WEATHER AND SOAKED FIELD FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF CONNECTICUT BRAKETTES-NEW ENGLAND RIPTIDE GAMES

June 4, 2006 -If it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, then it must be a duck that is sitting in the outfield grass at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, CT.

After four days of rain and wet grounds, the Connecticut Brakettes are still waiting to officially make their debut in the National Pro Fastpitch league. Sunday’s scheduled doubleheader against the New England Riptide at DeLuca Field was postponed because of standing water in the outfield.

All four series games were postponed because of rain and wet grounds. The Thursday night opener saw both teams play four innings before a thunderstorm and torrential rain brought it to an abrupt close. The Connecticut Brakettes led 1-0 after four innings, three outs from being an official game.

"Every field in this area is simply unplayable," said General Manager Bob Baird. "The forecast was for some afternoon sun Sunday, but that is too little, too late for us to get the field in playable condition. The steady rain we’ve had since Thursday night made playing today (Sunday) an impossible dream. There is just no place for the water to go."

Instead of opening their inaugural pro season at home, the Connecticut Brakettes now will open in Allentown, PA, Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Force in a four-game series at Bicentennial Park. The starting time is 7:05 p.m. for the games Wednesday through Saturday nights.

"Now I know there are three things that are inevitable in this world - death, taxes and rainouts during softball season," veteran Manager John Stratton joked after surveying the field with Baird early Sunday morning. "There’s nothing we can do except wait for the sun, the wind and some drying."

Tickets from the opener as well as others purchased in advance for the Riptide series may be exchanged for any other home game during the season.

Team management will talk with Riptide officials to arrange for makeup dates later in the season. "Because of the close proximity of the teams, we should be able to come up with two dates to play makeup doubleheaders," added Baird.

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