|
|
Saturday Night
Brakettes Win Game One Thriller, Sweep Stripes and Strikes
 July 14 – by Jeff Glazer – The Stratford Brakettes took both games against the Stripes and Strikes Friday night at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field by scores of 6-5 and 7-0. The Brakettes were tested once again by a tough Stripes and Strikes team, but an Alex Heinen walk-off hit proved to be the catalyst for another successful series.
Julia Handfield entered the circle first for the Brakettes. The Stripes and Strikes got to her early. A one out walk led to three straight singles and two runs. However, Handfield would settle into the game after the inning and pitch three straight scoreless innings afterwards.
The Brakettes didn’t take too well to going down early. RBI hits from Denise Denis, Jolie Duffner, and Briana Marcelino allowed them to swoop right back into the lead in the bottom of the first.
With the score still 3-2 Brakettes in the top of the fifth, the Stripes and Strikes sent the top of the order up to face Handfield for the third time on the day. With a runner on second and only one away, Maria Trivelpiece sent one right back up the middle to tie the game.
As ever, the Brakettes would respond and in loud fashion. Back-to-back jacks for Alex Heinen (9, team lead) and Marcelino (6) gave the team a 5-3 lead heading into the late innings.
Handfield found herself in a jam in the top of the sixth, facing a Stripes and Strikes team that just wouldn’t quit. With the bases loaded and two away, Handfield would walk the leadoff batter Rebecca Rossi, making it a one run game. Manager John Stratton decided to give the Stripes and Strikes a fresh look at a familiar face for them. Ali DuBois, who had started Game One on Friday night against the Stripes and Strikes, came in to try and limit the damage. An RBI single from Marissa Trivelpiece was all they needed to tie the game up. DuBois would get out of the inning one batter later.
It would take until the bottom of the seventh to break the deadlock. With one out in the inning, Jolie Duffner laced a double to dead center field, setting up Alex Heinen as the potential hero on Saturday night, having already hit a go-ahead home run earlier in the game. With a 3-1 count, many of the Brakettes faithful thought that the Stripes and Strikes would walk her to avoid pitching to her.
Instead, they challenged her. Heinen would promptly line one into the right-center field gap, easily scoring Duffner from second and that was the ball game. A night to remember for Alex Heinen. Ali DuBois was credited with the win; she moves to 9-0 on the year.
Game Two had less of the dramatic flair to it. Abby Abramson was tasked with setting the Stripes and Strikes hitters down and she was up to it. Seven scoreless innings, only allowing four hits was more than enough to keep the Brakettes in this one.
It would be the second inning when the offense took over. Heinen and Marcelino went back-to-back again, however, just doubles this time. Emma Larke would tally the second run in the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Denise Denis added another RBI single in the third along with a Duffner sac fly of her own, making it 4-0 Brakettes early. But they weren’t done there. Gabby Laccona, one of the heroes of Game Two on Friday night, stepped up with another big hit, a two RBI double down the left field line to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Brakettes would get one more in the fifth after a throwing error on a Heinen double and 7-0 would be plenty of cushion for Abramson to shut the Stripes and Strikes down one last time. She moves to 5-0 on the year.
The Brakettes have now won 33 straight and are 33-1 on the year. Alex Heinen finished the day 5-7 with two doubles, a home run, and a walk-off single to her credit. Briana Marcelino finished the day 5-5 with a walk and 2 RBIs.
The Brakettes will be back in action Sunday afternoon at 3:00pm at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field where they will take on the Concord Raiders who make the trip from Massachusetts. Both games will be webcast on Brakettes.com
|
| Saturday, July 13th vs. Stripes & Strikes |
| First Game, 7:00 PM |
|
Second Game |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
7 |
|
|
R |
H |
E |
| STRIPES&STRIKES |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
0 |
|
|
5 |
8 |
0 |
| BRAKETTES |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
2 |
0 |
|
1 |
|
|
6 |
13 |
1 |
Batteries: Stripes & Strikes- Sarah Tuzinski (L) and Ali Keener; Brakettes- Julia Handfield (5-0), Ali DuBois (6, W, 9-0) and Alex Heinen
Homerun: Brakettes- Alex Heinen (9), Briana Marcelino (6) |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
7 |
|
|
R |
H |
E |
| STRIPES&STRIKES |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
|
|
0 |
4 |
1 |
| BRAKETTES |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
x |
|
|
7 |
12 |
0 |
| Batteries: Stripes & Strikes- Kasidy Slusser, (L) Sarah Tuzinski (4) and Ali Keener; Brakettes- Abby Abramson (W, 5-0) and Alex Heinen |
|
|
