Stratford’s Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field is hosting the 2019 Women’s Major Softball National Championship, and former local standouts have been a part of it.
Sarah Lawton, a former Holy Cross star pitcher, played for the Stratford Junior Brakettes. Another former Crusader standout, Elizabeth Lombardo, suited up for CT Eliminators 23U. Incoming Bristol Eastern senior Erin Girard played for CT Eliminators 18 Gold.
Of those three teams, only Lombardo’s CT Eliminators 23U squad is still alive in the double elimination tournament. The Eliminators play the winner of this morning’s game between Lyons Spirit and Nook 23 Gold at 11 a.m. The winner of the 11 a.m. game gets the venerable Stratford Brakettes. The 11 a.m. winner will have to beat the Brakettes twice to take the championship.
The CT Eliminators 23U team lost their first game in pool play, 3-1 to the Junior Brakettes. The Eliminators won their second pool play game, 8-3 over the Ridgefield Rebels.
The Eliminators faced a play-in game against the Tanner Pride and won that game 10-9. They won their next double elimination bracket contest, 5-3 against Nook 23 Gold, and Lombardo collected two hits in that victory. The Eliminators faced the Junior Brakettes next and won 4-3. Lombardo reached base three times in that game (two singles and an error) and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning. The Stratford Brakettes hammered the Eliminators 12-0 in the following game, which set up today’s elimination contest.
The Junior Brakettes began pool play with an 11-1 win over the Ridgefield Rebels in four innings. Lawton pitched all four innings and gave up one run on one hit. She struck out nine and walked two.
The Junior Brakettes won their final pool play game, 3-1 over CT Eliminators 23U. They started the double elimination bracket with a 10-1 win over CT Eliminators 18U Gold. Lawton threw 49 of her 64 pitches for strikes over four innings to garner the win. She gave up a run on three hits, struck out nine and walked one.
Lawton pitched nine innings in relief and took the loss in a 4-3, 11-inning defeat against CT Eliminators 23U. She struck out five, walked one and hit a batter. Lawton gave up four runs, but just two were earned. The Junior Brakettes were eliminated from the tournament in their next game, a 3-2 loss to the Lyons Spirit.
Girard pitched in relief in both pool play games for CT Eliminators 18U Gold. The Eliminators lost 6-0 to Lyons Spirit and 6-3 to the Stratford Brakettes. They lost both games in the double elimination bracket as well, 9-1 to the Junior Brakettes and 8-0 to Nook 23 Gold.
Photos: Lombardo headshot courtesy of Roger Williams University. Lawton and Girard headshots from team photos. Lawton top photo Sports on CT-69 file.