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TOUTED SHORTSTOP EMILY LOCHTEN LATEST IN FAU PIPELINE FOR BRAKETTES
 June 17, 2015 - Whenever Stratford Brakettes Manager John Stratton has a position to fill on his roster, his first call is to Joan Joyce, head coach at Florida Atlantic University and National ASA Hall of Fame pitcher for the Brakettes.
A few years ago Stratton was in search of a pitcher and some offensive power. He was able to fill both holes with transfer Stephanie Call, who left North Carolina State to matriculate at FAU in Boca Raton, FL. In three years and eight games for the Brakettes, Call was outstanding, producing a 36-0 record with 301 strikeouts, 79 home runs (fourth all-time) and 263 RBI.
Stratton, who spent several years as Joyce's pitching coach, called Joyce this spring looking for a shortstop since eight-year Brakettes starter Mandie Fishback, of Banks, OR, had moved to Florida in the off-season and her playing status was in doubt. The FAU Owls just happen to have a special one in Emily Lochten of Fort Lake, FL. Ironically, Fishback also played for Joyce at FAU.
 Last week Lochten made her debut with the Brakettes and Stratton couldn't be happier. “Emily is a big-time player. She is a five-tool softball player and she has already made some outstanding defensive plays as well as batting cleanup in our order.” Lochten is hitting .500 in six games with five RBI and a home run. She has some pretty big shoes to fill as Fishback is ranked in the Top Ten in four all-time categories for the Brakettes. Lochten led FAU with a .354 batting average and she stole 31 bases in 34 attempts for the 39-19 Owls. Her roommate at FAU is Brakettes second baseman Tatum Buckley of Masuk High. They make up the Owls' DP combination.
The Brakettes will take a 12-0 record into this week's three-day home stand. It starts Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. with a single, nine-inning game against the Connecticut High School All-Stars. The top 18 players will be at DeLuca Field to face the Brakettes.
The Rock Gold, one of the nation's top-ranked 18-and-under Gold teams, visits DeLuca Field for doubleheaders Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. Coached by Rick Waye, every player on the team either has completed their freshmen year in college on scholarship or has received a full athletic scholarship.
Assisting Waye is former Brakettes coach Rich Roessner of Wall, NJ. Roessner's daughter Killian, a catcher and LSU star, and Alabama pitcher Stephanie VanBrakle, now the team's pitching coach, both played for the Rock before joining the Brakettes. The Rock has placed third, 14th, second, and eighth in the last four National Tournaments.
Handling the pitching chores this weekend will be Laura Ricciardone (6-0) of Harvard, North Carolina freshman Sydney Matzko (1-0) and ninth-year Brakettes star Brandice Balschmiter (5-0 and 140-9 in her career).
The Stratford Brakettes will host Team Canada, the world's third-ranked team, in doubleheaders June 25-27 at DeLuca Field. Once again, all youth league teams, boys and girls, and their coaches will be admitted free to all Brakettes home regular-season games.
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