Brakettes Top Lyons (PA) Spirit to Clinch Spot vs. St. Louis Saints in Winner's Bracket Final

August 6, 2011 - The Stratford Brakettes advanced to the winner's bracket final of the WMS National Championships with a 12-0 victory over the Lyons (PA) Spirit Saturday afternoon at DeLuca Field. Rachele Fico struck out eight batters in a two-hitter, as the Brakettes smashed five home runs. The St. Louis Saints beat the NY Raiders 10-2 to earn a spot opposite the Brakettes in Saturday night's 7:15 game.

Stratford had advanced to the winner's bracket semi-final with a 12-0 victory over the NYC Havoc on Friday night, while the Spirit beat the Connecticut Eliminators in Friday's nightcap to secure their berth in Saturday's game.

The Brakettes were led past Lyons by Kristyn Sandberg's pair of two-run homers, her eighth and ninth long balls of the year.

Fico improved to 28-0 in 2011 with the victory, as the Brakettes extended their team record winning streak to 117 games. Stratford now stands 61-0 for the year.

The Brakettes started their offensive onslaught early, as Ashley Waters reached on a walk with one out in the first. Stephanie Call came up with two away and drilled her record 29th homer of the season, giving Stratford a 2-0 lead. Fishback followed with a walk to continue the inning, bringing up Sandberg. The slugging Georgia Bulldog star then hit the first of her homers to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Kate Bowen was hit by a pitch while leading off the second inning, and went to second on a grounder by Carly Normandin. Waters delivered a base hit to score Bowen, giving Stratford a 5-0 cushion.

Fishback doubled with one out in the third, again giving Sandberg the stage. Sandberg crushed her second homer of the game to extend the lead to 7-0, but the Brakettes were hardly done yet.

Carden contributed a double to the cause and scored on a single by Alisa Heronema for an 8-0 lead. Normandin then became the second Brakette ever to hit 20 homers in a season, blasting a two-run shot to center for a 10-0 margin, joining teammate Call in the exclusive club.

Waters followed with a solo shot, her eighth of the year, to give the Brakettes back-to-back homers and an 11-0 edge.

Melissa Mancuso hit for Sandberg in the fourth after taking over at third base. She reached on an error and wheeled to second on a single by Carden. Bowen closed out the victory with a single to score Mancuso for a 12-0 final, sending the Spirit to the loser's bracket.

The Spirit will play the Connecticut Mirage at 5:30 in a loser's bracket elimination game. The Mirage advanced earlier Saturday with a 6-2 victory over the Stratford Breakers.

Saturday night's winner's bracket final between the Brakettes and Saints will be video webcast at brakettes.com, as will all remaining WMS games at DeLuca Field.