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Saturday
Brakettes Ride Balschmiter’s Arm to Championship Game
 August 9, 2015 - The Stratford Brakettes advanced to the Women’s Major Softball National Championship Game for the sixth straight year, as Brandice Balschmiter helped to secure a pair of victories at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, CT. The Brakettes defeated the St. Louis Saints, 6-0, in the winners bracket semis, before topping the New York City Havoc, 8-3, to move into the title tilt.
Balschmiter improved to 17-2 on the season, striking out 11 in throwing 13 shutout innings over the two decisions. She struck out four in a three-hit shutout of the Saints in a rematch of last year’s WMS final, and fanned seven over six innings against the Havoc. Balschmiter left after the fourth inning, but returned in the sixth to finish the game after New York City scored twice in the top of the fifth.
Stratford took the early lead against St. Louis with a run in the first, after Val Suto reached on an error. She swiped second and went to third on a wild pitch, before being cut down at the plate on a groundball by Denise Denis. The fielder’s choice allowed Denis to reach base, and a single by Emily Lochten put two on with two outs. Elena Bowman also reached on a fielder’s choice, which loaded the bases for Sarah Bencivenga.
Benicvenga delivered a single up the middle to give the Brakettes a 1-0 edge, which would hold until the fifth inning. The Brakettes left the bases loaded in the home first, en route to stranding eleven baserunners in the contest.
Alyssa Spinas matched Balchmiter for the next three innings, wiggling out of two more bases loaded jams and keeping the game close.
Bowman gave Balschmiter some breathing room in the top of the fifth with her eight home run of the year, a solo shot to left to make it 2-0.
After a scoreless sixth, Stratford posted four more in the top of the seventh, when Britt Lampert led off with a bunt single. Denis sacrificed Lampert to second, bringing Lochten back up to the plate. Lochten responded with a two-run homer to left, her seventh of the year, to stretch the lead to 4-0.
Bowman followed and smacked another home run, extending the margin to 5-0 and giving her the team lead for the season. With two outs, Tatum Buckley joined in the offensive onslaught, launching her fourth home run to cap the scoring at 6-0.
The game ended on a 5-4-3 double play, as Courtney Lockwood grounded to Jordan Whitley at third. Whitley threw to Buckley at second, who fired to Taylor Moss at first to close it out for the Brakettes.
With the win in the semis, the Brakettes moved on to play the Havoc in the upper bracket final. New York City advanced to the game with a 6-0 win over the Lyons (PA) Spirit.
The Brakettes again jumped ahead with a first-inning run, after Denis reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Lochten came up next and doubled to right-center, scoring Denis for a 1-0 advantage.
Stratford blew the game open in the second frame, as they brought nine batters to the plate. Bencivenga singled to lead it off, but was forced out at second on a grounder by Buckley. Buckley went to third on a double by Whitley, and scored when Cassie Ruscz reached on an error, which also moved Whitley up a bag. With a 2-0 lead, Suto reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, before Whitley was forced out at home on a comebacker by Lampert.
Denis followed with a bases-loaded walk, stretching the margin to 3-0. Lochten drove in two more runs with a single up the middle, putting the Brakettes in the driver’s seat with a 5-0 lead.
Balschmiter gave the Havoc no reason for hope over the first four innings, striking out five before giving way to Laura Ricciardone in the fifth.
Danielle Basciano singled to start the fifth for New York City and moved up when Nicole Flint reached on an error. Katie Flynn reached on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases with no outs. Patty Sciglimpaglia came on to pinch hit and grounded to the left side, bringing Basciano home with the Havoc’s first run, and putting runners at second and third. Melanie Pellegrino grounded out to second base, and the Brakettes again took the sure out at first, letting Flint score to make it 5-2. Ricciardone struck out the next batter to end the inning.
The Brakettes got one run back in the fifth when Whitley doubled and went to third on a groundout. Suto followed and lofted a fly ball to center, deep enough to allow Whitley to tag up and extend the margin to 6-2.
Balschmiter returned to the circle for the Brakettes in the sixth and surrendered one unearned run. Brenna Martini led off and reached on an error, then moved to second on a groundout. An RBI single by Linsey DeDomenico plated Martini to close the gap to 6-3.
Stratford put it away in the home sixth, when Denis singled and stole second. Bencivenga doubled to right to score Denis for a 7-3 lead. Buckley followed with an RBI single to score Bencivenga and close out the scoring at 8-3.
The Brakettes will sit and wait until 1:30 pm on Sunday for the Championship Game, and will only need to defeat the survivor of the Losers bracket once to secure the crown.
The St. Louis Saints played the last game of the night at DeLuca on Saturday night, eliminating Team CT with a 3-2 win. The decision allowed St. Louis to again reach Sunday play, as they will take on the CT Seahawks at 9 am in the first contest of Championship Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to play the New York City Havoc at 11 am, with the victor of that matchup advancing to the 1:30 title game.
If the Brakettes drop the 1:30 Championship Game, there will be an “IF” game played immediately after that to determine the champion.
All 2015 WMS games at DeLuca Field are being live video webcast at brakettes.com. |
2:30 PM vs. St. Louis Saints
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Winners Bracket Final
7:30 PM vs. NYC Havoc
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1 |
2 |
3 |
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4 |
5 |
6 |
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7 |
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R |
H |
E |
| BRAKETTES |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
4 |
|
|
6 |
12 |
0 |
| SAINTS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
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|
0 |
3 |
3 |
Batteries: Brakettes- Brandice Balschmiter (W, 16-2) and Elena Bowman; Saints- Alyssa Spinas (L) and Brooke Riemenschneider
Homeruns: Brakettes- Elena Bowman 2 (9), Emily Lochten (7), Tatum Buckley (4) |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
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4 |
5 |
6 |
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7 |
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R |
H |
E |
| NYC HAVOC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
|
0 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
2 |
| BRAKETTES |
1 |
4 |
0 |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
x |
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|
8 |
12 |
2 |
Batteries: Havoc- Alyson Chiaramonte (L), Nicole Flint (2), Magen Dargon (5) and Linsey DeDomenico; Brakettes- Brandice Balschmiter (W, 17-2), Laura Ricciardone (5), Balschmiter (6) and Elena Bowman
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