Recap: Offensive Explosion Guides Team Wallace to 11-3 Victory in Saturday Opener

The win allowed Team Wallace to even its record at 1-1, while Team McQuillin dropped to 0-2.

Corrick, who finished with 234 leaderboard points, earned the second MVP 1 selection of her Championship Season career after allowing three runs, including two earned runs, on three hits while notching seven strikeouts.

Catcher Sashel Palacios received MVP 2 laurels and 180 leaderboard points after going 2-for-5 with a double and three runs batted in, while corner infielder Kelsey Stewart-Hunter (MVP 3) completed the MVP sweep with a 3-for-5 effort in addition to two runs scored and two runs batted in.

Middle infielder Skylar Wallace, who garnered the first win of her career as a captain, added two hits with two runs scored. Middle infielder Sydney McKinney contributed a 3-for-4 effort with a run scored.

Three different players registered a hit for Team McQuillin, including solo home runs from outfielder Erika Piancastelli and rookie Sharlize Palacios. Pitcher Alyssa Denham (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs, including one earned run, on eight hits over 3.0 innings with one strikeout.

KEY MOMENT

After giving up a run in the bottom of the first inning, Team Wallace erupted for six runs on five hits in the second inning, including a two-run single from Stewart-Hunter and a two-run double from corner infielder Erin Coffel, for a 6-1 lead. Team Wallace added five more runs in the top of the sixth inning before Piancastelli and Sharlize Palacios slugged back-to-back homers in the bottom of the frame.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Sashel Palacios climbed 14 spots up the leaderboard into fourth place after registering 180 leaderboard points in the victory. Middle infielder Skylar Wallace surged back into third place in the league standings following her 140-point performance.

GAME NOTES

• Outfielder Haylie McCleney was named as the game’s Defensive MVP, becoming the second player to receive the award this season … Sashel Palacios collected the honor twice in Week One.

• Teams are now 1-for-7 in captain’s challenges this season after each team was unsuccessful in an attempt during Saturday’s opener.

• Team Wallace initiated a captain’s challenge on a fielder’s choice in the first inning that scored McCleney from third base … The challenge was unsuccessful after the call was upheld.

• Team McQuillin also initiated a captain’s challenge on a no-catch call with Stewart-Hunter at the plate in the second inning … The challenge was unsuccessful after the call was upheld.

• Team McQuillin became the first team to hit back-to-back home runs this season, doing so in the sixth inning.

• Team Wallace plated six runs on five hits in the second inning, matching the most runs scored by a team in a single inning this season … Team Denham scored six runs in the fourth inning against Team Alexander on July 28.

• Team Wallace equaled the league season high with its 11 runs against Team McQuillin on Saturday … Team Denham scored 11 runs against Team Alexander on July 28.

• Team Wallace’s 16 hits set a new league season high, eclipsing the previous mark of 13 hits, which occurred on two separate occasions.

• Eight of Team Wallace’s nine starters registered at least one hit in the victory.

• Corrick recorded the second complete game of her AU Pro Softball Championship Season career in Saturday’s victory … She also threw a complete game against Team Gibson on August 27, 2023, scattering two hits while striking out five hitters.

• McKinney registered the first three-hit game of her AU Pro Softball Championship Season career … She is the fourth player to post three hits in a game this season.

• Piancastelli’s home run in the sixth inning was the 17th of her AU Pro Softball Championship Season career, moving her into a tie for the all-time lead with catcher Sahvanna Jaquish (2020-22) and infielder Amanda Chidester (2020-22).

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Georgina Corrick (Team Wallace, +60)
• #2 – Sashel Palacios (Team Wallace, +40)
• #3 – Kelsey Stewart-Hunter (Team Wallace, +20)
• Defensive MVP – Haylie McCleney (Team McQuillin, +20)