Brakettes Cruise into Winners Bracket Final

July 27, 2013 - The Stratford Brakettes rode six home runs and solid pitching to three bracket play victories on Saturday in the USSSA World Series. Stratford beat the Cincy Storm (Cincinnati, Ohio) 11-0, the Avanti’s Angels (Bloomington, Illinois) 12-2 and the SGS Magic White (Toledo, Ohio) 8-0 to secure a berth against HOOTERS Fastpitch (Portage, Michigan) in Sunday’s Winners Bracket final at 12:00 Central Time.

Stratford started double-elimination bracket play with the 11-0 blanking of the Cincy Storm, jumping on top early and never looking back.

Meghan Rico (1-0) made her pitching debut for the Brakettes, striking out three and giving up two singles in the four-inning, run-rule victory. Kara Atwell and Yazmin Battle had the only hits for Cincy off Rico.

The Brakettes scored six in the first frame, with Kate Bowen again setting the table for the team. Bowen led off with a double, followed by a walk by Ashley Waters. Steffi Call singled to drive in Bowen and took the extra base on an errant throw, which allowed Waters to also come home for a 2-0 lead.

Elise Fortier collected a base hit to plate Call for the third run, and went to second on another error. Mandie Fishback followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners with one out. Becca Carden came up next and worked a walk to load the bases.

Jess Mouse gave the Brakettes their fourth run with a sac fly to right field in foul territory. Fortier scored on the play, while Fishback and Carden each moved up a base.

Mariel Schlaefer extended the margin with a two-run single to right-center, giving Stratford a 6-0 advantage after one inning.

Steffi Call singled again in the second inning with two outs, bringing Fortier to the plate. The team-leader in home runs added to her total, as she smashed a two-run shot to push the lead to 8-0. The homer was her 18th of the year.

The Brakettes kept the foot on the gas and scored three more in the third, as Carden led off and beat out an infield single. Mouse walked to put two on with no outs. After the Storm pitcher Caitlin Rausch retired the next two batters, Waters picked up a bloop single to score Carden for a 9-0 lead. Mouse went to third on the play, and Waters advanced to second on the throw.

Denise Denis lined an opposite-field double off the fence in left-center to score both runners, closing out the scoring at 11-0.

The win over the Storm was in the round of 16 and moved the Brakettes into the Winners Bracket quarterfinals.

Steffi Call (22-0) earned the win for the Brakettes, going five innings and striking out four in the run-rule shortened victory. She gave up three hits in the contest.

Stratford scored early in the quarters against Avanti’s Angels of Bloomington, Illinois, plating two first-inning runs.

Waters reached on a one-out error and moved to second on a sac bunt by Denis. Call followed with her 16th homer of the year to put the Brakettes up, 2-0.

Angels’ starting pitcher Sadie Mosher held the Brakettes scoreless sin the second inning, but Stratford would crack the scoreboard again in the third.

Denis led off with a single and went to third on a double by Call. With runners at second and third and no outs, Fortier blasted her second homer of the day, her 19th of the season. The three-run shot extended the lead to 5-0.

Call added to an impressive line the next inning, when she launched a solo shot, her second long ball of the game. The blast was her 17th of the year and pushed the margin to 6-0.

Denis had a defensive highlight in the bottom of the third, backing up an overthrow at first and gunning down a runner at third from right field (photo).

Carden reached in the fifth with a one-out single, starting another rally for the Brakettes. Mouse followed with a walk to put two on. Amber Radomski singled to drive in Carden for a 7-0 lead, while moving Mouse up a base.

Bowen was then hit by a pitch in the back, loading the bases with one out. Waters came up next and drove in Mouse with a base hit, as the other runners all advanced. The score made it 8-0, as Denis strode to the plate.

Denis clobbered the ball over the fence for a grand slam, her ninth homer of the year. The shot was also the 75th in her career in red and white, making her just the second Brakette to ever reach that milestone. The blast pushed the lead to 12-0.

The Angels refused to go away quietly, however, scoring the first runs in the tournament against the Brakettes in the bottom of the fifth.

Katie Schultz led off with a single and went to second on a passed ball. Sadie Mosher came up with one out and earned a walk to put two on for the Angels.

Mackenzie James came up with two outs and reached on an error, loading the bases. Beka Ferguson delivered an RBI single to score Schultz, and Mosher also raced home after a misplay on the ball in left field. The unearned runs closed out the scoring at 12-2. Ferguson had two hits in the game for Avanti’s.

The victory moved the Brakettes into the Winners Bracket semis against the SGS Magic White, who came in with a 17-1 record.

Emily Weiman got the start for Stratford and picked up her fourth win. She went five innings and struck out six, giving up three hits and walking none.

The third run-rule win of the day started quickly for the Brakettes, as Bowen led off the first singled up the middle. Waters smashed her fifth homer of the year over the fence in left for a 2-0 edge.

Magic starter Sarah Andrusik pitched a scoreless second inning, but Stratford rallied again in the third.

Britt Lampert led off with a walk, but was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice by Waters. Denis followed with a walk, and Call reached on an error, which sent Waters home with the third run.

Fortier earned a walk to load the bases with one out, bringing Fishback to the plate.

Fishback drilled a bases-clearing double off the fence in left-center, pushing the lead to 6-0.

Waters reached on an error in the fourth and went home on a double by Call for a 7-0 lead, but the Brakettes still needed a run to close out the decision early.

Fishback led off the fifth with a single and moved up on an error. Carden also singled and advanced on another defensive miscue, allowing Fishback to score the decisive eighth run for the Brakettes.

With an 8-0 lead, Weiman retired the side in order in the fifth to secure the win and move the Brakettes to the Winners Bracket Final.

The Brakettes will take on HOOTERS Fastpitch (Lansing, Michigan) at 12:00 Central Time on Sunday, with a spot in the Championship game at stake. HOOTERS advanced to the final with a 4-0 win over the defending champion Indiana Slammers.

All Brakette games on Sunday from the USSSA World Series will be live video webcast at brakettes.com.