in the event that features pool play followed by double-elimination.

Coach Bryan Pereyo's Panthers feature many of the state's top high school players in their lineup, including New Fairfield All-Stater Natalie Wabshinak (Mercy College), Rutgers' bound Kaci Madden, Stonybrook's Suzie Karath, future Yale standout Liz Tutino, and Kortney Kesses of Quinnipiac.

Fred Grapstein's New Jersey Elite finished third in last year’s ASA 23-and-Under Championships, bowing to eventual champion Virginia Legends. All-Ivy star Jesse Berkey of Cornell, West Chester University pitcher Shannon Padula, Mercy College hitting leader Paige Cauley and ASA All-America Lyndsey Balinskas are the top players for the Elite.

BRAKETTES BRIEFS- Rob Baird begins his 4th year as the web voice of the Brakettes. All regular season and post-season games will be video webcast at www.brakettes.com. Rob will provide play-by-play and will be joined by numerous commentators, including Ilan Woll and Henry Chisolm. Handling the video work and also providing commentary is Pat Sanders. . . Brakettes season tickets will be on sale through the first two weeks of the season. General admission seats are $60, reserved with back rests (behind home plate) are $80 and stadium box seats are $100. All subsequent tickets purchased are half-price. Ticket information may be obtained on the website or by calling (203) 378-7262. . . All youth league teams will be admitted free of charge throughout the 2009 season. . . The Brakettes will have a booth at Stratford Day (June 6) and they will be distributing free tickets. . . Whitney Mollica captured last year's batting title at .470 with 9 home runs and 43 RBI. A recent graduate of UMass, Mollica will be working in Phoenix, AZ . . .The Brakettes will conduct an "open" practice Thursday (June 4) night at 7 p.m. at DeLuca Field.