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BRAKETTES OPEN SEASON AGAINST LYONS SPIRIT SATURDAY
 May 28 - The Stratford Brakettes open the 2018 season against the same team they closed the 2017 season when the Lyons, PA, Spirit visit Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field for a pair of doubleheaders, 7 o'clock Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
When these two long-time rivals met last August 12 it was in the loser's bracket of the ninth annual Women's Major Fastpitch National Championship tournament and the Spirit came away with a 5-4 victory. In posting six earlier wins over the Spirit last year, the Brakettes pitching staff allowed only one run. However, in the WMS the Spirit jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never looked back in eliminating the Brakettes and denying them the chance for an eighth straight national title.
Gates to DeLuca Field will open at 5:45 p.m. The Coastal Chordsmen will be on hand to sing the National Anthem prior to the first game.
Manager John Stratton will be assisted by Kristine Botto Drust, who is also the head coach at Cheshire High School, and Amber Radomski, who has retired as an active player after 12 years with the Brakettes.
While there are 13 members of last year's 40-5 ballclub returning, a key loss is pitcher/infielder Tatum Buckley, the recent Florida Atlantic University standout. She will be playing in Europe this summer.
“We've got some really talented newcomers,” said Stratton, who has led the Brakettes to 12 national championships. “We have 13 players still in college and many of them have internships connected to their academic majors in the summer, which means we will be missing some players every week. It will be like a big puzzle trying to figure out who is here and who is not. But, we'll manage it.”
Leading a talented pitching staff will be 12-year veteran Brandice Balschmiter (14-2, 0.92 ERA) who is sixth in all-time wins, trailing Donna Lopiano (183-18). Also back from last year's squad are UMass Lowell's Kaysee Talcik (6-1) of Shelton, Ansonia's Nicole Williams (11-1) of Manhattan College, and Cheshire's Abby Abramson (6-0) of UPenn. Joining them will be Boston University's standout frosh Ali DuBois (28-8) of Torrington, who led ex-Brakette star Ashley Water's team to the NCAA softball tournament. The other newcomer is Seymour's Raeanne Geffert, who notched an 18-12 record for Bucknell, the Patriot League runners-up to BU.
Returning players are infielders Jolie Duffner (.407, 54 RBI) of Florida Atlantic, BU's Brittany Younan (.522), Cheshire's Casey Harding (.343) of UMass Lowell, Ansonia's Lauren Pitney (.364) of Manhattan, and Stamford's Gabby Laccona (.304) of Ithaca. Headlining the returning outfielders are Denise Denis (.439), the Brakettes all-time home run leader, Val Suto (.422) and Brittany Lampert (.333) of Shelton, while catcher Meghan Hodgdon of Cheshire and Eastern Connecticut is also back.
Newcomers include catcher Samantha Rodriguez of Brooklyn College, UConn shortstop Briana Marcelino of Easton, Georgetown grad Theresa Kane of Mystic, Bridgeport's Jackie Brewster of Holy Cross/Lauralton Hall, catcher Alex Heinen, the Patriot League's Player of the Year at BU, and Hopkinton, MA, scholastic standout Heather Holly.
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