Jessi Warren claps as she heads towards home plate after a home run.

Recap: Team effort helps Team Zerkle defeat Team Mulipola 10-7

Team Zerkle hit five long balls, breaking the AUX record

Eric Rhew

Jun 14, 2023

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Fans attending the opening game of Wednesday’s Athletes Unlimited AUX Softball doubleheader may have found themselves wondering what was warmer – the temperature or the bats from Team Zerkle and Team Mulipola.

After all, the teams combined to score 17 runs with 26 hits, including an AUX Softball record six home runs. But, it was Team Zerkle who earned the win after coming away with a 10-7 result at Parkway Bank Sports Complex.

The win elevated Team Zerkle’s record to 2-0 during the opening series of the season, while Team Mulipola dropped to 1-1 after the first of its two games on the day.

Team Zerkle used a complete team effort with eight of the nine starters recording at least one hit. Corner infielder Jessi Warren led the charge with a 2-for-3 performance with three runs batted in and a home run, securing MVP 2 distinction and a game-high 208 leaderboard points.

Three other players notched two-hit performances for Team Zerkle, which blasted an AUX Softball single-game record with five home runs en route to the victory.

Middle infielder Aubrey Leach nailed down MVP 1 honors following a 4-for-4 effort in the loss for Team Mulipola, while corner infielder Kelsey Stewart-Hunter secured MVP 3 recognition with a 3-for-3 showing and two doubles and a run scored.

Pitcher Haylie Wagner collected the win in relief for Team Zerkle after allowing one unearned run on four hits over 3.1 innings. Carrie Eberle earned her first save of the season after throwing the final 3.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits with two strikeouts.

Starting pitcher Mariah Mazon (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Team Mulipola after conceding five runs, including four earned runs, on three hits without retiring a batter.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Team Zerkle exploded for an AUX Softball single-inning seven runs in its first trip to the plate, using a pair of home runs from Warren and designated player Nadia Taylor to ignite the outburst. Team Mulipola trimmed the margin to 7-5 in the bottom of the opening stanza, but was unable to close the gap further.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Leach’s 138 leaderboard points allowed her to retain the league lead through three games, while Warren finished the game in the league standings after vaulting up the leaderboard 25 spots as a result of her 208 points.

GAME NOTES

Team Zerkle and Team Mulipola combined to score 17 runs in Tuesday’s opener, increasing the league’s season total to 42 runs through three games … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every run scored as part of its ‘Round the Bases’ initiative.
Team Mulipola challenged an out call at first base to end the second inning, which was unsuccessful … Team Mulipola also challenged an out call at first base in the fourth inning, which was also unsuccessful … Teams are now 0-for-4 in captain’s challenges this season.
The 17 runs scored by Team Zerkle and Team Mulipola fell just one tally short of the AUX Softball single-game record established on June 14, 2022, when Team Ocasio beat Team Chidester by a 12-6 count.
Team Zerkle scored seven runs in the first inning, setting a new AUX Softball record for runs in a single frame … The previous mark was six runs, which occurred four times during the inaugural season last summer.
Team Zerkle and Team Mulipola combined to hit six home runs in Wednesday’s opener, eclipsing the AUX Softball single-game record for most combined home runs … Team O’Toole and Team Fischer teamed up to blast five homers in a game on June 23, 2022.
Team Zerkle’s five home runs bested the previous AUX Softball single-game record of four homers, which was set twice during the inaugural 2022 campaign.
Warren blasted her first home run of the season with a three-run shot in the first inning to left field … It marked her first Athletes Unlimited homer since a solo shot against Team Jaquish on Sept. 26, 2021.
Stewart-Hunter and Leach became the first players in AUX Softball history to register multiple doubles in the same game … Stewart-Hunter hit a double down the right field line in the first inning before adding another double down the right field line in the third inning … Leach, meanwhile, doubled in a run in the fourth inning before adding a two-base hit to left field in the sixth inning.
Catcher Delanie Wisz became the second player in as many game days to blast a pinch-hit home run when she led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo shot to left field.