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Tuesday Night
Brakettes Host Pre-WMS Tourney Tune-up, Top St. Louis Saints and Bloomington Lady Hearts
 Aug 9 - The Stratford Brakettes welcomed the best of the Midwest to Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field on Tuesday night and took a game apiece from the St. Louis Saints and Bloomington (Illinois) Lady Hearts, by 8-2 and 8-0 scores. The Saints were in familiar surroundings, having traveled seven times to participate in WMS Nationals in Stratford, CT, but the Lady Hearts came to town for the first time since the old days of ASA Nationals.
Both squads are in town for this weekend's Ninth Annual Women's Major Softball Championship, which touts its best lineup of contenders yet.
The Brakettes and Saints traded scoreless frames to start the early contest, with both teams posting zeroes in the first two innings. After Brakette starter Nicole Williams wiggled out of a jam in the top of the third, Stratford cracked the scoreboard with three runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hannah Cooper led off and drew a walk to start the rally, and was courtesy-run for by Noel Lent. Amber Radomski followed and grounded back to St. Louis starter Bailey Lange, who turned and threw to second to try for the force. The throw was dropped at second base, leaving the Brakettes with two on and no one out. Val Suto sacrificed both runners up a base, bringing Britt Lampert up with runners at second and third.
Lampert came through and lined a single to right-center (photo), plating two runs and giving the Brakettes a 2-0 edge. Denise Denis continued the inning with a single to left, again putting two on for Stratford. Jolie Duffner then worked a walk to load the bases, and Lauren Pitney launched a high flyball to the corner in left. The towering shot glanced off the glove of the leftfielder and fell in for a single, scoring Lampert for a 3-0 margin.
The Saints closed the gap in the top of the fourth, scoring twice to pull within a run.
Sammey Bunch led off with a base hit, and Lange singled with one out, putting two on for St. Louis. After a groundout to second moved both runners into scoring position, Ashley Anderson blooped a single to left to bring home two runs, pulling the Saints to within 3-2.
Lent led off the fourth and singled, then moved up to second on a sac bunt by Cooper. Radomski followed with a single up the middle, and Lent raced home for a 4-2 lead after the ball was bobbled in center.
Denis reached on a base hit to start the home fifth, and promptly stole second base. Duffner lined a double to the fence in right-center, sending Denis home for a 5-2 advantage.
The Brakettes put it out of reach in the bottom of the sixth, as Radomski got things going with a one-out walk. Suto looped a single that hit the line in shallow left, putting two on base for the Brakettes. Lampert also walked, loading the bases with one away.
Denis crushed an opposite-field double to left-center, sending Radomski and Suto home on the play. An errant throw allowed Lampert to come home after initially stopping at third, giving the Brakettes an 8-2 lead.
Kaysee Talcik, who replaced Williams in the sixth inning, retired the side in order in the seventh to secure the victory for the Brakettes. Williams (11-1) went five innings and struck out two and scattered five hits to earn the win.
Courtney Krodinger led the way offensively for the Saints with two hits.
The Brakettes faced off against the Lady Hearts in the nightcap with Tatum Buckley in the circle. Buckley was dominant, striking out eight in six innings of work, while giving up just three hits.
Stratford jumped up early in the bottom of the first, after Suto led off with a walk. Lampert advanced Suto with a sacrifice bunt, putting a runner in scoring position. Denis then clobbered a pitch over the fence in center, putting the Brakettes up 2-0. The long ball was her fifth of the season, tying Pitney for the team lead.
After Buckley and Bloomington starter Alexis Estes both threw scoreless frames in the second, Sarah Finck came on in relief for the Lady Hearts.
Casey Harding gave the Brakettes a little more breathing room when she led off the third with a solo shot to left, extending the margin to 3-0. It was Harding's second home run of the year.
Neither team could muster a score in the fourth or fifth innings, but the Brakettes scored five in the home sixth to close it out early with an 8-0, run-rule victory.
Harding walked to start the big rally and went to second on a passed ball. Lent pinch-hit for Lampert and reached on an error, putting runners at the corners with one out. Lent took off for second after the play seemed to have ended, and easily cruised in with nobody protecting the bag.
Denis lined a single to right, scoring Harding and Lent for a 5-0 score. Denis stole second with two outs, again putting herself in scoring position. A passed ball saw Denis advance to third with Pitney at the plate.
Pitney walked to put runners at the corners, and Gabby Laccona drew another free pass to load the bases for Alexis Bazos.
Bazos delivered a base hit up the middle, sending Denis and Pitney across the plate for a 7-0 tally. Laccona cruised into third on the play, and Bazos pulled into second on the throw.
Buckley (2-0) helped her own cause with a single to right, scoring Laccona for the 8-0 win.
All three squads will start play in the WMS National Championship at DeLuca Field on Thursday, with the Lady Hearts opening the tournament with a 1:00 game against the Connecticut Eliminators. The St. Louis Saints will take on the Nook 23 Gold (PA) at 2:45.
The Brakettes will open tourney play at 6:30 pm against Stripes and Strikes (PA), and will take on the Jersey Fusion at 8:00.
All 2017 WMS Tournament games at DeLuca Field will be live video webcast at brakettes.com.
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Tuesday night, August 8th
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| First Game, 6:30 PM |
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Second Game, 8:30 PM |
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| Batteries: Saints- Baily Lange (L), Payton Staggs (6) and Zayne Blumberg; Brakettes- Nicole Williams (W, 11-1), Kaysee Talcik (5) and Hannah Cooper |
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Batteries: Lady Hearts- Alexis Estes (L), Sarah Finck (3), Ali Domkuski (5) and Hunter Niebrugge, Sidney Bina (4); Brakettes- Tatum Buckley (W, 2-0) and Megan Hodgdon
Homerun: Brakettes- Denise Denis (5), Casey Harding (2) |
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