ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLAMERICA.COM PHOTO CREDIT: (Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)
Series Two kicked off with much excitement as Team Clark had a massive comeback win in the seventh inning of game one and Team Alo won by scoring early in game two.
Team Clark vs. Team Edwards
Just three outs away from Team Edwards taking the victory, Team Clark stormed back in a seventh-inning thriller putting up eight runs. Billie Andrews’s tying home run followed by a double from Nadia Taylor, an RBI single from Kalei Harding, and a three-run homer from Sarah Willis secured the 10-4 win.
Team Edwards came into this game showcasing top-to-bottom power throughout the lineup. Delanie Wisz began the show with a bang when she ripped a solo homer off Keilani Ricketts to center field in the second inning.
That momentum continued into the third when Morgan Zerkle was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on quick base running. After Taylor Edwards popped up between the pitcher’s mound and first base, rough wind and miscommunication between Ricketts and Sam Fischer allowed Zerkle to score.
Mariah Mazon was on fire in the circle for Team Edwards through three innings, retiring all nine batters she faced. But after a 47-pitch inning from Mazon in the fourth, Team Clark finally broke through. With bases loaded, Julia Cottril doubled to left field scoring Morgan DeBord and Kayla Kowlick to tie the game.
That tie was quickly broken though once Haley Lee came to the plate. Aleshia Ocasio came in to relieve Ricketts and threw a pitch up in the zone that Lee absolutely blasted to left field, giving her her first-ever AUX home run. Then in the fifth, Ocasio gave up back-to-back walks, and Hannah Flippen capitalized when she sent an RBI double to left center field, extending the ‘Orange’ team’s lead.
With three outs needed to capture the win, Alex Storako came in for Mazon in the seventh inning and that’s where it all fell apart for Team Edwards. The lead was quickly stolen when Billie Andrews sent a two-run shot to left field. Then with runners on first and second, Nadia Taylor doubled to left field scoring two more runs. Kalei Harding added an RBI and to top it all off, Sarah Willis raked in a three-run home run.
Team Edwards was given one more chance in the bottom of the seventh to retake the lead, but Payton Gottshall was lights out on the mound.
MVP honors went to Andrews (440 total points), Mazon (496) and Willis (492).
Team Alo vs. Team Edwards
It only makes sense that captain Jocelyn Alo put together a lineup full of RBI and home run hitters. Outstanding performances at the plate from Tori Vidales, Haylie McCleney, Alo and Andrea Filler guided Team Alo to a 7-5 win over Team Edwards.
Both Team Alo and Team Edwards came out swinging at the start of game two. Tori Vidales singled through the left side scoring Haylie McCleney to get Team Alo on the board first. Edwards then singled to left field scoring Zerkle to tie up the game.
From there, Team Alo was on Montana Fouts and McCleney’s RBI added another run for the ‘Gold’. With two on, Jocelyn Alo took a curveball from Fouts and sent it to the opposite field for a three-run home run to extend the lead.
The home runs didn’t stop there, and in the third, Andrea Filler was down in the count but adjusted and sent a ball on the inner half of the plate over the left field wall adding two more runs to the board.
Team Edwards made large adjustments by pulling Fouts and putting in Alyssa Denham. Captain Taylor Edwards put up a solo shot of her own off of Taylor McQuillin in the third and Zerkle sent a two-run home run to right field in the fourth, easily putting them back into winning position.
Odicci Alexander took over in the circle in the sixth and gave up a solo home run to Wisz for her second homer of the day. With the tie just two runs away for Team Edwards, they couldn’t find a way to come through in the seventh inning.
MVP honors were awarded to Alo (710 total points), Zerkle (466) and Filler (460).
Leaderboard
Player | Points | Game Played |
Jocelyn Alo (Gold Captain) | 710 | 5 |
Taylor Edwards (Orange Captain) | 610 | 6 |
Sydney McKinney | 590 | 5 |
Bubba Nickles | 576 | 6 |
McKenzie Clark (Blue Captain | 570 | 5 |
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