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Sunday Morning
Brakettes Close out Rock Gold with 6-2 Win
 June 5 - The Stratford Brakettes defeated the Rock Gold, 6-2, on Sunday morning at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field, ending the Opening Weekend series with a 4-1 record. With just a rare single game scheduled for the day, greater importance was attached to the final contest of the series, especially with the Brakettes looking to rebound from a 12-1 loss the night before.
Brandice Balschmiter (photo) (3-0) was strong throughout the matchup, and took a shutout into the seventh inning. She struck out seven and gave up one earned run on seven hits.
Denise Denis continued her torrid start, going 2-for-3, with her first home run of 2017 and three runs batted in. She also scored twice and stole a pair of bases.
Stratford got the bats going in the bottom of the second, when Hannah Cooper led off with a bloop single to centerfield. Jolie Duffner came in to run for Cooper and scored on a triple by Lauren Pitney. Amber Radomski followed and sent Pitney home with a single to left, giving the Brakettes a 2-0 edge.
Denis helped manufacture another run in the third, when she led off with a walk and stole second base. The throw to second sailed high, allowing Denis to cruise into third. Duffner followed and delivered a liner to left-center, scoring Denis for a 3-0 lead.
 Denis smashed a solo shot (photo) in the home fifth to stretch the advantage to 4-0.
Britt Lampert started another rally in the bottom of the sixth, drawing a one-out walk and moving on a bunt single by Val Suto. Alexis Bazos reached base on a fielder's choice, which initially saw Lampert called out at third on a 6-5 forceout. However, the umpires huddled after the play and determined that Lampert had been obstructed on her way to third, so the bases were left loaded for Denis.
Once again, the Brakettes' longest-tenured veteran came through, driving a single to right to score two more runs for a commanding 6-0 margin.
Zoey Jones reached in the top of the seventh on a throwing error, the only miscue of the day for the Brakettes. Emma Ritter responded with a two-run home run, pulling the Rock Gold within 6-2.
Balschmiter allowed a pair of singles after the homer, but slammed the door shut on the rally by tallying strikeouts for the last two outs of the game.
Mackensie Compton contributed two hits for the Rock Gold, while Radomski joined Denis as the only Brakettes with multiple hits.
The Brakettes will travel to Lyons, Pennsylvania next weekend to play in the Cornfield Classic at the Lyons Ballfield. All of the Brakettes' Cornfield Classic tournament games on Field 1 will be live video webcast at www.brakettes.com.
The next game at home at DeLuca Field in Stratford, CT will be on Thursday night, June 15th at 6:30 against the Connecticut High School All-Stars. The nine-inning matchup will pit the Brakettes against top graduating high school seniors from around the state.
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10AM Sunday morning, June 4th
vs. Rock Gold (PA) |
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| ROCK GOLD |
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| BRAKETTES |
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Batteries: Rock Gold- Madison Clark (L), Ashley Worrell (4) and Alyssa Catron; Brakettes- Brandice Balschmiter (W, 3-0) and Hannah Cooper
Homerun: Rock Gold- Emma Ritter; Brakettes- Denise Denis (1) |
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