Brakettes Complete Weekend Sweep of the Elite

June 7, 2009 - The Stratford Brakettes won both ends of a double-header on Sunday at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field, taking 7-1 and 4-0 decisions from the New Jersey Elite. Bailey Sanders and Kirsten Allen each picked up their second win in as many starts, and Jenna Lopez and Jess Mouse both smashed their first home runs of the new season.

The Brakettes got on the board first in the early contest, putting up seven runs in the fourth inning. Mandie Fishback and Jess Serio walked to put runners at first and second with one out. Stacey Lajoie singled to score Fishback, giving the Brakettes a 1-0 lead. Serio advanced to third on the play. Lajoie then took second base without a throw, giving Lopez two base runners in scoring position. Lopez followed with a towering three-run shot to dead center, pushing the lead to 4-0.

The Brakettes were not done yet, as Lindsey Kay Bright reached on an error. Bright stole both second and third, and Denise Denis earned a walk. With runners at the corners, Mouse launched a no-doubter to left-center. The three-run blast put the Brakettes up 7-0, giving Sanders a comfortable cushion to work with, and chasing Elite starter Brittany Wood from the game. Wood had kept the Brakettes' bats at bay until the big fourth inning. She was relieved by Jenna Stoller.

Sanders struck out 12 in the first game. She walked five and scattered five singles. The only New Jersey run came in the seventh inning, when Lyndsey Balinskas scored from third on a wild pitch. Sanders recorded at least one strikeout in each of the fourteen innings she pitched over the weekend.

Allen overcame a shaky start in the late game, hitting two batters in the first inning. After getting herself in trouble, she retired the next two batters and sailed smoothly from there on. Allen allowed just one hit, a third inning single by Paige Cauley. She struck out 10 and walked one.

The Brakettes manufactured a run in the first inning, thanks in part to Bright's aggressive base running. She stretched what seemed sure to be a single into a double, and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Denis drove her in with a groundout to the right side.

The one-run lead would stand until the fourth, when Ashley Waters delivered a lead-off single. Jess Serio bunted her over, but a throwing error would let Waters score all the way from first, and allow Serio to get to third. Sanders lined a single up the middle to drive in Serio, and the margin stretched to 3-0.

The last run for Stratford came in the sixth, when Mouse and Amber Radomski singled with one out. Mouse stole third base, and Waters brought her home with a sac fly to right field.

Stoller went the distance for New Jersey, allowing four runs and seven hits in six innings.

With the pair of wins, the Brakettes improved to 4-0 on the year.

The Brakettes will return to action on Saturday, June 13th in a 7:00 double-header against the Topton VIP's in Lyons, Pennsylvania. They will also play the Lyons Spirit at 12:00 noon on Sunday. All four games will be webcast right here at brakettes.com.