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While Saturday action in Athletes Unlimited saw some impressive pitching and close games, including an extra inning nail biter, Sunday’s games saw the bats take over in two one-sided contests.
In the opening game, Team Ocasio scored two touchdowns, err, make that produced 14 runs in a 14-1 blowout while Team Chidester cruised in the nightcap with a 6-1 win.
Here’s a closer look at both games…
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Game 21: Team Ocasio Offense Explodes for 14 Runs in Victory Over Team Jaquish
ROSEMONT, Ill. – What’s for brunch? For Team Purple Sunday, it was a platterful of extra-base hits.
Getting an early start on things at 11 a.m. CT in Rosemont, Illinois captain Aleshia Ocasio’s team feasted on pitching from Team Jaquish (Orange), hitting three home runs and five doubles in a 14-1 victory.
This came just hours after Team Ocasio (Purple) dropped a tough extra-inning loss after rallying to tie Saturday night’s late game against Team Chidester.
“Our approach today was to come out with the same fierceness that we did yesterday,” said catcher Gwen Svekis, who hit her third and fourth home runs of the season and drove in five runs. “I think we all know we put bat on ball yesterday, and it just didn’t fall our way. Lele (Ocasio) pitched a great game. CC (Sunday’s pitcher Odicci Alexander) showed up today and pitched an awesome game to help her out.
“That was awesome. Putting up zeros on the board helps us gain momentum throughout the game, and it’s easier for the offense to rally behind that. Hitting is really contagious. We had a couple innings where it was just hit after hit after hit. That stuff is hard to slow down once it gets going.”
Check out the video highlights from the explosive opening game on Sunday:
Amanda Sanchez opened the scoring for Team Ocasio with an RBI double in the second against Taran Alvelo (1-3). Kelsey Stewart hit a sacrifice fly, and Svekis hit the first homer, a line-drive to left field to bring in two more.
Purple broke it open completely in the fourth with five more. Amanda Lorenz hit a two-run double, and Kelsey Stewart followed with a home run to right. Svekis hit her second homer of the game in the sixth, a three-run blast over the TV cameras in center.
In the circle, Alexander (2-1) worked five innings, giving up three hits and one run while walking no one and striking out seven.
Now and then, Svekis would impart a word or two of wisdom to Alexander. The two players finished 1-2 in the game’s MVP voting, with Stewart third.
“Honestly, just be smart,” said Alexander, who also got an at-bat in the sixth and doubled. “They know these hitters better than I do. I’m confident with Gwen back there, and I know she’s confident in me. Just having someone believe in you and knowing what you can do, knowing you can do it, I think that takes me a very long way.”
Svekis has worked both ends of the spectrum, having caught veteran legend Cat Osterman and rising star Alexander.
“Oh my gosh,” Svekis said. “Odicci is obviously one of the rookies everyone in the world wants to get to know. So having her in this league and getting to know her as a human and also seeing what a beast she is on the mound, she’s a really smart player. It’s easy. She’s a sponge. Sometimes pitchers do what they do, and they want to keep doing it. Odicci wants to learn. She wants to know what gets these hitters out.
“Catching Cat who is a longtime vet who I get to learn from and then getting to catch CC who is a rookie and getting to impart any little grain of knowledge I might have in my brain is really fulfilling, and I love catching CC.”
Not only was Sunday a big day on the field, but Athletes Unlimited dedicated the day to celebrating Hispanic and LatinX Heritage Month.
“I feel good,” said Team Ocasio third baseman Amanda Sanchez. “Today was really awesome to celebrate. I’m glad I get to be here, and I’m glad I get to be a part of a great team and I get to have my family in the stands. I think this weekend is just really fun. I’m glad I was able to put on a show for my family and help our team win.”
With the victory, Ocasio moved up three spots to first in the overall points leaderboard with 1,358. Stewart went from 10th to fifth, with 1,142.
— Bruce Miles, Athletes Unlimited
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Game 22: Carrie Eberle Throws Six Inning of One-Run Ball as Team Chidester Defeats Team Osterman 6-1
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Every season has its unsung heroes and unsung role players.
In Athletes Unlimited Softball this year, that title may just belong to pitcher Carrie Eberle. The rookie right-hander has excelled as both a starter and as a reliever over the first four weeks of play.
After starting Saturday night, Eberle came back late Sunday afternoon to start again. She wound up tossing six innings of five-hit ball in leading Team Chidester (Gold) to a 6-1 victory over Team Osterman (Blue) at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex.
In two days, she worked 10 innings, allowing just one run.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Eberle, who improved to 1-1 and took home 60 bonus points for being vote MVP 1 of the game by her peers. “It’s been fun to pitch kind of a different way just because of elite hitters and having to use more of my pitches. It’s been fun to develop relationships with all of the catchers, so it’s been a great experience.”
Eberle outdueled Blue captain Cat Osterman, who worked four innings and gave up four hits and four runs. The formula for Eberle was a familiar one: get a lot of groundball outs. In her six innings, she got 11 outs via the ground.
“I think it was just locating well today and was mixing in the change and off-speed, which helps make the drop more effective, because people just can’t sit and get their plane of the bat there all the time,” she said. “I think that was the key to success today.”
Team Chidester jumped on Osterman for three runs in the first inning. Captain Amanda Chidester led off with a walk and went to second on Haylie McCleney’s groundout. Ali Aguilar doubled past left fielder Bubba Nickles to score Chidester.
Osterman struck out Anissa Urtez, but Morgan Zerkle pulled a pitch to right for her third home run of the season.
Click on this video to see the action from top plays in the closing game on Sunday:
Getting off to a quick start against Osterman was important, according to Aguilar.
“It’s so important,” she said. “As early as you can get the momentum, especially with her on the mound, that’s great. Me getting the hit and Zerk coming through with the home run was huge momentum for us in the first inning.”
Zerkle was the MVP 3 of the game. Any home run off a pitcher of Osterman’s caliber is special.
“Of course,” Zerkle said. “Cat’s a great pitcher and very experienced. To be able to have that success definitely feels pretty good. It’s what you’re working for, to be able to hit off of everyone.”
Chidester led off with a walk in the third and she later scored on Urtez’s single. Right fielder Kayla Wedl ran in and made a sliding attempt for the ball, but she couldn’t come up with it. Osterman worked out of it from there on a forceout at home and a double play.
Team Gold added a pair in the fifth on a two-run double by Urtez. After being named MVP 1 Saturday night, Urtez picked up 40 bonus points Sunday for MVP 2 honors. She told the crowd after the game that she was happy to spend the day with family as Athletes Unlimited celebrated Hispanic and LatinX Heritage Month with a day of special activities.
Team Osterman threatened Eberle in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. A leaping stab of Dejah Mulipola’s liner by Urtez turned into a 6-4 double play. Team Osterman did score on a wild pitch, but Eberle shut it down from there before giving way to Sara Groenewegen for the seventh.
As far as the infusion of young talent that has come into Athletes Unlimited, two-year veteran Zerkle applauds it.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “I think that’s the kind of atmosphere you want in a league like this. You want the most competitive players from rookies to veterans, all the way up. It’s really awesome to see younger people do well, and it’s great for our sport, as well.”
— Bruce Miles, Athletes Unlimited