CONNECTICUT BRAKETTES DEFEAT PHILADELPHIA FORCE; PAULY WINS 14TH, WHILE MERCHANT AND DENIS HIT HOMERS

August 21, 2006 - ALLENTOWN, PA- Sarah Pauly struck out 10 and scattered five hits as the Connecticut Brakettes defeated the Philadelphia Force 9-2 at Bicentennial Park Monday night in National Pro Fastpitch league action.

Pauly (14-5) retired the Force in order five times in the game as she completed her regular season in second place in wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Her next start will occur Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. as the Connecticut Brakettes and Akron Racers meet in semifinal action of the NPF Championship Series at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, CT.

The Chicago Bandits and New England Riptide play at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first semifinal. The two winners play for the NPF title Sunday at 6 p.m.

The Brakettes (26-14) and Force (13-27) conclude the regular-season Tuesday night in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Nikki Myers (8-4) and Casey Hunter are scheduled to pitch for the Brakettes.

Kelly Kretschman, who began the game tied for the NPF batting title with Chicago’s Anne Steffan at .400 (38-for-95), finished the night 1-for-2 with a pair of walks to assume the top spot. Kretschman gave the Brakettes a 1-0 first-inning lead, scoring on Stephanie Best’s RBI single to left.

Jessica Merchant belted her 12th home run of the season in the third inning. It was a two-run shot that gave her 28 RBI on the year, four behind leader Jamie Clark of Chicago. Merchant leads the league in home runs.

After Chelsea Spencer’s two-run home run in the bottom of the third cut the Brakettes’ lead to 3-2, the Brakettes tallied two runs in the fourth inning on Kretschman’s RBI single and Merchant’s fielder’s choice ground out.

The Brakettes reached reliever Candice Freel for four runs in the seventh inning as Best delivered an RBI single, following two Force errors, and Denise Denis crushed her second home run of the year, a three-run shot.

Box Score

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