Athletes Unlimited Sunday Double Header: Teams McCleney & Denham Win; Faraimo & Stewart-Hunter Named MVPs

Here’s a look at the latest pair of games in the Athletes Unlimited softball summer season…

GAME 5: Team McCleney 4, Team Rhodes 3

ROSEMONT, Illinois – There has certainly been plenty of excitement in the first weekend of the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season and Sunday’s tilt between Team McCleney and Team Rhodes provided the latest example.

Middle infielder Sierra Romero put down a bunt single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning to score the winning run as Team McCleney came away with a 4-3 victory over Team Rhodes at Parkway Bank Sports Complex.

The win allowed Team McCleney to even its record at 1-1, while Team Rhodes dropped to 0-2 after losing its second straight game by a 4-3 count.

Pitcher Megan Faraimo earned the win in the circle along with MVP 1 honors after throwing 6.0 innings of relief for Team McCleney. The former UCLA star allowed two runs on four hits while striking out five hitters en route to a 212-point performance.

Romero, meanwhile, garnered MVP 2 distinction following her game-winning single, giving her 150 leaderboard points in the victory.

Pitcher Rachel Garcia paced Team Rhodes with a solo home run in the seventh inning, which tied the game at 3-3. She was one of six Team Rhodes players to collect a hit in the setback. Pitcher Sydney Littlejohn Watkins (0-2) took the loss in relief for Team Rhodes, conceding the game-winning run on two hits over 2.1 innings with a strikeout.

Game 5 Highlights:

How It Happened: 

With one out in the seventh inning, outfielder Victoria Hayward reached on an infield single before moving to third base on a single off third base by catcher Mia Davidson. Romero followed with a bunt that dropped in front of the plate and Garcia’s throw was not in time to beat Hayward for the game-winning run.

Leaderboard Impact: 

Faraimo’s 212 points vaulted her into the top spot on the leaderboard ahead of Sunday’s second game between Team Denham and Team Mulipola. Romero’s position rose 17 spots after her 150-point performance.

Game Notes:

• Team Rhodes and Team McCleney combined to score seven runs during Sunday’s first game … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every run scored this season as part of its ‘Aspiration Assists’ initiative.
• Hayward was the lone player to record a multi-hit game on Sunday afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
• The teams combined to have its leadoff hitter reach base in 7-of-14 opportunities but were just 5-of-18 with runners in scoring position.
• Eighteen of the 40 outs recorded in the game were groundouts.
• There were four stolen bases in the contest with each team swiping two bases.

 *****

Athletes Unlimited Softball Game 5 Post-Game Notes

Team McCleney 4, Team Rhodes 3 | July 30, 2023 | Parkway Bank Sports Complex

Team Rhodes Starters:

Aubrey Leach (SS), Shannon Rhodes (RF), Rachel Garcia (DP), Jordan Roberts (C), Andrea Filler (1B), Aliyah Andrews (CF), Sydney Romero (2B), Lilli Piper (3B), Bubba Nickles (LF), Brooke Yanez (P)

Team McCleney Starters:

Haylie McCleney (CF), Victoria Hayward (LF), Mia Davidson (C), Sierra Romero (2B), Sam Fischer (3B), Danielle Gibson (1B), Delanie Wisz (DP), Caroline Jacobsen (RF), Sis Bates (SS), Myka Sutherlin (P)

• Winning Pitcher: Megan Faraimo (1-0)
• Losing Pitcher: Sydney Littlejohn Watkins (0-2)
• Save: n/a
• Time of Game: 2:24

Game MVPs: 

• #1 – Megan Faraimo (Team McCleney), +60 points
• #2 – Sierra Romero (Team McCleney), +40 points
• #3 – Rachel Garcia (Team Rhodes), +20 points

*****

GAME 6: Team Denham 4, Team Mulipola 0

ROSEMONT, Illinois – Pitchers Alyssa Denham and Odicci Alexander limited Team Mulipola to just two hits as Team Denham registered the first shutout of the 2023 Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season with a 4-0 verdict to close Sunday’s doubleheader at Parkway Bank Sports Complex. 

The win elevated Team Denham’s record to 2-0 in the opening week, while Team Mulipola stands at 1-1. 

Denham and Alexander, who claimed the top two Game MVP honors, limited Team Mulipola to a hit in the second inning and another hit in the sixth inning. Denham, the MVP 2 selection, earned her second win of the season after throwing four shutout innings with one strikeout en route to 208 leaderboard points. 

Alexander, meanwhile, nailed down her first save of the campaign after throwing the final three frames and giving up one hit with five strikeouts while securing a game-high 216 leaderboard points. 

Corner infielder Kelsey Stewart-Hunter secured MVP 3 recognition with two hits while accounting for three of the team’s four runs. She scored in the seventh inning while driving in a pair of runs, closing the game with 160 points. 

Pitcher Aleshia Ocasio (0-1) took the loss after giving up one run on two hits in 4.0 innings with two strikeouts. 

Game 6 Highlights:

How It Happened: 

Team Denham got the scoring started in the top of the third inning on a sacrifice fly by middle infielder Anissa Urtez before adding another run on a single by Stewart-Hunter in the fifth inning. Stewart-Hunter and Urtez teamed up again to drive in two more runs in the seventh inning for the 4-0 advantage.    

Leaderboard Impact: 

Team Denham holds the top six spots on the leaderboard after the pair of victories. Outfielder Morgan Zerkle enters Monday’s action as the league leader with 380 points, while Urtez and Alexander follow in second and third places, respectively. 

Game Notes:

• Team Denham and Team Mulipola combined to score four runs in Sunday’s second game … Aspiration is committed to planting 10 trees for every run scored during the season as part of its ‘Aspiration Assists’ initiative. 

• Team Mulipola initiated a captain’s challenge of a strikeout by corner infielder Nadia Taylor with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, which was unsuccessful. 

• Team Denham completed the 24th win points sweep in Athletes Unlimited Softball Championship Season history with its 4-0 victory on Sunday … It marked the first time a team claimed all 120 possible win points since Team Denham blanked Team Mulipola by a 4-0 margin on August 27, 2022.

• The teams were a combined 4-for-17 in two-out situations and saw leadoff hitters reach safely in 4-of-14 opportunities. 

• Team Denham was 9-for-18 in advancement opportunities, while Team Mulipola was 0-of-7 in those situations.  

• Zerkle posted her second consecutive multi-hit effort after going 2-for-3 with two runs scored … She also had a three-hit outing in Saturday’s win over Team Rhodes. 

Team Denham Starters: 

Amanda Lorenz (LF), Kelsey Stewart-Hunter (1B), Anissa Urtez (SS), Hannah Flippen (3B), Erika Piancastelli (RF), Gwen Svekis (C), DJ Sanders (DP), Josie Muffley (2B), Morgan Zerkle (CF), Alyssa Denham (P)

Team Mulipola Starters: 

Sydney McKinney (SS), Jessi Warren (3B), Dejah Mulipola (C), Tori Vidales (1B), Megan Wiggins (LF), Kelsey Harshman (2B), Nadia Taylor (DP), Madi Huskey (RF), Jazmyn Jackson (CF), Aleshia Ocasio (P)

• Winning Pitcher: Alyssa Denham (2-0)
• Losing Pitcher: Aleshia Ocasio (0-1)
• Save: Odicci Alexander (1)
• Time of Game: 2:03

Game MVPs: 

• #1 – Odicci Alexander (Team Denham), +60 points
• #2 – Alyssa Denham (Team Denham), +40 points
• #3 – Kelsey Stewart-Hunter (Team Denham), +20 points

Updated Athletes Unlimited Top 10 Leaderboard *

 * – Leaderboard totals include statistics from suspended July 28 game between Team McCleney and Team Denham

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