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Saturday Night
Brakettes Survive Challenge from Spirit, win 1-0 and 11-3
 June 7, 2015 - by Ilan Woll- The Lyons Spirit made their annual trek up from Pennsylvania on Saturday to renew one of the great rivalries in sports. Liz Gall, traditionally one of the toughest pitchers Stratford faces, came in to battle against Brandice Balschmiter.
Brandice started dominant in the first, striking out the first two batters, then walking her counterpart. Gall however, was left stranded on a ground ball to second, ending the inning.
However, the Brakettes scored their only run of the game in that inning as Val Suto slapped the ball between Gall and Danielle Thacker, the Spirit third baseman. She took second due to a defensive miscue, and took third from a passed ball. Brit Lampert then drilled the ball to left field for an RBI single, but was thrown out at second.
This proved to be the only run as Gall and Balschmiter were dominant from there. The Spirit threatened twice, once in the sixth after Thacker doubled under the leftfield fence, and then as Elaine Bedell similarly doubled to left in the sixth.
Gall held the Brakettes silent after the first, allowing only a single to Sarah Bencivenga and a double to Brit Lampert in the sixth.
Brandice Balschmiter (2-0) struck out five batters, walking two and allowing just the two hits. Liz Gall was similarly excellent, scattering four hits, striking out two and walking none.
Game 2 proved to be a slugfest with Cassie Ruscz dominating the game offensively. Laura Ricciardone faced off against Jenn Shellhammer.
The Spirit started off the game with two runs as Karen Bauer reached on an infield error, taking second on a passed ball. Elaine Bedell then had an infield single, moving Bauer to third. Jenn Dalickis doubled to the leftfield wall, scoring both runners to give Lyons the early lead.
However, the Brakettes offense picked up as Val Suto reached on an error, and Britt Lampert walked. Elena Bowman similarly picked up a free pass before a bloop single from Cassie Ruscz scored Suto. Sarah Bencivenga then hit the ball to third base, but a throwing error allowed Lampert to score. Taylor Moss then hit a long sacrifice fly to leftfield, scoring Bowman to give Stratford a 3-2 lead.
Ricciardone's struggles continued in the second as singles by Thacker and Krista Schauder as well as a bobbled ground ball loaded the bases before two strike outs and a line drive snagged by Amber Radomski saved the lead.
However, in the bottom of the second, the home team turned on the offense where, after two outs, Suto, Lampert, and Denise Denis all singled to load the bases. Elena Bowman also lined a single to centerfield to score Suto. Ruscz then proved why the Tufts slugger has been so valuable for the Brakettes as she drilled a grand slam to left centerfied, bringing the Brakettes up by six.
Both teams threatened in the third with Dalickis reaching third base on a fielding error and a ground ball to second. Stratford, conversely, drove Shellhammer from the game after Moss walked and Mary Sciglimpaglia was hit by a pitch. Then after Suto was walked, Morgan Lewis was brought in who ended the inning on a ground ball.
The Spirit picked up a run in the fourth as Rachel Lawes singled and was driven in by a Bedell infield hit. Lewis shutdown the Brakettes in the bottom of the frame.
In the fifth, the lead was expanded as Radomski walked, advanced as Katie Petroski was hit by a pitch. Then Suto hit the ball to left field, which was misplayed in the shadows, scoring Radomski.
Stratford ended the game in the sixth. Elena Bowman hit the ball off of the glove of the shortstop before Cassie Ruscz hit a walk off home run to left, ending the game 11-3.
Laurie Ricciardone got her second win of the year as the Brakettes are now 4-0. Ruscz finished 4-4 with 7 RBIs. Bedell, Delickis, and Lawes all had extra base hits for the Spirit.
Both teams will play today at 11:00am ET. Next week the Brakettes play the Chinese National Team on Thursday before traveling to Lyons to be part of the Cornfield Classic. Sunday they play the Bridgeport Bluefish at Harbor Yard at 7:05pm ET. All games will be broadcast on Brakettes.com.
| Saturday night, June 6th vs. Lyons (PA) Spirit |
| First Game, 7PM |
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Second Game |
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Batteries: Spirit- Liz Gall (L) and Denise Henderson; Brakettes- Brandice Balschmiter (W, 2-0) and Elena Bowman
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Batteries: Spirit- Jenn Shellhammer (L), Morgan Lewis (3) and Sarah Maulorico; Brakettes- Laura Ricciardone (W, 2-0) and Mary Sciglimpaglia
Homeruns: Brakettes- Cassie Ruscz 2 (2), grand slam and 2-run walk off |
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