STRATFORD — When the United States national team left her off its roster for the summer, Kelly Kretschman collected herself and said she would just look forward to the Connecticut Brakettes season and move on. She hasn't stopped moving forward since. The Brakettes' center fielder will go into the final week of the regular season hitting .400, tops in National Pro Fastpitch. "There's always life beyond USA Softball," Kretschman said. "I love to play. I want to do the best I can no matter where I play, whether it's USA or not."

The Brakettes' leadoff hitter has three home runs and eight doubles. And she has 31 walks, boosting her league-best on-base percentage to .551.

"She takes her rips, and she's a selective hitter," said Brakettes manager John Stratton, who has been following Kretschman's career for about a decade. "She's a quality player, that's all it is."

In 2003, her other Brakettes season, Kretschman hit .636 in 66 at-bats, with 11 walks as well in just a third of a season. Before that, she hit 60 home runs in her collegiate career at Alabama. Kretschman hit .280 last year for Akron, not bad but not up to par. She said the experience, winning the NPF championship, taught her about team play, about having success even when she wasn't hitting. "It's a lot more enjoyable this summer," Kretschman said. She has been a catalyst at the top of the order. Kretschman has either a base hit or a run scored in 23 of the past 27 games. Few expected Kretschman,

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a 2004 Olympic team member, to spend much time in Stratford this summer, but she and Brakettes teammates Jessica Merchant and Kellie Wilkerson were snubbed on June 19. So, Kretschman has just been consistently among the league leaders all season. In Wednesday's 4-1 exhibition victory over Canada at DeLuca Field, Kretschman led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single. She scored on Stephanie Best's single. She also led off the fifth with a single, scoring on Aimee Minor's two-run single. Sarah Pauly struck out eight in a six-hitter.

The teams meet again tonight at 7:05. Friday's scheduled game was cancelled to allow Canada more time to get to Beijing for the World Championship. Kretschman won't be there, but she'll have a chance to lead the Brakettes to an NPF championship. "I saw it last year with Akron, when we came back from 4-0," Kretschman said. "Anything can happen."