The CT Softball Blog

STRATFORD—For 80 years, generations of softball players have proudly represented the Stratford Brakettes.

This weekend, many of them will do so once again.

One of the most successful and recognizable franchises in the history of women’s fastpitch softball will celebrate its 80th Reunion Weekend Friday through Sunday at DeLuca Hall of Fame Field, bringing together former players from across eight decades to honor a tradition that has helped shape the sport both in Connecticut and across the country.

The weekend isn’t simply about looking back.

It’s about celebrating the women who built one of softball’s iconic organizations while recognizing that the Brakettes’ story is still being written.

Festivities begin Friday evening with alumnae check-in before a welcome ceremony at 5:30 p.m. The current Brakettes will then host the Connecticut Rebels in a doubleheader beginning at 6 p.m., giving former players an opportunity to reconnect while watching the next generation continue the organization’s winning tradition.

Saturday’s schedule includes an alumnae luncheon, a home run derby, introductions of former players, the annual Brakettes Hall of Fame induction ceremony and a game between the Stratford Brakettes and Junior Brakettes before the weekend concludes Sunday morning with an alumnae brunch.

The reunion comes during another milestone season for the organization.

Earlier this summer, the Brakettes opened their 80th consecutive season, and later this year the franchise will become the first women’s fastpitch softball team ever inducted into the USA Softball Hall of Fame as an organization. Only two other teams in the history of the sport have received that honor.

While the reunion celebrates the past, the current Brakettes have given fans plenty to celebrate in the present.

Manager Lauren Pitney returns for her fourth season at the helm after leading Stratford to its 13th Women’s Major Softball National Championship last summer. The title run included five consecutive elimination-game victories in less than 24 hours, adding yet another unforgettable chapter to the franchise’s already remarkable history.

This year’s roster once again features a blend of veteran talent and some of the region’s top collegiate players.

Among those returning is former Masuk standout Julia Bacoulis, who enjoyed an outstanding freshman season at Florida Gulf Coast University, leading the Eagles in strikeouts. She has since transferred to the University of Kentucky, allowing another SEC player to be part of Brakettes’ history.

Pitcher Anna Gedacht (Merrimack/Fairfield) returns after posting a 17-2 record during her first two seasons with Stratford, while veteran captain Katie Sciglimpaglia of Norwalk enters her seventh season with the Brakettes after first joining the organization through the Junior Brakettes program in 2019.

Also back are Women’s Major Softball All-Americans Molly Lennon and Chelsea Villar, giving Stratford another experienced nucleus as it pursues another national championship this summer.

As impressive as the current roster may be, this weekend belongs to the women who helped make the Brakettes what they are today.

For three days, former teammates will swap stories, reconnect with lifelong friends and celebrate a franchise that has stood the test of time.

Eighty years after the Brakettes first took the field, their greatest accomplishment may not be measured by championships or trophies, but by the generations of players who are still proud to call themselves Brakettes.

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