WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny.
The Brakettes are riding a 4-game winning streak for their second series with the Bandits, after defeating the Philadelphia Force 6-1 Sunday in pitcher Kaci Clark’s last game as a Brakette. Clark the stylish little right-hander, shown firing to Sarah Fekete of the Force Sunday afternoon has been a fixture in the Brakette circle before the club joined the National Pro Fastpitch league this year, announced her retirement after a decade of beind perhaps the leading professional and amateur pitcher in fastpitch softball. Photo, WPCNR Sports.
Sunday afternoon’s twilight contest showed Kaci Clark at her best, easing out of Force threats in the 1st, catching the Force’s Big Boppette, Jenna Hall looking to strand Carrie Leto at second; in the third when with three straight singles by Sarah Fekete, Leto and Chelsea Spencer, she struck out Hall swinging for out number two and induced the hard-hitting Ryan Realmuto to ground to short.
Meanwhile the Brakettes scored in the second when Aimee Minor, who had walked scored from second on an error by Force Shortstop Spencer. VanBrakle, the Force right hander matched
In the fifth, VanBrakle faltered. Team
That brought up Aimee Minor the DP. Minor worked the count to 1-1 and hit a slow roller to the right of second baser, Carrie Leto. The ball had eyes and a lot of English worming it’s way past Leto on a crazy roll into right, a hit! The Force’s rightfielder, trying to head off Fairchild at third overthrew third, allowing Germaine to score and it was 3-1,
The runs stoked Kaci Clark who finished off the Force without incident in the sixth and seventh, fanning the last two hitters. In the bottom of the sixth, Kellie Wilkerson launched a three run homer to set the stage for tonight’s showdown with the Bandits in
Clark (who is only 5-3) is an inspiration to many young ladies who want to pitch. Kaci taught and demonstrated pitching in the Brakettes clinics held at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field and
In the circle, she was stylish, with a compact, exploding motion like a right-handed Whitey Ford (if Whitey pitched windmill). She affected white and red pony tail ribbons while she dazzled hitters with a battery of pitches: curve, drop, change, fastball, riseball (her most effective pitch). Girls wanted to be like her and pitch like her, and most importantly, watching her, they believed they could.
At the conclusion of the game Sunday afternoon in a glorious setting sun,
“ I thank the Brakettes and our sponsors Dave and Dotty Carpenter for giving me the chance to be a part of Brakette history. I still remember watching my first Brakettes game as an eighteen year old. Seening Dot Richardson, Sheila Cornell, Lisa Fernandez, and Barbara Reinalda on the field made me wonder if they made Brakette uniforms small enough for me. Finally after the last pro league folded, I got my chance to be a Brakette.”
The crowd gave her a standing ovation. In recent years, Kaci has pitched for the New York New Jersey Juggernaut in the NPF, and returned to the Brakettes this year. It is fitting as the Brakettes turned professional that Kaci helped lead them to their present 23-12 mark in the NPF as they begin their series with the Bandits tonight.
John Stratton, Manager, Connecticut Brakettes.
Photo, Connecticut Brakettes.
John Stratton, Brakette manger said of Kaci coming to the Brakettes in 2002, on the www.ctbrakettes.com, that “Kaci came in and added that charisma, that presence which put us over the top. I love this kid,” this year, he said, “She helped us make the transition from ASA ball to the NPF easier. She’s a consummate pro, and we’ll miss her.”
Not Too Shabby a Debut In June
The Brakettes with two weeks remaining in the season have a record of 23-12 and are 0-2 against
The Bandits, delayed on a flight from Chicago on June 22 took the field warmed up quickly and spotted the Brakettes a 2-0 lead. The lead was manufactured on an error by the Bandit shortstop Jaime Clark after the Brakettes loaded the bases on a single by Steph Best, and two passes by Jessica Sallinger. Stephanie Hill’s grounder to Shortstop Jaime Clark produced a wild throw from Clark and the first baser Chris Enea threw wildly to the plate allowing Jessica Merchant to score, too for a 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Kaci Clark pressed into service when the Brakette starter Sarah Pauly could not take her turn due to an eye injury help the cruel Bandit bats at bay for 4 innings stranding two Bandits in the second, and another in the third.
In the fifth the Bandits struck for a fast 3 runs to take the lead, Anne Steffen lead off with a single to deep short, the Team USA third base wizard, Vicky Galindo singled again deep in the hole, after Clark fanned Trina Peel, and wild pitched Steffan and Galindo to second and third, Jaime Clark ripped a humpback liner to right center to plate Steffan. Then Kaci uncorked a wild pitch to score Galindo, and move
The Bandits broke it open in the sixth when second baser Stacy May singled.
The next night Sarah Pauly took her regular turn and ran into the old reliable Juggernaut, Gina Oaks who shut the Brakettes out – no easy feat – on a one-hitter – fooling them with her offspeed pitches. Oaks pitches a lot like Lew Burdette, the old Braves right hander who won 3 games in the 1957 World Series, inducing lots of ground balls.
Tonight the Brakettes may see Amy Harre the Bandits’ top winner with a 10-1 record with a 1.01 ERA in 97 innings pitched. She is backed by Jessica Sallinger and Oaks who each have 6-3 records.
The Bandits feature a Murderesses’ Row of hitters with 6 hitting over .300 – and that’s saying something in this league where they face the best pitching in softball. Proof of that statement is how many of the Team USA players who play in the NPF destroyed the opposition in the recent World Cup.
The Bandits come at you with Anne Steffan, hitting .437 at second base; the Team USA Champ at third, Vicky Galindo who’s hitting at .354 clip, and second sacker, Stacy May, checking in with a .349 average.
Selena Collins the catcher is at a not-too-shabby .314, with Jaime Clark the big RBI-Ette with 30 Ribbies and a .309 average and 4 solo shots.
Brakettes Round into Form.
The Connecticut Brakettes are lead by their TEAM USA Leadoff masher, Kelly Kretschman hitting .407 and their shortstop, the rangy Michigan Clipper, Jessica Merchant clipping along at .367 with 22 RBIs and 9 homers. Kelly Wilkerson the trusty first baser is second in RBIS with 18 and Germaine Fairchild, the catcher has 17.
Aimee Minor is the next most consistent hitter on the club with a .271 average with Stephanie Best the second baser at .269.
Pauly has been the Brakettes’ Number 1 pitcher with a 12-4 record and the fiery Myers 7-3. A split with the Bandits or better taking 3 of 4 at the Bandits’ field at Benedictine University on the North Side would be good positioning for the NPF playoffs which will be held in Stratford, Connecticut with the Brakettes the Host Team.
Brakettes Pro Fast Pitch Playoff Tickets on
Tickets went on sale this week for those National Pro Fast Pitch Playoffs that will begin Saturday August 26 and wrapup with the Championship Game Sunday August 27 at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field. Saturday the two semi-finals will be played at
Tickets for all three games are $15 each for box seats, $12 for Reserve and $9 Bleacher Tickets are now on sale through August 25.
Single game admission prices on the days of the Games are $10, $8 and $6 respectively.
Fans may order tickets by contacting the Connecticut Brakettes at 203-378-7262 or by e-mail at [email protected], or by mail order. The Brakettes Box Office is located at
Rain Plagued Season.
In a season plagued by rainouts, causing a disparity of games played between the clubs, the Brakettes have done well against established opposition. At this stage of the NPF season, the Bandits lead the league with the surprise team of the season, the New England Riptide, in second place 3-1/2 games out, the Brakettes are 3 out and last year’s champs, the Akron Racers five games out. Those four teams will make the playoffs. Last year
The Brakettes return home to Frank DeLuca Field for four games with Team
The National Pro Fast Pitch Standings
CONNECTICUT BRAKETTES 25 14 .641 2-1/2
So long kids. Kaci Clark, pitching for the NPF Champion NY-NJ Juggernaut in 2004, when they won it all, when she formed the pitching staff with Amanda Scott and Gina Oaks. Photo, Courtesy, NY-NJ Juggernaut.