By Tim Parry
You think it’s easy reaching 20-0? Tell that to the Stratford Brakettes. It trailed in both ends of its Friday doubleheader against the pesky Stratford Seahawks before pulling away for 4-1 and 6-2 wins.

The Seahawks went up 1-0 in the third inning of the opener after a double by Sarah Gates, who was sacrificed to third on a bunt by Jen Michaels, and scored on a double up the middle by Christine Bourdeau.

The Brakettes got the runs back in the bottom of the inning. Mandie Fischback bunted her way to first, and Whitney Mollica followed with a homer to left center. Jessica Mouse made it back-to-back shots with a homer off Seahawks starter Bren Gleason.

Brandice Balschmiter got her seventh win on the mound with a 13 strikeout performance.

In game two, the Seahawks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning Michelle Libby doubled and scored on Kim Church’s sacrifice bunt and a Mollica throwing error. Jenn Rickel’s sac bunt, a comebacker by Michaels, and Lindsay Kinnel’s RBI single accounted for the second run off Brakettes starter Bailey Sanders.

But Mollica led off the home half of the second with a homer to left. And with two outs, Ashley Waters drilled a double to right center, and scored on Amber Radomski’s single to center for a 2-2 tie.

The last time the Brakettes trailed in both games of a doubleheader? According to the record books, it was July 1, 2006.

The death of the Stratford Brakettes has been highly exaggerated. In fact, the Brakettes are again on top of the ASA world, off to an 18-0 start thanks to a weekend sweep over the Outten (PA) Trailblazers.

Even more impressive - the Brakettes have given up just five runs this season, and no more than one per game.

In the second game of the Sunday doubleheader, Leslie Malerich put her name in the storied franchise’s record book. She threw her third straight perfect game, and now has a streak of 23-plus perfect innings. The three-game perfect streak ties the Brakettes’ all-time record of consecutive perfect games, as she matches the mark set by Kathy Arendsen, Lisa Fernandez, and Michelle Collins.

And Malerich, who pitches for the Italian national leam, doesn’t even have the best ERA on the staff. Here’s the 2008 team pitching stats to date:

And the hitting isn’t too shabby either: Whitney Mollica is leading the way with a .551 batting average and has three homers and 14 RBIs.

The Brakettes host the Stratford Seahawks for a double-header 7 p.m. Friday at DeLuca Field.