Recap: Mazon's Gem Propels Team Edwards to 2-0 Win

The win upped Team Edwards’ record to 2-2, while Team Alo dropped to 1-2 after its second straight loss.

Mazon, who spun her second complete game in three outings this season, scattered four hits and struck out three batters en route to claiming MVP 1 honors and 264 leaderboard points.

Nickles, meanwhile, received MVP 2 accolades and 200 leaderboard points after driving in the lone runs of the game with her third-inning blast.

Middle infielder Hannah Flippen and outfielder Morgan Zerkle each chipped in two hits for Team Edwards.

Corner infielder Tori Vidales registered two hits, including the 100th of her Athletes Unlimited career, to record MVP 3 accolades in the loss.

Pitcher Odicci Alexander (0-2) suffered the loss in the circle after yielding two runs on four hits over 4.0 innings in the circle.

KEY MOMENT

Zerkle struck a one-out single to left center in the top of the third inning before Nickles followed with a two-run home run to give Team Edwards a 2-0 lead it did not relinquish. Mazon, meanwhile, limited Team Alo to just one hit over the final four frames to nail down the verdict.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Mazon’s career-high 264 leaderboard points allowed her to jump nine spots on the leaderboard into second place with 860 points. Nickles holds the top spot with 896 points following her second 200-point outing of the season. Eight of the top 10 positions on the leaderboard are held by Team Edwards players pending the result of Wednesday’s second game between Team Clark and Team Alo.

GAME NOTES

• Team Alo initiated a captain’s challenge on an out call against Jordyn Rudd-Lee in the bottom of the sixth inning … The call was upheld and the challenge was unsuccessful.

• Team Edwards became the third squad in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history to register a shutout … Team Fischer downed Team Gibson, 3-0, on June 20, 2022, before Team Mulipola blanked Team Gibson, 5-0, on the same day.

• Team Edwards also posted the fifth win points sweep in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history with its 2-0 victory on Wednesday night.

• Mazon becomes the first pitcher in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history to throw a complete game shutout … She also registered 264 leaderboard points, the second-highest single-game total in AUX history … Pitcher Rachel Garcia set the mark with 298 points against Team Mulipola on June 14, 2023.

• Zerkle and Vidales became the second and third players in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball history to accumulate 100 career hits between AUX and Championship Season play … Zerkle singled to left center field in the top of the third inning to reach the milestone, while Vidales followed with her historic hit on a double to center field in the bottom of the frame.

• Zerkle and Vidales, who each have 101 career hits after their two-hit performances on Wednesday, join outfielder Victoria Hayward on the exclusive list … Hayward stands as Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball’s all-time leader with 103 career hits over her six AU seasons.

• Vidales smacked two doubles in Team Alo’s loss on Wednesday night, becoming the second player with a pair of two-base hits in a game this season … Middle infielder Sydney McKinney had two doubles against Team Warren on June 13 … A player has hit two doubles in the same game seven times in AUX history.

• Nickles snapped an 0-for-16 drought with her two-run home run in the third inning … It was her first hit since a 2-for-4 effort against Team Warren on June 11.

• McKinney had her six-game hitting streak snapped after going 0-for-3 in the loss for Team Alo.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Mariah Mazon (Team Edwards, +60)
• #2 – Bubba Nickles (Team Edwards, +40)
• #3 – Tori Vidales (Team Alo, +20)
• Defensive MVP – Taylor Edwards (Team Edwards, +20)