As the 2024 AUX Softball Season enters its final series, much has been discussed about young stars such as Jocelyn Alo and McKenzie Clark. However, veterans like Bubba Nickles and Mariah Mazon have been doing great as well. Overall, the leaderboard shows that it is anyone’s championship to win as several players are on the hunt. That being said, here is a recap of Games Thirteen and Fourteen of this year’s AUX Season.
Game Thirteen: The Long Ball on Display in AUX Softball
Photo Credit: Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited
In this first game of the doubleheader of Series Three, Alo’s team faced off against Team Mazon as the offense started early. The first inning saw a total of six runs on the scoreboard as Sam Fischer slammed a two-run homer for Team Alo in the top of the first. Not to be outdone, Jordan Roberts went deep with a grand slam for Mazon’s squad in the bottom of the inning.
Roberts became the third player in the 2024 AUX season to hit a grand slam. Also, the home run marked the seventh time a grand slam has been hit in the history of Athletes Unlimited AUX Pro Softball. Mazon’s team added two more runs in the second inning with RBIs from Jessi Warren and Tori Vidales.
and just like that… we got another GRANDSLAM 💥#AUProSB I @jordanalyssar14 pic.twitter.com/MrwInVF7Kx
— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball) June 22, 2024
Next, Team Alo put up two more runs thanks to a home run by Hannah Flippen in the third inning. Erin Coffel knocked in an RBI single to make it a one-run game in the sixth for Alo’s team. In the end, Team Mazon held on a 6-5 victory. Roberts took home MVP 1 honors as Aubrey Leach won MVP 2 honors thanks to her three-hit effort.
Fischer was the MVP 3 while Warren garnered the Defensive MVP honor. It is important to note that eleven of the thirteen games in this AUX Season have been decided by two runs or less. Additionally, eight of those contests have been one-run affairs.
Game Fourteen: Stellar Pitching and Timely Hitting Leads the Way
Photo Credit: Jade Hewitt/Athletes Unlimited
Unlike the opening game, this game between Team Mazon and Nickles’ squad was the complete opposite. Sydney McKinney scored on a wild pitch by Alyssa Denham for Team Nickles in the top of the first.
For Mazon’s team, they scored via an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the frame. Yet, Team Nickles continued with five more runs in the matchup. In the second inning, Morgan Zerkle and McKinney each hit an RBI single.
Next, Kelsey Stewart-Hunter drove in an RBI single in the third inning to give Team Nickles a 4-1 lead. Lastly, Nickles went yard as Jordyn Rudd-Lee added an RBI single in the fifth inning. The fifth of the 2024 AUX Softball Season by Nickles tied the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX single-season record.
BUBBA NICKLES ‼️@madilyn_nickles ties the AUX Home Run record 🥎 #AUProSB pic.twitter.com/S1Jh4MD1Fh
— AU Pro Softball (@auprosoftball) June 22, 2024
Although the bats were great, the duo of Taylor McQuillin and Payton Gottshall dominated the circle for Team Nickles.
McQuillin took home MVP 1 honors as she allowed three hits and struck out eight in four innings of work. The lefty set a new AU Pro Softball AUX single-season record with her fifth win of the season. Moreover, Gottshall set an AU Pro Softball AUX single-season record of her own with her third save this season in the win.
After the doubleheader, Nickles holds an 86-point lead over Alo as both players eclipsed the 1,000-point mark.
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