ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLAMERICA.COM (Photo courtesy of Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)
Terrific offense from Team Wallace and a dramatic extra-inning run affair from Team McQuillin led both teams to wins on the final day of Series Two.
Team Wallace 7, Team Lorenz 2
Down two runs in the fourth, Team Wallace woke up the bats, climbed their way to a 7-2 win, and handed Team Lorenz their first loss of the weekend.
After an uncharacteristic day at the plate for Bubba Nickles on Saturday, she came out on Sunday with a vengeance, and her two-run home run to left field put Team Lorenz on the board first, but the ‘Blue’ would fail to score again.
ding for a HR 🛎️#AUProSBpic.twitter.com/XOjTuztuAD— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 4, 2024
Team Wallace went the first three innings 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position but finally made their way through in the fourth when Andrea Filler’s two-RBI single tied the game.
RBI to tie 2️⃣ – 2️⃣#AUProSBx 📺 ESPN2pic.twitter.com/Ntv240MUEp— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 4, 2024
Sashel Palacios captured the lead for Team Wallace in the fifth after a single to left field allowed Morgan Zierkle to score from second.
for the lead ‼️#AUProSBx 📺 ESPN2pic.twitter.com/I3fkfnWmPb— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 4, 2024
On her milestone day becoming the first Athletes Unlimited player to appear in 100 career games, Zierkle continued to come in clutch when she tapped a single through the gap on the right side to score Caroline Jacobsen and Karli Spaid.
Team Wallace added a couple more runs in the seventh for good measure, with Erin Coffel nailing a solo home run that nearly hit the dinger sign in right field of Parkway Bank Sports Complex. Jacobsen followed up with an RBI double to center.
Coffel with a HR to seal the deal 🤝🏽#AUProSBx 📺 ESPN2pic.twitter.com/n0fAtT35ty— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 4, 2024
Kayla Beaver started in the circle for Team Wallace, but Megan Faraimo entered in the third and made a phenomenal finish, retiring eight in a row and striking out four.
MVP honors were awarded to Faraimo (516 total points), Palacios (720 total points) and Zerkle (660 total points).
Team McQuillin 8, Team Kilfoyl 5
Team McQuillin looked to have this game easily under their belts with dominant offense and a phenomenal outing by Captain Taylor McQuillin in the circle. But with one swing, Kalei Harding took a 5-2 game in the sixth inning to a tie that led to extra innings.
McQuillin cruised through five innings in the circle with just three hits and two strikeouts before she took herself out of the game and put Alyssa Denham in for relief, a sequence that frequently works for the two Arizona alums.
But Team Kilfoyl adjusted to the pitching change well and began to put pressure on Team McQuillin’s defense. Claire Davidson doubled to left center and Taylor Edwards singled to put two on the board. With two outs, Denham could just not get out of the inning. With two runners on, that’s when Kalei Harding changed the game with a three-run home run.
McQuillin was forced to put herself back in the game and extra innings became necessary. In the eighth, Erika Piancastelli doubled to left field, Gwen Svekis reached on a fielding error adding another three runs, and the win was still managed to be pulled off by the ‘Orange’.
PASS THE BAT ➡️#AUProSB| 📺 Bally Sportspic.twitter.com/Ak5sivRaUx— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 5, 2024
Other notable performances came from Aubrey Leach who kicked off the scoring for Team McQuillin with an RBI single through the right side. Kelsey Harshman followed with a double to center and added an RBI of her own.
lefties getting it done 👀@aubrey_lynne10🤝@Kelsey_Harshman#AUProSB| 📺 Bally Sportspic.twitter.com/3WtGh7jmrG— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball)August 4, 2024
Rachel Garcia didn’t have the best outing for Team Kilfoyl, as she missed her spots in the zone and gave up three walks. With bases loaded in the fourth, Leach added to her already successful day at the plate with a single that advanced her to second on a fielding error by Davidson in left field. The fumble from Davidson cleared the bases allowing McKenzie Clark, Morgan DeBord and Piancastelli to score.
MVP honors were awarded to McQuillin (766 total points), Leach (340 total points) and Piancastelli (588).
AU Softball Leaderboard
1. Amanda Lorenz – 800 points
2. Lexi Kilfoyl – 776 pts
3. Taylor McQuillin – 766 pts
4. Sashel Palacios – 720 pts
5. Erin Coffel – 712 pts
Lorenz, Kilfoyl, McQuillin and Palacios will be captains for Series Three starting on August 7.
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