ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON SOFTBALLAMERICA.COM PHOTO CREDIT: (Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited)
In the series one finale of AUX, the bats were on fire with a walk-off win in game one and a back-and-forth run affair in game two.
Team Leach vs. Team Warren
Team Warren and Team Leach brought all the heat to the plate during the series one finale. What looked to be like Team Leach’s game with a McKenzie Clark grand slam, a Jocelyn Alo homer, and a home run and RBI from Sam Fischer, it was captain Jessi Warren who secured the 8-7 walk-off win for her team.
In the top of the first inning, Hope Trautwein delivered a perfect riseball to Alo and the home run queen ran with it, sending her second bomb of the series flying to left field. This gave Team Leach the advantage straight away and the momentum continued to build from there.
Trautwein walked two straight in the fourth and Fischer capitalized doubling to left field scoring Erin Coffel. With bases loaded and two outs, Alyssa Denham took the mound, and rookie Clark ripped a grand slam to center field, making it a five-run inning.
Through three innings, Sarah Willis was untouchable on the mound for Team Leach. Odicci Alexander took the mound in the fourth and that’s when Team Warren began to find their rhythm at the plate. Jordyn Rudd-Lee homered to left field scoring two and Karli Spaid followed up immediately with a homer of her own.
The runs refused to stop there. Fischer knocked her first home run of the season to left field, giving Team Leach an insurance run. But when Payton Gottshall gave up a home run to Tori Viadles and Kalei Harding hit an RBI double, Team Warren came within two runs.
Montana Fouts took over the mound in the seventh for Team Leach and struggled to gain outs. With two runners on, that’s when Warren took advantage of the situation and homered to left field, walking it off for the “Blue” team.
Warren (336 total points), Clark (470) and Rudd-Lee (270) all earned MVP honors.
Team Wiggins vs. Team Warren
The bats didn’t let up during game two of the night. In a back-and-forth run affair, Sydney McKinney’s RBI double in the seventh inning propelled Team Wiggins to a 5-4 win over Team Warren.
Team Wiggins jumped on the scoreboard first in the second inning when McKinney’s fly ball sent Nadia Taylor home, but that lead didn’t last long. Aleshia Ocasio struggled on the mound for Team Wiggins with three pitch clock violations on the night and Team Warren kept hitting her left and right. Spaid being one to get ahead of Ocasio sent her second home run of the night into left field scoring three runs.
Later in the fourth, Denham entered after Maddie Penta left bases loaded with one out. Hannah Flippen bobbled a grounder at shortstop allowing one run to score. Taylor Edwards then singled to center field scoring Jadelyn Allchin and McKinney to take the lead.
But once again, that lead wouldn’t last long. Taylor McQuillin took the mound in relief of Ocasio in the fourth, and Bille Andrews ripped a solo shot of her own to left field to tie the game.
After a two-hour weather delay, the scoreboard stayed tied until Team Wiggins got through in the seventh when McKinney doubled down the left field line to score Kelsey Stewart-Hunter. Taylor McQuillin closed out Team Warren in the bottom of the seventh and secured the win to conclude the series.
Leaderboard
Player | Points | Game Played |
Jocelyn Alo (Gold Captain) | 520 | 4 |
Bubba Nickles | 506 | 4 |
McKenize Clark (Orange Captain) | 470 | 4 |
Taylor Edwards (Blue Captain) | 440 | 4 |
Sydney McKinney | 400 | 4 |
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