The Junior Major League Braves, sponsored by Eli’s Tavern in Milford, took a 6-0 record on the road to face Stratford this past weekend at the recently refurbished Clover Park baseball fields.
Stratford’s Clover Park has been dedicated to the lasting memory of Victoria Soto, who was so tragically lost in Newtown in 2012.
The 9U Minor Division Braves started Anthony Brassel on the pitching mound for the first time this season and he delivered a strong performance.
The Braves took a lead in the first when Jack Sellman drove home Ryan Samson (single) and Kian McEnerny (walk) with a two-out run-scoring double.
Brassel got out of a bases loaded jam in the second with three strikeouts.
With a 2-0 lead, McEnery relieved Brassel in the third to face the top of the Stratford order and retired the side in order on eight pitches with two strikeouts.
The Braves added a run in the bottom of the third inning when Brassels’ sacrifice fly scored Devin Calvin, who had singled.
Samson led off the fourth inning with another single prior to McEnerny stepping to the plate. On the first pitch of the at bat, McEnerny turned on an inside fastball and drove it over the left center field fence for his first home run of the season.
The homer cleared the 177-foot fence on a line extending the Braves lead to 5-0.
The Braves tacked on one more run in the inning when Ben Kraft showed some savvy base running by stealing second and third after reaching base safely on a dropped third strike.
Cal Wrigley plated him with an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0.
Stratford put together a rally in the bottom of the fourth inning, sending nine hitters to the plate and scoring three runs to cut the lead in half.
The Braves responded in the top of the fifth when Johann Chen worked a one-out walk, stole two bases and scored on Brassel’s second sacrifice RBI of the game.
Samson took the mound in the bottom of the fifth, and after giving up a lead-off walk, quelled any Stratford comeback by striking out the next two batters and inducing a comebacker to the mound for the third and final out.
The game was called due to the two-hour time limit and the Braves escaped with a 8-3 win and extended their season record to 7-0.