Brakettes' Bats Cold in Second Straight 1-0 Loss to Arizona

July 23, 2006 - by Phil Soto-Ortiz

TUCSON, ARIZ. – Kaci Clark gave the Brakettes one of her best pitching efforts of the season Saturday at Hi Corbett Field, but a trio of Arizona Heat pitchers were just a little bit better, shutting out the Brakettes 1-0 for the second consecutive night.

The Brakettes’ scoreless string grew to 19 consecutive innings as they managed just four hits against the triumvirate of Celena Velasquez, Leslie Wolfe and Desiree Serrano. Germaine Fairchild collected a pair of hits, including a double, and Julie Brooks and Kelly Kretschman each singled, but the Brakettes never advanced a runner past second base.

The Heat did not fare much better against Clark, who allowed four hits, struck out three and walked none. She gave up three hits in the second inning to load the bases with nobody out. Arizona shortstop April Valdez, who delivered the game-winning hit Friday, hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to drive home Nichole Thompson with what would turn out to be the game’s only run. Toni Mascarenas tried to take third base on Kretschman’s throw to the plate, but Fairchild quickly threw to third to retire her, and Clark got out of the inning without further damage.

She retired the Heat’s final 14 hitters, beginning with that sacrifice fly.

Her ERA fell from 3.21 to 2.90.

The Brakettes bid for the tie in the fifth when Brooks led off with a walk and Adrienne Alo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second, followed by a Kretschman walk. Andrea Duran then hit a groundball to Arizona second baseman Thompson, who attempted to tag Kretschman and throw to first for the double play. She missed the tag, but her throw to first was in time to retire Duran, and the first-base umpire called Kretschman out, ruling she had left the basepath in avoiding the tag. Brakettes first-base coach Julie Brzezinski argued and was ejected for the second consecutive night.

The Brakettes managed just one baserunner on a walk the final two innings.

Wolfe earned the win to improve to 5-5. Clark fell to 3-3. Serrano earned her first save.

The teams meet for the fourth and final time of the series and the season Sunday in Tucson at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

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