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BRAKETTES PREPARE TO MEET BLUEFISH WITH A BUSY FOUR-DAY SLATE
June 10, 2015 - The Stratford Brakettes face a busy four-day slate of games this week, but the one they have their sights set on takes place Sunday at 7:05 p.m. at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. That's when The Battle of the Sexes II takes place between the Brakettes and the Bridgeport Bluefish. It will be a single, nine-inning game.
Tickets for the game are on sale by contacting the Bluefish. Gates to Harbor Yard open at 5:30 p.m.
“Our players have been looking forward to this since we met last July,” said Brakettes Manager John Stratton. “I've always been wary of these types of exhibition. However, last year's game proved it was a lot of fun as well as a much anticipated game.” Last year the Bluefish came from behind to edge the Brakettes 2-1 before a paid crowd of 3,942. Two errors by the Brakettes in the ninth inning enabled the Bluefish to steal victory from defeat.
Prior to the rematch the Brakettes will be in action Thursday night at DeLuca Field for a nine-inning contest against the Chinese National 23-U all-star team. Gates to DeLuca Field open at 6 p.m.
The defending five-time National Champion Brakettes (6-0) will travel to Topton, PA, for a 7 p.m. doubleheader Friday night at Lyons Ballpark against the Lyons Spirit. On Saturday the Brakettes will play a tripleheader in the Cornfield Classic at Lyons. They meet the Drillers at 8 a.m., the PA Assault at 9:45 and the Black Widows at 1:15.
Pitching for the Bluefish will be lefty Nick French, the assistant coach and pitching coach at Holy Cross College. His top player this year was freshman Taylor Moss, who is one of 10 newcomers on the Brakettes roster.
Speaking of newcomers, the Brakettes have added left-handed pitcher Sydney Matzko of Torrington. Matzko compiled a 14-5 record with a 2.39 ERA as a freshman at the University of North Carolina this spring. During her Torrington career she was 70-9, highlighted by a Gatorade Player of the Year award her junior year when she went 23-1 with a 0.27 ERA and 345 strikeouts.
The addition of Matzko will ease the pain of losing talented Allyson Fournier of Tufts, who is playing for the PA Rebellion of the National Pro Fastpitch league. She gives Stratton a three-way rotation with ace Brandice Balschmiter (3-0) and Harvard grad Laura Ricciardone (3-0). Backing them up is two-time Gatorade Player of the Year Tatum Buckley, the team's starting second baseman. In last year's game against the Bluefish Balschmiter and Fournier combined for 21 strikeouts.
Making her Brakettes debut Thursday night will be Emily Lochten, a two-time All-Florida high school standout from Lake Worth. She just completed her freshman year at Florida Atlantic University for Joan Joyce where she hit .354 with a team-high 19 extra base hits, 34 RBI and 31 stolen bases.
Outfielders Val Suto of Seton Hall and Shelton's Brittany Lampert lead the team in hitting, going 9-for-15 (.600) at the plate. Second-year first baseman Cassie Ruscz leads the team with nine RBI, and two home runs. Denise Denis, Elena Bowman and Sarah Bencivenga also have hit home runs.
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