Recap: Team Palacios Stands Tall in 13-7 Slugfest Against Team Lorenz

The win elevated Team Palacios’ record to 3-0, while Team Lorenz finished the week with a 1-2 record.

Outfielder Kalei Harding earned MVP 1 honors and a game-high 190 leaderboard points after blasting a three-run home run in the fifth inning to help Team Palacios take the lead.

Sharlize Palacios, meanwhile, followed with MVP 2 accolades and 180 leaderboard points after going 1-for-3 with a grand slam and five runs batted in. Middle infielder Sis Bates added three hits and scored four runs, while catcher Sashel Palacios chipped in a 2-for-4 effort with two runs batted in.

Pitcher Megan Faraimo (3-3) earned the win in relief after giving up just one run on two hits over 4.0 innings with three strikeouts, securing MVP 3 plaudits to go with 148 leaderboard points.

The loss spoiled a pair of record-setting performances from outfielder Amanda Lorenz and corner infielder Tori Vidales, who each matched the AU Pro Softball single-game record with four hits apiece. Lorenz, the team captain, went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs batted in, while Vidales fashioned a 4-for-4 effort with two runs batted in.

Pitcher Mariah Mazon dropped to 0-3 after allowing two runs on two hits in 1.0 inning of work.

KEY MOMENT

Team Palacios turned a 6-4 deficit into a 13-6 advantage by erupting for nine runs over the fifth and sixth innings. The squad crossed the plate four times in the fifth inning, including a three-run home run from Harding, before tacking on five more runs in the following frame. Sharlize Palacios provided the fireworks in the sixth inning with a grand slam to center field.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Lorenz will remain the Gold captain for the season’s penultimate week, but carries a slim four-point advantage into the proceedings over Sashel Palacios, who is a captain for the second week in a row. Pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl will also remain a captain, while Faraimo joins the quartet after jumping 18 spots into fourth place with 952 points.

GAME NOTES

• Teams are now 2-for-18 in captain’s challenges through 18 games this season after each team requested a review in Monday night’s Week Three finale.

• Team Palacios initiated a captain’s challenge on a foul ball during an at-bat by outfielder Morgan DeBord in the bottom of the sixth inning … The challenge was successful after the call was reversed to a hit by pitch.

• Team Lorenz initiated a captain’s challenge in the bottom of the sixth inning to determine whether DeBord left first base early on a single by middle infielder Aubrey Leach … The challenge was unsuccessful as the call was upheld.

• Team Lorenz and Team Palacios combined for 23 hits in Monday’s second game, marking the highest combined total in a game this season … The previous season high was 20 hits between Team Svekis and Team Alexander on July 27.

• A team plated four or more runs in an inning three times on Monday night … Team Lorenz plated four runs in the top of the second inning … Team Palacios countered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning before striking for five runs in the sixth frame … A team has scored four or more runs in an inning 10 times in 18 games this season.

• Team Lorenz matched a league season high by leaving 11 runners on base in the loss on Monday night.

• Sharlize Palacios blasted the 10th grand slam in Championship Season history over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning … She becomes the eighth different player with a grand slam in Championship Season history.

• Bates has hit safely in 8-of-9 games this season after recording a single in the first inning on Monday.

• Lorenz has registered a hit in seven of her last eight contests after registering four hits against Team Palacios on Monday … It marked her third multi-hit game of the season.

• Vidales and Lorenz each equaled the AU Pro Softball Championship Season single-game standard with their four-hit performances on Monday night … It is the seventh and eighth times a player has registered four hits in a game in Championship Season history and the first instance since outfielder Haylie McCleney tallied four hits against Team Chidester on August 13, 2022.

• Vidales also becomes the third player in Championship Season history to author a perfect 4-for-4 effort … Outfielder Victoria Hayward went 4-for-4 against Team Ocasio on September 26, 2021, while Leach was 4-for-4 against Team Ocasio on September 27, 2020.

• McCleney, Lorenz and Vidales also posted the fifth three-hit performances of their Championship Season careers, moving into a tie for second place on the league’s career list … Outfielder Morgan Zerkle owns the all-time mark with six career outings with three or more hits.

• Corner infielder Andrea Filler ended an 0-for-10 drought when she rocketed a solo home run over the left field fence in the fourth inning … It was her first hit since August 4 against Team Lorenz.

• McCleney established a new Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball Championship Season single-game record with four walks against Team Lorenz on Monday night.

• Corner infielder Sam Fischer became the sixth player in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball history to appear in 100 career games, making her 93rd career start on Monday evening.

• Leach has a hit in six consecutive games after going 1-for-4 with a single in the sixth inning.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Kalei Harding (Team Palacios, +60)
• #2 – Sharlize Palacios (Team Palacios, +40)
• #3 – Megan Faraimo (Team Palacios, +20)
• Defensive MVP – Aliyah Andrews (Team Lorenz), +20