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Thursday Pool Play
Brakettes Start Strong in 2019 WMS Tournament
 Aug 2 – by Jeff Glazer – The Stratford Brakettes have taken the top spot in their group after starting off the 2019 WMS Tournament by winning both of their pool play games on Thursday.
The Brakettes went up against a team that they would have quite familiar with, the Lyons Spirit, in their first game of the tournament. Led by veterans such as Elaine Bedell, Karen Bauer, Liz Gall, and Jen Shellhammer, the Brakettes had a tough task on their hand to open the tournament.
It wouldn't take long for them to jump out to an early lead. In the bottom of the first, the regular season leader in RBIs continued her tear at the plate. An RBI single right back up the middle off the bat of Alex Heinen drove in Val Suto for the first run of the game. Briana Marcelino followed Heinen up, reaching on a fielder's choice after the Spirit couldn't cut Jolie Duffner down at the plate, making it 2-0.
With Kaycee Talcik on the mound, the Spirit would have to be at their best to come back in this one. Talcik was dominant all throughout, only allowing three hits and striking out nine of the Spirit hitters on her way to a complete game.
The score would not change until a big inning for the Brakettes in the bottom of the fifth. It wouldn't be a national tournament without an appearance from Denise Denis. Her single in the home fifth knocked in two more before she was able to come around and score herself after Heinen stayed hot with a double. With three runs already home in the inning, the Brakettes would add two more insurance runs in explosive fashion. Marcelino launched her ninth home run of the year and put this one out of reach.
With a 7-0 lead in tow, Talcik shut the door in the seventh and the Brakettes took their opening game in the tournament.
Their second game would be played a few hours later against the CT Eliminators 18U Gold team. As usual, the Brakettes got out to an early lead and it was the usual suspects. Another Heinen RBI, this one on a single, drove in Suto who had started the game off with a single of her own.
The Eliminators would not be easily put away however. With Ali Dubois on the mound for the Brakettes, GiGi Russo led the top of the second off with a single and scampered to second on a wild pitch. With one away, Russo would attempt to swipe third. The throw from Charlee Horton behind the plate glanced off the glove of Duffner at third and rolled into left field, allowing Russo to come home and score.
The Brakettes would get that run back in the bottom of the third with a double from Denis setting up Heinen in another big spot. She would come through again with a double of her own, bringing her RBI total on the day to four and giving the Brakettes the lead again, 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, the Eliminators found themselves in a good opportunity to do damage. With runners on second and third, a wild pitch allowed a run to come across and score and tie things up. Then, an RBI groundout did enough to give the Eliminators the lead as the game entered the late stages.
A leadoff home run would certainly help. Lauren Pitney's ninth of the year tied things back up in the bottom of the inning. After a Gillian Birk double and a Charlee Horton single, a chopper up the middle that could have been a huge double play was mishandled and everyone was safe, with the Brakettes back in the lead. Then, after Suto moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, Denis pulled a grounder down the first base line that was also mishandled, allowing two more runs to score. A tough inning for the Eliminators defense made this one a 6-3 game in favor of the Brakettes.
DuBois would finish the game off strong, keeping the Eliminators off the scoreboard for the remainder of the one. The final score of the second game of pool play for the Brakettes was 6-3.
The Brakettes will be back in action in bracket play after they topped their pool, meaning they will go up against the team in third place after pool play in Pool C.
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WMS Pool Play
6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug 1
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Batteries: CT Elim 18 Gold- Anna Groskritz (L), Edrin Girard (6) and Gigi Russo; Brakettes- Ali DuBois (W, 12-0) and Charlie Horton, Alex Heinen (6)
Homerun: Brakettes- Lauren Pitney (9) |
WMS Pool Play
2:45 p.m., Thursday, Aug 1
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Batteries: Spirit- Liz Gall (L), Amanda Houck (3), Jenn Shellhammer (5), Amanda Houck (5), Liz Parkins (6) and Jessica Strong; Brakettes- Kaysee Talcik (W, 14-0) and Alex Heinen
Homerun: Brakettes- Briana Marcelino (9) |
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