As Season Three of AUX Softball kicked off at Wilkins Stadium, home of Wichita State, excitement was in the air. The team captains for the opening week of the 2024 season should be some familiar faces to fans of AUX: Aubrey Leach, Megan Wiggins, and Jessi Warren. All three teams hit the field as it was a tale of two games in the doubleheader opening day. That being said, here is a recap of those games.
Game One: Team Wiggins Struck Early in Win Over Team Leach
The opening inning of this contest saw no runs from either team. However, the bats of Team Wiggins came alive during the top of the second inning. Rookie Kayla Kowalik drove in the first runs of the 2024 AUX Season with a two-run double to left-center.
Also, Taylor Edwards capped off the scoring for Team Wiggins with a grand slam to center field, the first homer of the season. Edwards took home MVP 1 honors for her effort at the plate.
In the bottom of the second, Jordan Roberts got Team Leach on the board with a two-run ground-rule double. Following a scoreless third inning, Bubba Nickles added three more runs thanks to a home run to right-center field. Nickles garnered MVP 2 honors as Kowalik got MVP 3 honors. The final runs in the game came in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI single by Roberts and an RBI double by rookie Sarah Willis.
Although Team Wiggins lost, outfielder McKenzie Clark got the Defensive MVP honors for an amazing play in the top of the third. Take a look here:
WOW WOW WOW 🤩
— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball) June 10, 2024
diving catch by @mac_clark_7 leading to a double play#AUProSB I 📺 ESPNNews pic.twitter.com/QMgee8Mvz4
Game Two: Team Leach Bounces Back in AUX Softball Doubleheader
While Game One was about offense, Game Two focused on pitching and timely hitting. In the top of the first, Hannah Flippen drove in Haylie McCleney on a sacrifice fly for Team Warren. The game would be scoreless until the bottom of the fourth by Team Leach. Rookies Erin Coffel and Jocelyn Alo went to left center with solo homers. Without question, it will not be the last time Alo slams another ball over the fence in this AUX Softball season.
The Homerun Queen got her first of the AUX season 👑#AUProSB I 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/yOySHHIW9j
— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball) June 11, 2024
As for the circle, rookie Payton Gottshall allowed one hit in three innings for Team Leach while right-hander Montana Fouts struck out four batters in four innings. Alo, Coffel, Gottshall, and veteran Sam Fischer swept the MVP honors. In the loss, Alyssa Denham and Maddie Penta gave up a combined three hits for Team Warren.
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