Recap: Team Clark Hangs on to Defeat Team Alo, 7-6

Team Clark moved to 2-0 in Series Two with the victory, while Team Alo saw its record to 1-1 in the middle segment of the season.

Outfielder Megan Wiggins garnered MVP 1 accolades and 150 leaderboard points after a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, including a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning during Team Alo’s comeback bid.

Middle infielder Aubrey Leach earned MVP 2 honors and a game-high 170 leaderboard points as she helped Team Clark to the victory with a pair of hits, an RBI and two runs scored, while designated player Jocelyn Alo followed Wiggins with a solo homer in the final frame and finished with three hits in the loss to claim MVP 3 distinction.

Corner infielder Jessi Warren added a 2-for-3 effort with a run batted in and a run scored in the victory. Outfielder Kalei Harding chipped in a pair of hits, including a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth frame.

Pitcher Aleshia Ocasio (2-0) earned the win in the circle after throwing 5.0 innings. She scattered six hits, yielded one earned run, and struck out one batter. Rookie Payton Gottshall picked up her second save of the campaign after throwing the final two frames, allowing three runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.

Pitcher Maddie Penta dipped to 1-1 in the circle after giving up three runs over 2.0 innings with three strikeouts.

KEY MOMENT

Trailing by a 7-3 margin entering the final frame, Team Alo mounted a late comeback and plated three runs to narrow the gap to 7-6. A two-run home run by Wiggins with one out trimmed the deficit to 7-5 before Alo followed with a solo shot, her league-leading fourth homer of the year. However, Gottshall induced a groundout with a strikeout to end the threat and seal the victory.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Alo remains at the top of the leaderboard with 830 leaderboard points after acquiring 120 points in the first half of Monday’s doubleheader. Outfielder McKenzie Clark, who earned Defensive MVP honors, jumped 15 spots in the standings to fifth place with 590 points. Ocasio and Wiggins each moved into the top 10 and are tied for ninth with 558 points.

GAME NOTES

• Team Clark becomes the sixth team in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history to open a series with back-to-back wins, including the first squad this season … Only three of those teams have gone on to win the next contest.

• Team Alo initiated a captain’s challenge with no outs in the top of the seventh inning on an out call at second base … The call was upheld and the challenge was unsuccessful … Teams are now 3-for-8 in captain’s challenges through nine games.

• Wiggins and Alo teamed up to hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh inning, marking the second pair of back-to-back homers this season … Catcher Jordyn Rudd-Lee and designated player Karli Spaid blasted consecutive home runs in the fifth inning against Team Leach on June 13.

• Team Clark established a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX single-game standard with four stolen bases against Team Alo on Monday night.

• Penta set an Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX record by hitting three Team Clark batters in Monday’s opener.

• Ocasio earned the 17th win of her Athletes Unlimited career, the most of any pitcher in AU Pro Softball history.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Megan Wiggins (Team Alo, +60)
• #2 – Aubrey Leach (Team Clark, +40)
• #3 – Jocelyn Alo (Team Alo, +20)
• Defensive MVP – McKenzie Clark (Team Clark, +20)