Recap: Borden's Blast Ignites Team Kilfoyl to 4-3 Victory Over Team McQuillin

Eric Rhew

Aug 12, 2024

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Catcher Hannah Borden slugged the first home run of her professional career and pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl authored her third complete game of the season as Team Kilfoyl held off a late charge from Team McQuillin to secure a 4-3 victory in the first game of Monday’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season doubleheader at Parkway Bank Sports Complex.

The win lifted Team Kilfoyl’s record to 2-1, while Team McQuillin dropped its third game in a row to finish Week Three with an 0-3 mark.

Borden, who entered the game when play resumed in the second inning, collected MVP 1 honors and a season-high 148 leaderboard points after going 1-for-2 with a home run and a hit by pitch.

Outfielder Caroline Jacobsen followed with an MVP 2 performance after driving in two runs with a double in the second inning as part of a three-run outburst. The former Clemson product claimed a season-high 160 leaderboard points, marking the fifth time this season she has racked up 100 or more points.

Team captain Lexi Kilfoyl registered a complete game effort and upped her record to 4-2 in the circle after giving up three runs on five hits with a season-high six strikeouts.

Middle infielder Erin Coffel secured MVP 3 distinction for Team McQuillin in the loss after blasting a two-run home run in the sixth inning that ended Team Kilfoyl’s shutout bid. Captain Taylor McQuillin (3-3) was tagged with the loss after conceding three runs on five hits in 2.0 innings with two strikeouts.

KEY MOMENT

Team Kilfoyl broke a scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the second inning by bringing home three runs for a 3-0 lead it did not relinquish. Jacobsen got the scoring started with her two-run double to left center field before scoring on a double by middle infielder Sydney Romero.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Kilfoyl reclaimed the top spot on the leaderboard with 1,036 points, while middle infielder Skylar Wallace surged into third place after collecting 110 points in the victory.

GAME NOTES

The game, which began on August 7 in Greenville, N.C., entered a weather delay at 6:08 p.m. ET and lasted 65 minutes before being suspended until Monday … It is the first time in Athletes Unlimited history where a game has started at one venue before being completed at another venue.
Outfielder Claire Davidson became the third player this season to be hit by a pitch twice in the same game … It is also the 10th time in Championship Season history a player has been plunked by multiple pitches in a game.
Borden registered the first hit of her professional career with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth inning … Borden is the 16th different player to hit a home run this season through 17 games.
Coffel and middle infielder Sierra Romero joined catcher Sharlize Palacios as the only players in the league with multiple home runs this season … Sierra Romero sent a 2-2 pitch over the fence in center field in the seventh inning, trimming the margin to 4-3.
Sydney Romero posted the league’s seventh three-hit performance of the season, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a single.
Catcher Jordyn Rudd-Lee made her first career Championship Season appearance in the seventh inning, serving as a pinch hitter for outfielder Jadelyn Allchin … A total of 49 players in the league have made at least one trip to the plate this season.
Corner infielder Baylee Klingler authored her third consecutive multi-hit game by going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles … She finished Week Three with six hits, including a double on Sunday against Team Lorenz.