Brakettes Sweep Saturday Pool-Play Games in Linden; Face Spirit Sunday

June 26, 2010 - The Stratford Brakettes rushed past a trio of opponents in the Linden (NJ) Invitational Saturday, putting up double digit runs in each game. The Brakettes (17-1) beat the NJ Heist 11-0, the East Coast Elite (NJ) 10-1 and the Jersey Girls 11-0 to set up an 11 a.m. matchup with the Lyons (PA) Spirit.

Rachele Fico (7-0) picked up wins in the early and late games against the Heist and Jersey Girls, with Whitney Canion (6-0) earning the victory in the middle matchup with the Elite.

Denise Denis put the Brakettes on the board in the first inning against the Heist, smacking a double to score Ashley Waters, who had reached on a single and stole second. Kristyn Sandberg scored Denis with a single to push the lead to 2-0.

The Brakettes broke the game open in the second frame, with Lyndsay Mouse starting the seven-run rally with her first home run as a Brakette. With one out, Lindsey Kay Bright singled and stole second base. Carly Normandin delivered a single to score Bright for a 4-0 lead, and advanced to second on the throw home. Waters nailed a double to score Normandin for a 5-0 margin, and then scored on a single by Denis to push the lead to 6-0.

After Denis was caught trying to steal second, Sandberg singled and moved up a bag when Jess Serio was walked. Mandie Fishback smacked a base hit to load the bases, bringing Lyndsay Mouse up for the second time in the inning. Mouse earned a walk to score Sandberg for a 7-0 advantage. Jess Mouse followed with a two-run single to score Serio and Fishback to extend the margin to 9-0.

The Brakettes added two more runs in the fifth inning, when Killian Roessner drove in Fishback and then scored on an error. In total, the Brakettes accumulated 14 hits in the victory.

Fico struck out nine batters against the Heist, while allowing two hits and a walk.

Canion fanned 12 in the middle game against the Elite, while surrendering three hits and one run.

The Brakettes again jumped all over the competition early, putting up eight runs in the first inning. Sandberg lined a single to score Normandin, who had walked and was sacrificed to second by Waters. Serio delivered a two-run triple in the inning for a 3-0 advantage and scored on a base hit by Fishback. With the Brakettes up 4-0, Lyndsay Mouse clobbered a grand slam to centerfield that brought the lead to 8-0.

The Elite scored their run in the fifth with some small ball, as Macelino led off with a single. She was sacrificed to second by Kuhn, and scored on a single by Macusa.

The Brakettes tallied two more in the seventh inning, with Bright reaching on a bunt single. Denis drilled her fourth homer of the season to right field, tying Waters for the team lead with four long balls, giving Stratford a 10-1 lead and closing out the scoring. Stratford pounded out 17 hits for the game.

Fico completed her double duty Saturday with another victory in the late game against the Jersey Girls. She struck out eleven, while scattering two singles.

It was another quick burst by the Brakettes to provide early separation against the Jersey Girls. A seven-run inning put the game out of reach.

Serio led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a double by Fishback. Roessner reached second base on a throwing error which scored Serio and Fishback for a 2-0 score.

Amber Radomski singled and moved Roessner to third. Lyndsay Mouse reached on a fielder’s choice, when the third baseman looked Roessner back to third, giving Mouse plenty of time to reach base. Waters lined a double to score Roessner and Radomski, and the Brakettes led 4-0.

Denis drove in another run on a sac fly, when Mouse tagged from third and went home to go up 5-0. Waters also moved up to third base on the play. Sandberg contributed another single to score Waters to push the lead to 6-0, and then scored on a single by Fishback, closing out the inning with a 7-0 advantage.

Bright reached on a fielder’s choice in the fifth, a grounder that brought Fishback home for an 8-0 lead. Waters then nailed a two-run single to score Canion and Lyndsay Mouse, to push the margin to 10-0. The last run was scored on an RBI single by Denis, as Waters scampered home with the Brakettes’ 11th run.

The Brakettes take on the Lyons (PA) Spirit Sunday at 11 am in the single-elimination championship bracket. The matchup is a quarterfinal, and the winner will advance to play at 1 pm.

Sunday’s Brakettes’ games from Linden will be broadcast (radio-only) at brakettes.com.