2023 AUX Softball: Movers of Series 2

Mover of the week: Peyton St. George

Making a massive 28-spot jump to No. 13 overall on the leaderboard is righty pitcher Peyton St. George. She was the second-highest point-earner of the series with 560 total from her win, stat and MVP points.

Her series started off strong on Sunday night when she threw 4.1 innings in relief to secure her team the victory along with five strikeouts. She had a game-high 192 points that pushed her up 13 spots but her following outing is when she really made a move.

HEATIN’ UP 🔥

Back-to-back Ks for @peytonstg 🫣#AUSB | 📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/QjzfLomUTe

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) July 29, 2022

St. George threw the first complete game of the season on Wednesday night against Team Taylor, racking up 84 points on outs and only losing -20 points from earned runs allowed. Another stellar performance earned her MVP 1 honors for the second time in the series.

The only other athlete to be voted MVP 1 twice in the series along with St. George was Rachel Garcia.

An emerging arm: Megan Faraimo

UCLA standout Megan Faraimo also shined, appearing in every game for Team Leach except for St. George’s complete game.

She dropped her ERA down to third-best in the league at 3.82 and moved up 14 spots on the leaderboard to No. 10 overall.

Faraimo showed what she was capable of in the pros and displayed major adjustments she made on Monday night against Team Filler. She earned the start and pitched 6.1 innings, holding the blue squad to a .259 average. She picked up her first MVP 1 honor that night, earning +60 for being number one.

#️⃣6️⃣ on #SCTop10 😏@MeganFaraimo | #AUX pic.twitter.com/boUK2pmQLv

— Athletes Unlimited (@AUProSports) June 20, 2023

St. George and Faraimo on the same team gave Team Leach stability in the circle no other team has had yet this AUX season and largely contributed to their ability to win three games.

Best bats break into the Top 10

Amanda Lorenz and Jordan Roberts had some of the hottest bats in Series 2 and were both in the top group of stat points earned. Lorenz collected 140 stat points from her ABs (only second to Garcia) and Roberts earned 128 points in the category.

Lorenz has had more opportunities at the plate than Roberts with 28 plate appearances compared to her 16. What is crucial for Roberts is her ability to capitalize no matter if the role comes as a designated player or while catching. In Series 2 she was 4-for-7 with a home run, double and two singles in addition to three walks. Her stats so far this season showcase a:

• .500 average (tied for best in the league)
• .652 OB% (best in the league)
• .928 SLG% (best in the league)

Roberts moved 10 spots to No. 7 overall.

Lorenz is right behind her at No. 8 after her 11-spot shift up the leaderboard in Series 2. She knocked both her home runs of the AUX season in Series 2: a three-run blast to start the weekend and a solo shot on the final day of the series.

Both picked up MVP 3 honors throughout the weekend (Lorenz twice, Roberts once).

A Crown to Chase

This series brought Garcia back into captainship, secured Leach as a mainstay and pushed Jessi Warren into the seat for the first time since 2021. Just 142 points separate Warren from Garcia (with Mia Davidson just missing being a Series 3 captain by 4 points.)

If Garcia keeps up her combination of high earnings in both stat points and MVP points, she could finish the season golden and earn the AUX Season 2 title. But hot bats have been the story of the season and Leach, Warren and Davidson are in close enough contention to keep things interesting for the final six games.