STRATFORD—The Stratford Brakettes are back on top.
The Brakettes came from out of the loser’s bracket to sweep Pennsylvania-based Stripes & Strikes on Sunday to win the 17th annual Women’s Major Softball Championship Tournament at DeLuca Field on Sunday.
Stratford defeated S&S 6-1 to force the “if game” which the Brakettes won 3-2 to clinch the championship.
It was the Brakettes first WMS championship since 2022. The team has now won 13 of the 17 tournaments since 2009.
In the first game of the championship series, Kat Gallant (Monroe/Villanova) and Anna Gedacht (Fairfield/Merrimack) combined on a two-hitter to force the if-necessary game. Katie Sciglimpaglia (Norwalk/St. Peter’s) and Kylee McLain (Bethany/Monmouth) both had home runs for the Brakettes, as well.
In the deciding game, Stripes & Strikes scored twice in the top of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead, but the Brakettes answered two runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth to answer.
After holding S&S scoreless in the seventh, the Brakettes were once again WMS champs.
Gallant went the distance for Stratford, scattering five hits along the way. Morgan Tainter (Gilman/Husson University) and Chelsea Villar (Fairfield/Hofstra) both homered for the Brakettes in the game.
On Saturday, the Junior Brakettes actually knocked the Brakettes into the loser’s bracket with an 8-0 win as Karissa Spring (Cheshire/Manhattan) scattered five hits, Zoe Monschein (Norwalk via Greens Farms Academy/Cal-Berkeley) went 3-for-4 with a double and Hannah Irons (Plainfield/U-New England) added a home run.
The Junior Brakettes would later be pushed into the loser’s brackets by the Stripes & Strikes squad and eliminated by the Brakettes to finish third overall.
For the Brakettes, they answered their initial loss by walking off CJ Lightning by a 6-5 score with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Gallant got the win.
That set up a rematch with the Junior Brakettes on Sunday morning as Molly Lennon (Litchfield via Kent School/Wesleyan) homer and Gallant and Gedacht combined for the shutout, scattering four hits.
All told this summer season, the Brakettes went 27-4 while the Junior Brakettes posted a 17-10-1 mark.
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