John Stratton Wins 1,000th Game as Manager

July 13, 2012 - Brakettes' manager John Stratton won his 1,000th career game with the franchise on Thursday night with a 10-3 decision over the Newtown (PA) Rock. The Brakettes completed a doubleheader sweep with a 5-0 win in the late game at DeLuca Field in Stratford.

Stratton's milestone came on his wife Micki's birthday, and just weeks after their 50th wedding anniversary. Stratton has been the manager of the Brakettes since 1995, winning the ASA Nationals with the team in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007.

John also piloted the 1976 Raybestos Brakettes to the ASA title while serving as interim manager of the club as Ralph Raymond recovered from a heart attack, and led the 2006 professional Connecticut Brakettes to a runner-up finish in their only season in the NPF.

Sam Greiner picked up the win against her former Rock teammates, moving to 2-0 for the season.

The victory was not an easy one for the Brakettes, as the Rock jumped ahead in the first.

Evie Rentzel led off with an infield single and scored on a line drive homer by Carnatia Thompson. Newtown held a 2-0 lead after their first ups, but the Brakettes quickly answered in the bottom of the inning.

Ashley Waters doubled with one out in the home first, and Denise Denis followed with a walk. Mandie Fishback eventually drove them both in with an RBI double and then scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single by Becca Carden.

The Rock tied it up again in the top of the third, as Rentzel singled and scored on a double by Caroline Showenwald.

The Brakettes broke the 3-3 tie with four more runs in the third, as Fishback started the rally with a walk. She came home on an error that allowed Jess Mouse to reach base, putting Stratford up 4-3.

Mouse scored the team's fifth run on an RBI double by Kate Bowen. The Brakettes picked up another tally on a single by Alisa Heronema to push the lead to 6-3. Heronema later scored on a bases loaded walk by Steffi Call to put Stratford up 7-3.

Call extended the lead to 8-3 in the fifth with a solo shot, her eighth homer of the 2012 campaign.

Four more Brakette singles led to a pair of scores in the sixth, as Stratford closed out the scoring at 10-3. Kate Bowen and Amber Radomski reached on base hits, and then came home on safeties by Heronema and Call, respectively.

The Brakettes rode the right arm of Rachele Fico in the late game, as she struck out seven and scattered four hits. Fico improved to 7-0 on the season, as the Brakettes moved to 37-0.

Denis put the Brakettes up early with an opposite-field home run in the first, her fifth long ball of the year.

Mariel Schlaefer reached on a leadoff single in the third and scored when a base hit by Heronema was misplayed in left field. The run stretched the margin to 2-0.

Becca Carden tripled to the corner in the right to begin the fourth and scored on a wild pitch, putting the Brakettes ahead, 3-0. Bowen scored the fourth run on an error, and Waters drove in Schlaefer with a single to close out the scoring at 5-0.

The Brakettes improved their franchise record win streak to 156 games, and completed a season sweep of the last team to beat them.

The Brakettes will host the Mass Pride in a 7:00 doubleheader on Friday night at DeLuca Field.

Both games will be live video webcast at brakettes.com.