STRATFORD, Conn. — Two current LSU softball players and one former Tiger helped the Stratford Brakettes capture their 27th Amateur Softball Association Women’s Major National Championship with a 7-3 win over the Southern California Sliders on Sunday in Amherst, N.Y.
Junior catcher to be Killian Roessner was named a first-team All-American as part of the Brakettes after earning second-team All-America honors for the renowned amateur team last summer. In addition to Roessner, sophomore pitcher to be Dani Hofer and former Tiger Lauren Castle were members of the 18-player team that went undefeated in the tournament.
This is the second ASA Women’s National Championship for Roessner with the Brakettes, who also helped guide the team to the 2004 National Championship. The Manasquan, N.J., native hit .500 for the season with seven doubles, four triples and five home runs with a team-best 37 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
Castle hit .459 for the summer with six doubles, three triples and three home runs. In addition, the former Easton All-American had 27 RBIs and 34 runs scored. Hofer was 18-1 in the circle with a 0.63 earned run average and 124 strikeouts.
The four-day tournament featured 14 teams from around the nation. The Brakettes allowed only one run in their first four tournament games, outscoring opponents, 33-1. Hofer earned the decisive win with a 1-0 complete-game win over the St. Louis Saints while striking out six.
A 6-5 eight-inning win over the Southern California Sliders kept the Brakettes in the winner’s bracket. Hofer came on in the fourth and earned the win, giving up just one earned run. After a 6-0 win over Storm USA, the Brakettes earned the National Championship with a 7-3 win over the Sliders.
The Brakettes had 12 new players this summer after all but five players moved on to the Connecticut Brakettes team in the National Pro Fast Pitch League, which includes former Tiger Stephanie Hill.
The LSU softball team will take the field for the Fall Collegiate Classic on Saturday, Oct. 28 and Sunday, Oct. 29. The Tigers will take on Southern, Hinds Community College, LSU-Eunice and Southeastern Louisiana in the two-day tournament at Tiger Park.
ASA All- America First Team
Pos.
Name
Team
College
1B
Kali Shirk
Storm USA
UM-Baltimore Co.
2B
Jenna Macchi
Brakettes
Boston College
3B
Whitney Mollica
Brakettes
UMass
SS
Amanda Kamekona
Sliders
CS-Fullerton
OF
Lovena Chaput
Brakettes
Oregon
OF
Gina Carbonatto
Storm USA
Pacific
OF
Katie Cochran
Sliders
Arizona St.
OF
Lisa Modglin
Sliders
Cal Poly
UT
Michelle Smith
Sliders
Stanford
UT
Natalie Peters
St. Louis Saints
Belleville (East) HS
UT
Brakettes
LSU
C
Crystal Krebs
Storm USA
UC-Colorado Springs
P
Lorilyn Wilson
Sliders
Michigan
P
Brooke Baker
St. Louis Saints
Purdue
P
Candice Baker
Brakettes.
CS-Fullerton
ASA All- America Second Team
1B
DeAnn Young
Sliders
Oregon St.
2B
Christa Gammon
St. Louis Saints
Belleville (East) HS
3B
Dawn Setter
Amherst Lightning Kulwicki
St. Bonaventure
SS
Toni Difillipo
Topton VIPs
OF
Nicole Willats
Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo St.
OF
Hayle Guess
Brakettes
Mississippi St.
OF
Kristie Morcrette
Topton VIPs
OF
Elizabeth Gall
Topton VIPs
Maryland
UT
Miranda Ervin
Amherst Lightning Kulwicki
NC State
UT
Jackie Marten
St. Louis Saints
Belleville (East) HS
UT
Nikki Thompson
Buffalo Bisons
Hartford
C
Tessa Paolini
Amherst Lightning Kulwicki
Canisius
P
Courtney Piar
Amherst Lightning Kulwicki
Canisius
P
Stacey Denlinger
Topton VIPs
Kutztown
P
Chrissy Owens
Brakettes
Alabama