Recap: Team Warren Prevails, 6-5, Over Team Wiggins in Extra Innings

The win allowed Team Warren to even its record at 1-1, while Team Wiggins saw its record dip to an identical 1-1.

Vidales claimed MVP 1 honors after going 2-for-4 at the plate in Team Warren’s victory. In addition to her ground-rule double in the eighth inning, she also laced a single in the first inning and came around to score.

Outfielder Bubba Nickles received MVP 2 status for a second consecutive game as she slugged a pair of solo home runs, while outfielder Kalei Harding belted a three-run home run in the opening frame and drove in a game-high three runs to claim MVP 3 distinction.

Rookie Maddie Penta tossed 3.0 innings of relief in the circle to pick up the victory for Team Warren. She yielded one earned run on two hits and struck out a pair of batters.

Taylor McQuillin (1-1) was strapped with the loss for Team Wiggins despite only allowing one earned run in 4.0 innings with four strikeouts.

KEY MOMENT

With the game tied at 5-all in the top of the eighth and two runners on base, Vidales hit a fly ball into the extended netting on the left field wall for a ground-rule double to plate outfielder Haylie McCleney for the eventual game-winning run.

LEADERBOARD IMPACT

Vidales picked up 120 leaderboard points with her team’s victory, while Nickles added 170 leaderboard points to jump to the top of the standings with 378 points. Nickles and catcher Taylor Edwards are the only players in the league with at least 300 points on the leaderboard through the first three games of the season.

GAME NOTES

• Team Warren and Team Wiggins played in the sixth extra-inning game in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history … It is the first game requiring extra innings since June 25, 2022, when Team Fischer downed Team Zerkle, 10-6, in 10 innings on a grand slam by Courtney Gano.

• Nickles became the fourth player in Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball AUX history to hit two home runs in the same game … Nickles, who belted a pair of solo shots in Tuesday’s opener, joins infielder Danielle Gibson, pitcher Rachel Garcia and infielder Courtney Gano on the exclusive list.

• Nickles also registered the 10th home run of her Athletes Unlimited career between AUX and Championship Season play, becoming the 18th player in AU Pro Softball history to reach that mark.

• Vidales ran her AUX hitting streak to 14 consecutive games after notching a single in the first inning as part of Team Warren’s five-run outburst.

GAME MVPS

• #1 – Tori Vidales (Team Warren, +60)
• #2 – Bubba Nickles (Team Wiggins, +40)
• #3 – Kalei Harding (Team Warren, +20)
• Defensive MVP – Billie Andrews (Team Warren, +20)