Brakettes Finish Regular Season Undefeated

August 3, 2011 - The Brakettes closed out their 2011 regular season with a perfect 57-0 record, taking a pair of games from the St. Louis Saints on Tuesday night at DeLuca Field in Stratford, CT. The unblemished mark matches the record of the 1971 ASA National Champion Raybestos Brakettes, the franchise's last squad to go undefeated.

Stratford took the first game 6-0 behind a four-hitter by Rachele Fico, who improved to 26-0 on the season. She struck out ten in seven innings and allowed one walk. Fico, who threw two perfect games last week, held the Saints without a base runner until Chelsey Carmody lined a one-out single to left field in the fourth inning.

Denise Denis gave Fico all the support she would need in the first inning with a solo shot, her 10th of the year. The lead 1-0 lead grew in the second inning, as Stratford put up four more runs.

Mandie Fishback led off the frame with a single and went to second on a walk by Becca Carden. Amber Radomski attempted to sacrifice both runners over, but reached on a fluke single when no one made a play on the bunt. With the bases loaded, Kate Bowen grounded hard to the right side. Saints’ second baseman Courtney Kennedy fielded the hard chopper and went home in time to force Fishback at the plate, leaving Bowen at first on the fielder’s choice.

Alisa Heronema came up with the bases still loaded and watched Carden break for home on a wild pitch. Carden slid in safely for the Brakettes’ second run. Heronema eventually worked a walk to again load the bases, and another wild pitch let Radomski score for a 3-0 edge.

Carly Normandin drove in Bowen and Heronema with a two-run single, ending the second with a 5-0 Brakette lead.

Stephanie Call amazed the crowd with another tape-measure home run to lead off the third, her 25th of the year. The ball easily cleared the fastpitch home run fence and hit the 295-foot slowpitch fence in right-center on a hop, closing out the scoring at 6-0.

The lone threat for St. Louis came in the top of the fourth, as Carmody and Amanda Clack reached on back-to-back singles with two outs. Fico then induced a grounder by Zoe Sinner to retire the side without scoring.

Kelsey Harrison relieved Saints’ starter Kelli Zache in the fourth and pitched three scoreless innings for St. Louis. She also picked up a fifth-inning base hit for the Saints. Ashley Hall had the other base hit for the Saints, a bunt single in the sixth, while Fallon Poettker earned the only base on balls for St. Louis.

Brandice Balschmiter worked the nightcap for the Brakettes, striking out five, while not allowing a walk. She gave up three hits in six innings to improve to 20-0 for the year.

St. Louis staff ace Amanda Zust threw the second game for the Saints, but the Brakettes chased her out after three innings.

Ashley Waters got the Brakettes going in the first inning with a single and moved up on a walk by Call. With two outs, Fishback drove Waters in with a single to put Stratford up 1-0.

The Saints threatened to score in the second inning, as Zoe Sinner doubled to the fence in right with one out. Sinner advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out, but was stranded there as Balschmiter got the next two batters to ground right back to the rubber.

Stacey Lajoie got the start at DP and made the most of the opportunity. She reached on a bunt single and reached second on a throwing error on the play. Normandin continued the Brakettes’ solid two-out hitting with her 18th homer of the year, a drive to dead center that gave Stratford a 3-0 advantage.

Call recorded another mammoth blast in the third inning, her 26th homer of 2011. The solo shot to right-center extended the lead to 4-0.

Lajoie continued her hot night, launching her first home run of the year to lead off the fourth, giving Stratford a 5-0 cushion.

Fishback capped off a five-hit night with a double in the fifth inning, bringing up Carden with one out. Carden, who came into the night tied with Heronema with a team-leading .480 average, ripped her eight homer of the season to stretch the margin to 7-0.

The Saints had their best chance in the top of the sixth, after Ashley Hall reached on an infield single with one out. Rachel West then drilled a double to the fence in right, sending Hall to third (see photo). West did not see Hall stop in front of her and continued on toward third. As West got to the bag, Hall broke home to avoid the tag, but was thrown out at the plate. Balschmiter retired the next batter on a grounder to escape the threat.

Waters beat out an infield single in the seventh and moved up on a bunt single by Denis. An errant throw on the play let Waters race to third, putting runners at the corners with one out. Stephanie Call grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Waters to score and end the game via the eight-run rule.

The Brakettes and Saints begin play on Thursday in the 3rd Annual Women’s Major Softball National Championships at DeLuca Field. The Brakettes will play the Blandon (PA) Shockers at 8 am Thursday at DeLuca Field, while the Saints will take on the Stratford (CT) Seahawks at 11:30 am at the Short Beach Complex.

All tournament games from DeLuca Field will be video webcast at brakettes.com.

PLEASE NOTE: Games played at Short Beach will not be broadcast.