Recap: Chidester jumps 27 spots on the leaderboard in 6-4 victory
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Team Mulipola and Team Jaquish certainly got Week Two of the 2022 Athletes Unlimited Softball season off to a hot start on Friday night at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex.
The two teams combined to blast five home runs, but it was the late surge from Team Mulipola that secured a 6-4 victory over Team Jaquish.
Led by first baseman Amanda Chidester, who went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in and 200 leaderboard points, the top three hitters in Team Mulipola’s lineup went 5-for-11 with four runs scored and four runs driven in.
Center fielder Haylie McCleney added a solo home run to begin the game and earned MVP 2 honors while second baseman Aubrey Leach posted an MVP 3 performance with two hits and two runs scored.
Pitcher Sydney Littlejohn Watkins secured the win in relief, scattering two hits over 3.0 innings with a strikeout and two walks. Odicci Alexander pitched the final frame to nail down her first save of the season.
Team captain Sahvanna Jaquish paced her squad with two hits, including a double, while catcher Gwen Svekis, shortstop Hannah Flippen and outfielder Bubba Nickles each slugged a home run in the loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Team Mulipola broke a 3-all tie in the top of the fifth inning by plating three runs. Shortstop Sis Bates got the rally started with an RBI single up the middle before Chidester’s RBI double with one out upped the advantage to 5-3. A sacrifice fly by third baseman Sam Fischer completed the outburst.
LEADERBOARD IMPACT
The win allowed team captain Dejah Mulipola to move into first place on the leaderboard with 528 points, which is just 20 points ahead of Jaquish. Chidester, meanwhile, rose up 27 spots to sixth after her 200-point performance.
GAME NOTES
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Each team got its leadoff hitter on base three times in the game.
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Pitcher Maggie Balint made her season debut on Friday night, throwing 2.0 innings of scoreless relief … The former San Diego State product conceded just one hit with three strikeouts.
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There have now been five saves recorded by pitchers through the first seven games, equaling the combined total during the first two seasons.
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With the five home runs hit in Friday’s opener, there have been 19 homers hit through the first seven contests.
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The teams combined to score 10 runs in Friday night’s opener, upping the season total to 55 runs in seven games … Aspiration will commit to planting 10 trees for every run during the season as part of its “Aspiration Round the Bases” initiative.
GAME MVPS
- #1 – Amanda Chidester (Team Mulipola, +60)
- #2 – Haylie McCleney (Team Mulipola, +40)
- #3 – Aubrey Leach (Team Mulipola, +20)
