Brakettes hosting high school all-stars

STRATFORD — The Stratford Brakettes begin an extended homestand tonight at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field against the Connecticut High School all-stars.

“It’s always a fun time playing against the top high school players in the state,” Stratford manager John Stratton said. “As a matter of fact, some of them have ended up playing for the Brakettes the next year.”

Last year’s two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, Abby Abramson, of Cheshire, is now one of the six pitchers in the Brakettes’ rotation. UConn starting shortstop Briana Marcelino, a graduate of 2017 state champion Barlow, will make her season debut for Stratford tonight.

Shelton’s Brittany Lampert will also see her first action after missing the first two weeks because of work commitments. Thursday night’s game will also be the first appearances for assistant coach Amber Radomski, who retired after her 13-year player career, and associate head coach Kristine Drust, the ex-Brakettes outfielder and current Cheshire High head coach.

Stratton will utilize the pitching talents of Ansonia’s Nicole Williams, who was 11-1 last year, Shelton’s Kaysee Talcik (6-1 in 2017), and newcomer Ali Dubois, the Patriot League Pitcher and Rookie of the Year at Boston University.

Coaching the all-stars will be Westhill coach Tom Pia. The team will feature several former area standouts, including Masuk’s Erica Pullen and Alexa Bacoulis, Trumbull’s Deliha DeStefano, Norwalk’s Katie Sciglimpaglia and Dina DiBlasio, Lauralton Hall’s Emma Larke, Amity’s Nicole Koshes and Brooke Matyasovsky, ND-Fairfield’s Lucy Grant and St. Joseph’s Hannah Hutchinson.

The Brakettes will enter Thursday’s game with a 6-1 record. Stratford reached the championship game of last weekend’s Cornfield Classic in Lyons (Pa.), but when it was rained out, The Pegasus of Lancaster (Pa.) was declared champion based on its higher seed and a 3-0 pool play win over the Brakettes.

Gates to DeLuca Field will open at 5:45 Thursday with the nine-inning game against the Connecticut High school all-stars beginning at 6:30. Season passes will be on sale in addition to tickets for the Brakettes Battle of the Sexes V against the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League, scheduled for July 15 at New Britain Stadium.

The Brakettes continue their homestand against the Ridgefield Rebels, an 18 Gold team, on Friday in another nine-inning game at 6:30 followed by a Saturday doubleheader against Team Connecticut, beginning at 7.