WPCNR PRESS BOX. June 30, 2006: The Connecticut Brakettes had lost 5 of 6 games after a pair of errors cost them a 2-1 loss to China Tuesday evening, but the Brakettes found their batting eyes and longballed China to three consecutive losses Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in Straftford, Connecticut tting the Brakettes back into second place in the National Pro Fastpitch standings with an 10-5 record, 1 game behind the Chicago Bandits. They took the series Friday night handing China their first three losses in the states, on a three-run homer by Kellie Wilkerson in the 5th inning off China's Li Qi, after Wilkerson had driven in the first Brakette tally in the third with a sacrifice fly. Sarah Pauly won her second of the series against China, running her record to 5-2.

FASTPITCH SUNSET: The Brakettes play their amateur farm club, the Stratford Brakettes in a father-son management clash when Manager John Stratton manages against his son, Jay Stratton in  an old-fashioned twilight-night doubleheader Saturday at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field at 6:05 P.M. For info on upcoming action, go to www.brakettes.com. Photo, WPCNR Sports

Kellie Wilkerson, Germaine Fairchild, Kellie Kretschman and long ball leader Jessica Merchant found their strokes this week.

Germaine Fairchild, the quiet leader of this team, turned around the Brakette slide Wednesday evening and helped give Sarah Pauly the hitting support she needed. After China got off to a 1-0 lead, Fairchild homered to tie the score 1-1 in the second. That's how she stayed with Pauly matching  18 year old Zhou Yin pitch for pitch. In the fifth, Yin walked Kretschman and with two out Kellie Wilkerson got a Baltimore Chop single. Yin fanned Merchant but the pitch was wild going to the backstop and Merchant was safe at first. Apparently Yin lost her poise and with the sacks Braketted, Fairchild worked Yin for a walk to make the score 2-1 and Yin also walked Aimee Minor to make it 3-1. Pauly made the runs stand up and the Brakettes had snapped their losing streak. Kretschman made a great diving catch in centerfield in the seventh to choke off a double and short-circuit a rally.

Thursday night, Jessica Merchant opened the Brakette barrage with a solo homer in the second off Lu Wei. China tied it up in the fourth on three singletons off Nikki Myers, then the Brakettes broke the game open in the last of the fifth.  Wei walked Callie Piper and Kelly Kretschman to start the past of the fifth and surrendered a single to Aimee Minor. Then Kellie Wilkerson came to the plate, worked the count to 3-2 and belted one for a grand slam homer to make the score 5-1. Kelly Kretschman added a two-run shot in the sixth and the Brakettes had given Nikki Myers the runs she needed to avenge Tuesday's rip-your-heart out loss in the seventh when Myers lost 2-1 on two consecutive errors with the bases loaded. Myers is now 4-1.

Friday evening, Kellie Wilkerson continued to wear the China National Team out, driving in all 4 runs.