|
|
JOLIE DUFFNER LEADS BRAKETTES INTO ACTION
 June 20 - Jolie Duffner will lead the Stratford Brakettes into action Thursday at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field when the Connecticut Eliminators 23U ballclub provides the opposition in a 7 p.m. doubleheader.
Duffner, a redshirt sophomore at Florida Atlantic University, found a hitting groove at the end of the Owls collegiate season. She hit .295 for legendary coach Joan Joyce as FAU won the regular season title in Conference USA. Eleven games into her second season with the Brakettes, Duffner has continued to improve at the plate.
“I knew she was a great hitter when she played for the St. Louis Saints two years ago,” said Brakettes Manager John Stratton. “When we played the Saints in the Pekin Invitational title we couldn't get her out. I think she had five straight hits against us.”
Playing first and third base thus far, Duffner is the top hitter for the Brakettes with a .563 batting average. She has two doubles and four triples and seven RBI. She also leads the team with 17 runs scored, batting fourth in the order.
Duffner, of Jefferson City, MO, is one of the reasons why No. 5 hitter, first baseman/catcher Alex Heinen, is the team leader with 25 RBI. Last week Heinen drove in 10 runs and hit three home runs against Team Connecticut and she now leads the Brakettes with six home runs. Heinen is hitting .481 on the season. Only Lauren Pitney (.429) and all-time home run leader Denise Denis (.296) have gone yard.
Stratton will send Kaysee Talcik (1-0, 0.00 ERA) of Shelton and UMass-Lowell and Ali DuBois (3-0, 2.00) of Torrington and Boston University to the mound against the Eliminators.
The Brakettes face the Eliminators Alumni Friday and Stratford's XTreme Chaos on Saturday in a pair of 7 p.m. twin-bills. Sunday at 5 p.m. the Brakettes host the Stratford Fire Department team in a nine-inning exhibition for the benefit of the Children's Burn Unit at Bridgeport Hospital. Brakettes pitchers will also pitch for the SFD team.
|
|
