Brakettes Advance in WMS Bracket Play

August 9, 2013 - The Stratford Brakettes defeated the Stratford Breakers 10-0 in four innings Friday night at DeLuca Field, closing out the Winners Bracket Quarterfinal matchup in run-rule fashion. Steffi Call pitched a one-hitter and homered for the Brakettes, who advanced into Saturday's semis with the win.

The Brakettes again lost the pre-game coin toss, and therefore served as the visiting team once more.

Ashley Waters got the Brakettes going in the top of the first, reaching on a one-out double. Denise Denis followed and drove in Waters with a single for the early 1-0 edge. Call pushed the lead to 3-0 with her 22nd homer of the year, a mammoth blast that hugged the foul line in left.

With two outs, Mandie Fishback extended the inning with a double. Becca Carden came up next and sent her fifth home run of the season over the fence in left-center to stretch the margin to 5-0. Jess Mouse followed with a double, but was stranded there to end the inning.

Call allowed the Breakers' only hit in the bottom of the first, a two-out single by Kate Hoffman. Call struck out the three other batters faced in the frame en route to a seven-strikeout performance.

The Brakettes plated two more in the second, when Waters blooped a double to left field. Call walked with two outs to put two runners on. Elise Fortier then roped a double to left-center to score both runners, bringing the lead to 7-0. Fortier came home when Fishback reached on an error, giving the Brakettes an 8-0 advantage.

Carden provided some stellar defense behind Call in the second, as Bridget Figmic roped one to the right-center gap. Carden ran it down and made a tough play look easy, grabbing the hot shot in stride. She also had a sliding catch in the third behind second base to snag a looper and end the inning.

Breaker starting pitcher Heather Ferrante pitched a scoreless third inning, but the Brakettes were at it again in the fourth.

Denis walked to start the stanza and stole second. Call followed with an RBI double to score Denis with the team's ninth run. With one out, Fishback singled to bring home Call, extending the lead to 10-0.

Call retired the side in order in the fourth, as the Brakettes closed out the game in four innings, to the run-rule. Tournament run rules are 15 after three innings, 10 after four and eight runs after five frames.

The Brakettes will take on the Stratford Seahawks at 12 noon Saturday in a WMS Winners Bracket Semifinal at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field.

All WMS Tournament games at DeLuca Field are live video webcast on brakettes.com.