Brakettes Sweep Bay State Brats 4-0, 15-4

July 24, 2009

by Ilan Woll

The Brakettes took both games over the Bay State Brats Friday night at DeLuca Field, improving their record to 37-4. Denise Denis hit her twelfth home run and Carly Normandin had four hits in the twin bill.

The first game saw LSU-bound Rachele Fico facing veteran Kristen Mahoney. Fico started off the game striking out the side in order. In the bottom of the frame Carly Normandin started Stratford off on a single and advanced to second on an Ashley Waters' grounder to first. Denise Denis then put the ball into right field for a single and an RBI. Mandie Fishback walked, and Denis advanced to third on a pickoff attempt at first. Jess Mouse then grounded to second baseman Jenna Lipscomb, with Denis scoring on the play for a 2-0 first inning lead.

The Brats threatened in the second with Emily Leverone being hit by a pitch and advancing on an infield error. However, Fico retired the next three Brats with strikeouts.

In the bottom of the inning, Lindsey Kay Bright grounded to Lipscomb at second base, but the throw to Amy Gordon was wide of the base and went to the fence for a two base error. Following a Normandin grounder to first base advancing Bright to third, Ashley Waters singled to left to extend the Brakette lead 3-0.

Bay State's Brenna Morrissey was hit by a pitch with one out in the third inning. However, after a long foul ball by Ashley Bilodeau that was caught by Stacey Lajoie in left, Morrissey was called for leaving early on a steal attempt.

Meanwhile Stratford had an opportunity in their third with Fishback at second and Radomski on first. However, Bailey Sanders hit the ball hard to Casey Stoodley at third base who tagged out Fishback and threw to Amy Gordon in time for the double play.

The top of the fifth saw Fico’s bid for a no-hitter end as Jenna Lipscomb beat out a slow grounder to third. However, a steal attempt failed as Jess Mouse threw the ball strongly to Fishback at second who tagged out the runner. 

The Brakettes scored an insurance run in the fifth as Denise Denis doubled to left center and reached third on a single by Mandie Fishback. Amber Radomski hit a soft grounder to the right side, scoring Denis for a 4-0 lead.

Rachele Fico improved her record to 6-0, finishing with 13 strikeouts and allowing just one hit, but hit three batters. Normandin, Waters, Denis, and Radomski all had two hits.

The first inning of game 2 saw starters Bailey Sanders and Chelsea Durso working out of first inning jams with Brenna Morrissey caught trying to steal third base and Normandin thrown out at second.

The bottom of the second saw the biggest offensive explosion for Stratford in 2009. Following a single to left field by Mandie Fishback, Jess Mouse sacrificed her to second base. Amber Radomski hit a hump back liner that was snagged by Marissa Palumbo. Then, with two outs the fireworks came as twelve straight Brakettes reached safely. The highlights included a triple to left field by Carly Normandin and a three RBI double by Jill Cimminello. Following the ninth straight base runner, Durso’s day ended as Hannah Everson took over the pitching duties. The Brakettes ended the inning with twelve runs and eleven hits as 16 hitters came to the plate. 

Following a 1-2-3 top of the third by Sanders, Everson walked Ashley Waters. Denise Denis then hit her team leading 12th home run to deep right center to extend the Brakette lead to 14-0 after three innings.

In the Brat's fourth Marissa Palumbo walked. Emily Leverone singled to left, advancing the runner to third. Leverone then reached second on a passed ball. Casey Stoodley hit the ball to shortstop Mandie Fishback, who, realizing that Palumbo was caught between third and home, chased the runner down resulting in the out at home, the other runners advancing. Following an Amy Gordon strikeout, with Amanda Monge batting, Sanders threw two wild pitches, scoring Leverone and Stoodley to put Bay State on the board 14-2.

The bottom of the fourth saw Jen Russell hitting a pinch hit single through the left side for Stratford, her first of the summer.

The Brats came into the fifth needing five runs to keep the game from ending in an eight run-rule finish. Arianna Mitropolous started with a walk. Brenna Morrissey then singled and Ashley Bilodeau doubled in the first run. Marissa Palumbo then grounded to second baseman Ashley Waters, scoring Morrissey. Emily Leverone singled, bringing in Bilodeau for the third run in the inning. After a wild pitch, Casey Stoodley popped out to shallow centerfield. Amy Gordon walked, and the runners advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. Sanders then induced Monge to ground to Jess Mouse at third base, who threw the runner out for the 14-5 win.

Sanders improved her record to 14-1 with the win, and finished with seven K’s over five innings, but walked six, threw three wild pitches, and allowed five hits. Emily Leverone had two hits for the Brats. For the Brakettes, five players had two hits each. 

Frank DeLuca Field hosts the Binghamton area travel team, the TC Tremors, Saturday at 7:00pm, with an additional twin-bill on Sunday at noon. The Tremors feature many of central New York’s top high school players including Mary Beth Dombrowski (.410, 5HRs as sophomore at Bethlehem HS) and catcher Gabby Luety (.506, 4HRs) . They are anchored by two incoming Syracuse University players: star pitcher Stacy “Q” Kuwik (.561 with 8 homers as hitter; 24-3 record, 0.20 ERA, 309 strikeouts, 7 no-hitters as pitcher) and Morgan Nandin (.383, 22 RBI).