Recap: Denham, Alexander hold Team Davidson scoreless in 5-0 win

Eric Rhew

Aug 18, 2023

ROSEMONT, Ill. –Winning games in a Gold jersey has been tough through the first three weeks of the Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season. But, with captain Odicci Alexander leading the Gold squad this week, the winning magic has returned.

Alexander and Alyssa Denham combined to throw a four-hit shutout as Team Alexander blanked Team Davidson, 5-0, to complete Friday night’s doubleheader to begin Week Four at Parkway Bank Sports Complex.

Denham, who upped her record to 4-1 in the circle, allowed just two hits over 5.0 innings to secure MVP 1 honors and a game-high 240 leaderboard points. Alexander, the league’s points leader, secured 144 leaderboard points after scattering two hits over the final two frames with four strikeouts.

Catcher Dejah Mulipola was named the MVP 2 recipient after going 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs batted in. The reigning league champion also scored twice to end the evening with 210 leaderboard points.

Corner infielder Delanie Wisz completed the MVP trifecta for Team Alexander after adding two hits, including a solo home run in the fourth inning, to notch 200 leaderboard points.

Corner infielder Andrea Filler registered two of Team Davidson’s four hits in the loss, while outfielder Victoria Hayward and corner infielder Sam Fischer each collected a hit.

Pitcher Megan Faraimo dropped to 3-2 this season after allowing three runs on six hits over 3.2 innings with three strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Alexander scored its five runs over a three-inning span, including a pair of runs in the third and fifth innings, to secure the victory. Mulipola got the scoring started with a two-run home run to center field in the third frame before Wisz added a solo home run in the fourth inning. The squad added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth for the five-run margin.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Denham rose nine spots on the leaderboard after her 240-point performance in Friday’s victory and now stands fourth in the league standings with 1,140 points. Corner infielder Danielle Gibson, meanwhile, continued her climb up the leaderboard and holds third place after Friday’s results.

GAME NOTES

Team Alexander and Team Davidson combined to score five runs to finish Friday night’s doubleheader, moving the league’s season total to 129 runs through 20 games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every run scored this season as part of its ‘Aspiration Round the Bases’ initiative.
Mulipola blasted the 20th home run of her Athletes Unlimited career, including her 13th career Championship Season blast … She is the first player in Athletes Unlimited Softball history to reach 20 career home runs between AUX and Championship Season play.
Wisz fashioned her third multi-hit game of the season after her 2-for-3 performance.
Outfielder Aliyah Andrews extended her hitting streak to six games with a single to right field in the third inning.
Hayward has hit safely in seven consecutive games after driving a single to center field to lead off the top of the sixth inning.
Catcher Mia Davidson was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season, establishing a new Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season single-season record … It also marked the 10th time she has been hit by a pitch in her Championship Season career, breaking a tie with catcher Sahvanna Jaquish for the most in Championship Season history.
Davidson also owns the combined Athletes Unlimited Softball (AUX and Championship Season) career standard by being hit by a pitch 17 times.
Gibson now owns a four-game hitting streak after reaching on an infield single in the top of the seventh inning.