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Saturday Night
Brakettes Power to Two Run-Rule Victories over Chill
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| Caroline Wasco of the Maryland Chill is out trying to score on a wild pitch in the third inning of game 1. Pitcher Nicole Williams applies the tag after receiving toss from catcher Megan Hodgdon. |
July 8 - The Stratford Brakettes muscled their way to a pair of five-inning, mercy rule wins over the Maryland Chill on Saturday night at DeLuca Field, 12-1 and 12-3. Alex Heinen smashed homers in both games of the twinbill, while Megan Hodgdon and Lauren Pitney each added a long ball on the night.
Val Suto started the offensive onslaught early with a leadoff, infield single in the first. Theresa Kane also reached on an infield hit, and an error on the play sent Suto all the way around to score. Kane advanced to second on the miscue, and later came home on a two-out double to right by Heinen for a 2-0 lead. Pitney followed and laced a double to right to plate Heinen, extending the margin to 3-0.
Reilly Vicendese doubled to left for the Chill with one out in the second, and took third on a single by Jessie Smith. A wild pitch allowed Vicendese to score, pulling Maryland to within 3-1.
The Brakettes exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the third, as they sent eleven batters to the plate and smacked eight hits, including three doubles and a duo of home runs.
Suto again set the table for the rally when she led off and beat out an infield single. Kane came up and hit a double to score Suto and make it a 4-1 game. Jolie Duffner reached on an infield single with one out, sending Kane to third.
Heinen broke the game open with a three-run shot to center, her ninth of the season. The blast stretched the lead to 7-1, but the Brakettes were not finished yet.
Pitney drilled a ground-rule double and came home on a base hit by Gabby Laccona for an 8-1 lead. Laccona moved to second on an error and was plated by a double down the line in left by Casey Harding, giving Stratford a 9-1 advantage.
Megan Hodgdon followed and crushed a two-run homer to stretch the lead to 11-1. The next two batters were retired to bring the inning to a close, but not before the Brakettes had put it out of reach.
Denise Denis doubled to right in the fourth and advanced on a fly out to center, before dashing home on a wild pitch, closing out the scoring at 12-1.
Nicole Williams worked the first four innings for the Brakettes to earn her first win of the season. She struck out one and scattered four hits.
Kaycee Talcik came on in relief to get the last three outs in the fifth, striking out two and closing out the win for the Brakettes.
Recent Granby H.S. graduate Kari Marks (1-0) made her pitching debut for the Brakettes in the late game and earned the win. She struck out three in the game and allowed four hits.
Suto led off in the bottom of the first of the late game and picked up another base hit, her third of the night. She stole second and went to third on a groundout, and then scored for a 1-0 edge on a double to left by Duffner.
The Chill fought back and took the lead in the second inning, with Meghan Holquist leading off with a single to left. Vicendese reached on an error, which pushed Holquist up to second. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, a fielder's choice grounder by Marissa Heuer allowed Holquist to scamper home and tie the game at 1-1.
Vicendese reached third base on the fielder's choice, and then raced home on a wild pitch, which also advanced Heuer up a bag. Jamie Carmichael followed and singled, and when the ball was misplayed in left field, Heuer ran home for a 3-1 lead for the Chill.
Pitney led off the bottom of the second with a solo shot for Stratford, her fifth home run of the year.
Chill hurler Alanna Molz retired the next three batters to hold onto a slim 3-2 Maryland lead.
Heather Holly started off the third with a single up the middle and was pinch-run for by Hodgdon. Kane reached on an error and pushed Hodgdon over to second. Denis followed with a double, scoring Hodgdon to tie the game at 3-3, while sending Kane to third.
Duffner was up next and came through with a single to bring in Kane and send Denis to third. The tally regained the lead for the Brakettes, who then picked up two more runs on a double by Pitney with two outs. The two-bagger was the fourth extra-base hit of the night for Pitney.
With a 6-3 lead and two outs in the third, the Brakettes kept the pedal to the medal. Pitney raced to third as Laccona reached on an error, and scored on a single to left by Casey Harding for a 7-3 score. Laccona moved up on the base hit, and Sam Rodriguez reached on a single and loaded the bases.
Holly singled to right field to bring home two more runs, pushing the margin to 9-3.
Brandice Balschmiter came on in relief in the fourth and kept the Chill off the board the rest of the way, striking out three in two innings.
Kane worked a leadoff walk in the fourth inning and moved up on a single by Duffner. Heinen followed with a three-run homer, her tenth of the season, and closed out the scoring at 12-3.
The Brakettes and Maryland Chill will play a single game on Sunday morning at 10:00 at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford, CT.
All 2018 Brakettes games are live video webcast on www.brakettes.com.
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| Saturday, July 7th vs. Maryland Chill |
| First Game, 7:00 PM |
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Second Game |
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Batteries: Chill- Marissa Heuer and Meghan Holquist; Brakettes- Nicole Williams (W, 1-0), Kaysee Talcik (5) and Megan Hodgdon
Homerun: Brakettes- Alex Heinen (8), Megan Hodgdon (1) |
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Batteries: Chill- Alanna Molz (L), Chloe Sharman (3) and Meghan Holquist; Brakettes- Kari Marks (W, 1-0), Brandice Balschmiter (4) and Alex Heinen
Homerun: Brakettes- Lauren Pitney (5), Alex Heinen (9) |
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