Brakettes Open WMS with Two Wins in Pool Play

August 10, 2012 - The Stratford Brakettes swept to two run-rule shortened victories on Thursday in pool play at DeLuca Field. Stratford defeated the CT Eliminators 23-Unders, 11-0 and the Jersey Fusion, 10-1. Rachele Fico and Brandice Balschmiter eached picked up wins for the Brakettes.

Fico allowed two hits in six shutout innings in the win over the Eliminators, while striking out six and walking one. She improved to 20-1 on the season.

The Brakettes scored two in the first, as Alisa Heronema and Ashley Waters both singled and scored on a wild pitch. Waters came home from second on the same pitch, as the ball kicked far away from the plate.

Stratford scored two more in the second, after Becca Carden led off with a single. She went to third on a sac bunt by Jess Mouse and scored on a single by Kate Bowen. Heronema brought Bowen home with a double to push the margin to 4-0.

Denise Denis and Stephanie Call reached on singles in the third, and were both driven in on a base hit by Mandie Fishback. Becca Carden drove in Fishback with a single, stretching the lead to 7-0.

Heronema doubled in the fourth and Waters singled, before a base hit by Denis scored Heronema for an 8-0 lead.

Call came up next and responded with her 19th homer of the year, giving her 50 in just two years with the Brakettes. She is just the third Brakette to reach the milestone, along with Pat Dufficy (91) and Denis (63).

The three-run shot closed out the scoring at 11-0 in the six-inning decision.

Balschmiter moved to 34-2 on the season with the win over the Fusion, giving up just one hit, while striking out 11.

Christina Sykora had the only hit for the Fusion, lining a shot right back at Balschmiter as she led off the first. She was sacrificed to second on a sac bunt by Cailey Ihling and scored on a grounder in front of the plate by Sara Poole, racing home from second as Heronema threw to first.

The Brakettes did not score until the third, when Waters singled and came home with the tying run on a sac fly by Fishback (photo). Denis walked and scored on a single by Carden for a 2-1 edge.

Amber Radomski singled to open the fourth and went to second on a walk by Heronema. Both runners came home on a double by Call, extending the lead to 4-1. Call then scored on a single by Fishback, who came home on a base hit by Carden. Mouse singled to bring in Carden, extending the margin to 7-1.

Call blasted her 20th homer of the season in the sixth, a solo shot to push the lead to 8-1.

Fishback reached on a base hit and went to second on a walk by Mouse, then scored on a single by Bowen. Mouse eventually came home on a wild pitch to close out the scoring at 10-1.

The Brakettes finished on top of pool C with the two wins, and will play the winner of the CT Charmers-NYC Havoc matchup at 11:30 Saturday at DeLuca Field.

All 2012 WMS Championship games from DeLuca Field are being live video webcast at brakettes.com.