Dejah Mulipola

Recap: Mulipola earns 250 points in Team Chidester's walk-off victory

Dejah Mulipola © Athletes Unlimited, LLC 2022 / Credit: Jade Hewitt Media
Eric Rhew
Jun 14, 2022

SAN DIEGO — The season-opening AUX Softball doubleheader featured a total of 22 runs. Team Eberle and Team Chidester nearly matched that in Tuesday’s opening game at SDSU Softball Stadium, creating plenty of opportunities for leaderboard points.

But, it was Team Chidester who tallied the final leaderboard points as shortstop Sis Bates scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a 9-8 victory over Team Eberle.

The win upped Team Chidester’s record to 2-0 in the opening week, while Team Eberle stands at 1-1 following the extra-inning setback.

Designated player Dejah Mulipola took home an outstanding 250 leaderboard points after leading Team Chidester to the victory. Mulipola, who entered the day tied for 24th on the leaderboard, went 4-for-4, including a triple and a home run, with four runs scored and two runs batted in. She also secured MVP 1 honors to earn 60 points.

Right fielder Nicole Rangel-Mendes also played a key role in Team Chidester’s offense, authoring three hits with a run scored, while left fielder Morgan Zerkle and third baseman Sam Fischer each added two hits.

Pitcher Georgina Corrick earned the first win of her professional career after scattering three hits in 3.0 innings of relief. The former South Florida standout also posted a pair of strikeouts.

Team Eberle, which opened the season with a win over Team Ocasio on Monday, was led by a four-hit performance from center fielder Victoria Hayward. Hayward also drove in two runs and scored a run.

Left fielder Megan Wiggins blasted a home run for the second straight game and closed the extra-inning affair with a 2-for-5 effort with three runs batted in.

Team captain Carrie Eberle suffered the loss in relief, giving out three earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED

With one out and Bates on second base, outfielder Haylie McCleney drew a walk before Zerkle’s infield single loaded the bases. Chidester ended the game when an errant throw allowed Bates to score and secure the victory.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Mulipola’s 250 leaderboard points allowed her to move to the top of the standings, rising 24 spots from Monday. Second baseman Andrea Filler also made a large move up the leaderboard after netting 160 points.

GAME NOTES

  • Team Chidester became the first home team to win a game this season.

  • Tuesday’s game between Team Chidester and Team Eberle marked the fifth extra-inning game in Athletes Unlimited Softball history (AUX and Championship Season) … All four previous affairs came during the 2021 Championship Season.

  • The teams combined for 29 hits in the contest … Team Chidester outhit Team Eberle, 16-13.

  • Pitcher Sydney Littlejohn Watkins made her AU debut in relief for Team Chidester … The former Alabama hurler allowed one run on one hit over 1.2 innings with two strikeouts.

  • The teams combined to leave 13 runners on base.

  • Hayward posted the second four-hit game of her AU career … She also had four hits against Team Ocasio on Sept. 26, 2021, in the Championship Season.

  • There have now been seven four-hit games in AU Softball history (AUX and Championship Season combined) … Hayward is the only player with multiple four-hit efforts, while Mulipola became the sixth different athlete with four hits in a game.

GAME MVPS

  • #1 – Dejah Mulipola (Team Chidester, +60)
  • #2 – Andrea Filler (Team Chidester, +40)
  • #3 – Sis Bates (Team Chidester, +20)

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