Brakettes Take Two in Missouri from Outburst

June 22, 2011 - Brandice Balschmiter and Rachele Fico each pitched one-hit shutouts Tuesday night to lead the Stratford Brakettes to a 9-0, 4-0 sweep of the St. Peter’s (MO) Outburst in Manchester, Missouri.

The Brakettes completed their Midwest road trip at 4-0 after having seven potential games wiped out due to the cancellation of the 46th Annual Saints Invitational.

Severe thunderstorms, flooded fields and tornado warnings got the better of the Brakettes on the six-day trip, but no softball team can say the same in recent history. The Midwest sweeps of the St. Louis Saints on Sunday and the Outburst on Tuesday stretch the Brakettes' winning streak to 70 games.

Carly Normandin singled to lead off the game and Ashley Waters followed with a two-run home run, her second of the year. The Brakettes would add to their 2-0 lead the next inning.

In the second frame, Alisa Heronema singled and then stole second and third base. She scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-0.

The Brakettes scored twice more in the fifth inning, as Mandie Fishback contributed the first of her two RBI singles.

Normandin drove in two runs in the sixth inning to put Stratford up 7-0. She scored on an RBI triple by Waters, who then came home on a base hit by Fishback.

Normandin, Waters, and Fishback all had three hits in the contest. Waters drove in three runs in the game.

Balschmiter (5-0) finished with 10 strikeouts. She retired the first 14 batters before striking out the next batter, but the ball got past the catcher. After allowing a single and walk, she recorded her fourth strikeout of the inning to end the threat.

The game was shortened to six innings due to the run-rule.

Fico struck out 16 batters in the late game to improve to 5-0 on the season. She gave up just three hits in her two Midwest starts, fanning a total of 30 batters in 14 innings.

Normandin got things started again for Stratford, leading off the first with a single and stealing second base. Waters continued her impressive road trip with an RBI single to plate Normandin.

Stephanie Call added a solo shot, her team-leading fifth HR of the year, later in the first to push the lead to 2-0.

Becca Carden doubled in the sixth and came home on a single by Amber Radomski for a 3-0 margin.

Waters completed her impressive evening with a seventh inning double, heading home on a single by Fishback to close out the scoring at 4-0.

The Brakettes return home Thursday against the Stratford Breakers in a 7 p.m. doubleheader at DeLuca Field to begin a six-game homestand. The club will host the Puerto Rico Junior National Team for a doubleheader on Friday night at 7:00 and the Stratford Seahawks for a 7 pm twin-bill on Saturday.

All six home games this weekend will be video webcast at brakettes.com.