Recap: Team Alo's Offensive Fireworks Spark 9-5 Win Over Team Nickles

Eric Rhew

Jun 23, 2024

WICHITA, Kansas – Team Alo used four home runs over a two-inning span to sprint away from Team Nickles en route to a 9-5 victory in the opening game of Sunday afternoon’s Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX doubleheader at Wilkins Stadium.

The win evened Team Alo’s record to 1-1 in the final segment of the season, while Team Nickles also owns a 1-1 record.

Designated player Jocelyn Alo sparked the offensive effort for Team Alo, blasting two home runs and driving in four runs to collect MVP 1 accolades and a season-high 260 leaderboard points. The former Oklahoma standout was 3-for-4 in the win while scoring a pair of runs.

Outfielder McKenzie Clark followed with an MVP 2 award and 220 leaderboard points after fashioning a pair of hits, including a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Pitcher Sarah Willis completed the MVP sweep for Team Alo after allowing three runs on two hits over 4.2 innings, ending the game with 156 leaderboard points. Odicci Alexander (1-2) secured the victory in relief after giving up two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings.

Four different players registered a hit in the loss for Team Nickles, including a two-run single by corner infielder Kelsey Stewart-Hunter. Hope Trautwein suffered the loss in the circle after conceding four runs, including three earned runs, on one hit with two strikeouts.

KEY MOMENT

After falling behind by a 3-1 margin in the fifth inning, Team Alo erupted for five runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 6-3 lead it did not relinquish. Clark belted a two-run home run to left center field to even the score at 3-all before Alo’s first blast, a two-run shot down the left field line, made it a 5-3 game. Catcher Julia Cottrill drew a bases loaded walk to cap the five-run outburst.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Alo’s 260 leaderboard points vaulted her back into the top spot of the leaderboard with 1,268 points, giving her a 154-point advantage over outfielder Bubba Nickles pending the result of Sunday’s second game between Team Alo and Team Mazon. Clark, meanwhile, rose eight places into the No. 4 position in the league standing with 1,014 points.

GAME NOTES

Team Alo initiated a captain’s challenge in the top of the seventh inning on a safe call at home plate with no outs … The call was upheld and the challenge was unsuccessful.
Team Nickles also initiated a captain’s challenge in the bottom of the seventh inning during an at-bat by outfielder McKenzie Clark on a potential hit-by-pitch … The call (no hit-by-pitch) was upheld and the challenge was unsuccessful.
Teams are now 6-for-16 in captain’s challenges through 15 games this season.
Alo’s 260 leaderboard points are the third-highest single-game total in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history, trailing a 298-point effort by pitcher Rachel Garcia (June 14, 2023 vs. Team Mulipola) and a 264-point performance by pitcher Mariah Mazon (June 19, 2024 vs. Team Alo).
Team Nickles has left 25 runners on base in its two Series Three games after stranding 11 runners against Team Alo on Sunday afternoon.
The 19 combined walks also set a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX single-game standard … The previous mark was 10 free passes, which was set on June 25, 2023, in a game between Team Leach and Team Garcia and matched on June 13, 2024, in a contest between Team Wiggins and Team Warren.
Willis established a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball single-game record with her nine walks against Team Nickles on Sunday … Garcia held the previous mark after giving up eight free passes against Team Romero on August 6, 2023.
Team Alo’s four home runs matched a league single-game season high … Team Warren also slugged four home runs against Team Leach on June 13.
Alo set the Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX single-season record with her sixth home run of the campaign in the sixth inning … She eclipsed the previous mark set by catcher Mia Davidson (2023) and matched by Nickles (2024).
Alo also became the fifth player in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history to belt two home runs in the same game, including the second player this season … Nickles had two home runs against Team Warren on June 11.
Outfielder Haylie McCleney became the 22nd different player to hit a home run this season with her solo blast to right center field in the sixth inning … Alo and McCleney also teamed up to become the third duo to hit back-to-back homers this season.
Middle infielder Hannah Flippen drew an AUX single-game record with three walks on Sunday.
Designated player Nadia Taylor saw her six-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-3 against Team Alo.