Heat Return Home, Face Second Place Brakettes
July 19, 2006 - National Pro Fastpitch (NPF)
Arizona Heat News Release
Tucson, AZ - The Arizona Heat return home this weekend to face the second place Connecticut Brakettes at Hi Corbett Field. The four game series will begin on Thursday night and finish Sunday evening, with all games starting at 7:00 pm.
The Heat have twenty games left on the 2006 schedule, and find themselves in sixth place. The team dropped all four games to the Chicago Bandits this past week to fall to 11-17 on the season. The Heat play twelve of the final twenty games at home, so a playoff push is not out of the question with the fourth place New England Riptide sitting at just 12-10.
The expansion Connecticut Brakettes make their first trip to Tucson in their first season of professional softball. The Brakettes have been a staple of the softball world for the past seven decades. Their history and success in the sport is unparalleled. For the first fifty-eight years of their existence, the Brakettes have been an amateur team, picking up 26 national championships. However, the team made the move to the professional ranks this season and responded with a 16-7 record thus far, including a sweep over the Texas Thunder last weekend.
Connecticut is led by their pitching staff which boasts a trio of stellar pitchers. Sarah Pauly, the youngest of the group leads the staff with a 9-3 record and a 1.31 ERA. Nikki Myers and Kaci Clark returned to the Brakettes after playing for the team in years past. They have combined on a 7-4 record this season. The offense is led by three former US National Team players. Kellie Wilkerson, Kelly Kretschman and Jessica Merchant are all former national team players who have paced the Connecticut offense all season long. Kretschman and Merchant are both hitting over .380, while Wilkerson leads the team with 14 RBIs.
The Heat will be running a variety of promotions this weekend.
This weekend is Northwest Medical Center Healthy Women's Initiative Weekend. The Arizona Heat and NMC are teaming up to raise awareness and make Tucson a happier and healthier place.
Thursday is Blimpie's Family Night, with discount admission vouchers available for pickup.
Friday is Quik Mart Family Night, with all 28 locations having special discount coupons available.
Sunday is also Library Night; local youth will be rewarded for their summer reading with a free ticket from their local library.
Regular Game Day Ticket Prices: $10 Box Seats, $5 General Admission, $4 Military (with ID, Senior and Junior (Ages 6-17) Children under 5 are free
All games will be broadcast on www.azstarnet.com
National Pro Fastpitch Stories from July 19, 2006
- Thunder defeat Akron Racers 2-0 at big league dreams - Rockford Thunder
- Riptide overcome Chinese in bottom of seventh - New England Riptide
- Listen to the Thunder Live - Rockford Thunder
- Heat Return Home, Face Second Place Brakettes - Arizona Heat
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