Call Makes HR History on Alumnae Weekend

July 11, 2011 - Stephanie Call guaranteed her spot in Brakettes' lore Sunday with her 16th homer of 2011, setting the franchise's record for most home runs in a season, while adding more fireworks to a fabulous weekend of celebration.

Call set the mark in the first inning of the early game against the NYC Havoc, a 15-0 win for Stratford. After Ashley Waters singled with one out, Denise Denis walked to bring Call to the plate. Denis shared the single-season mark with Brakettes’ All-Time Home Run Champ Pat Dufficy and Germaine Fairchild heading into this year. Call joined that elite group on July 3rd in Lyons, PA, with an inside-the-park blast against the Shockers (PA).

With two runners on base, Call delivered the much-anticipated long ball to right-centerfield to put the Brakettes up 3-0. Like most of the homers in Stephanie’s debut season in Stratford, the historic shot sailed far over the 215-foot home run fence. Denis and Waters, plus the rest of Call’s teammates, congratulated the slugger at home plate. Her parents and brother got to see the blast, as they traveled up for Alumnae Weekend.

Rachele Fico again starred on the mound for the Brakettes, striking out five batters in the three-inning stint. Fico allowed only one base runner, just a first-inning walk to Shannon Skeggs, while improving to 15-0 with the victory.

The Brakettes put the game out of reach in the second inning with 10 runs on six hits. Alisa Heronema led off with a single and scored on a two-run shot by Carly Normandin, her seventh homer of the year. Denis singled and moved to second on a walk by Call. Mandie Fishback reached on a bunt to load the bases with one out.

Kristyn Sandberg then grounded to the left side and reached on a throwing error. Two runs came home and Fishback moved to third on the play, which gave the Brakettes a 7-0 lead. Becca Carden pushed the margin to 8-0 with a single that scored Fishback.

Heronema reached base for the second time in the frame with a single, again loading the bases. Normandin walked to force in a run, stretching the advantage to 9-0. Waters followed and reached on an error, which allowed two more runs to score. Denis delivered two more runs with a double, ending the inning with Stratford on top, 13-0.

Katie Bowen reached on a base hit in the third and went to third on a single by Carden. Both runners came home on an error, ending the game due to the 15-run rule after three innings.

Call took to the mound in the second game, allowing just a single, while hitting one batter. She struck out six in five innings and did not issue any walks.

Nicole Adisano led off the contest with the Havoc’s only base hit, but was erased trying to steal second on a strong throw by Sandberg. New York City would again have a leadoff runner in the second, when Katie Flynn was hit by a pitch, but Call retired the next three batters in order.

Stratford jumped out to an early lead again in the second game, scoring four runs in the first inning.

Normandin led off with a single and went to third on a bloop double by Waters. Denis reached on a fielder’s choice, which brought Normandin in for a 1-0 lead, also pushing Waters to third. Sandberg drove in Waters with a sacrifice fly, putting Stratford up 2-0.

Fishback reached base on an error, which sent Denis home and allowed Fishback to get to second. Fishback would also score on an error, when Amber Radomski’s drive to right field was dropped, giving Stratford a 4-0 advantage.

Sarah Calgreen led off the second inning with a drive to the left-center fence and wheeled into second with a double. Normandin followed with a walk, and both runners moved up a bag on a wild pitch. Denis drove in Calgreen with a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 edge.

Havoc pitcher Alyson Chiaramonte held the Brakettes scoreless in the third inning before Stratford again exploded in the fourth.

Waters led off with a single and went to second on a fielder’s choice by Sandberg. After a walk by Fishback loaded the bases, Stacey Lajoie came on with the bases loaded. She delivered a two-run single to push the margin to 7-0, leaving two on base for Radomski.

Player/coach Amber Radomski capped off the Alumnae Weekend festivities with a three-run blast to left-center, her first homer of the season.

The 10-0 score would allow for another run rule-shortened victory, as Call retired the side in the top of the fifth. She struck out the last two batters to seal the win, the Brakettes’ 91st consecutive victory.

The Brakettes will look to extend their unbeaten streak again this Thursday at 7:00, when they face the last team to beat them, the Newtown (PA) Rock in a doubleheader. Stratford lost to the Rock in the second game on June 3rd, 2010, Opening Night of last season. The two clubs will also match up for a pair of games on Friday night at 7:00. All Brakettes’ home games are video webcast at brakettes.com.