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Week 5 of the Athletes Unlimited softball season kicked off on Saturday, the final full weekend of the season, with home runs playing a big part as the early game had back-to-back-to-back dingers while the later contest saw Jordan Roberts smash a big 3-run blast to help Cat Osterman win yet another game.
Here are recaps of the games today written by Bruce Miles for Athletes Unlimited and photos courtesy of Jade Hewitt Media.
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Game 25: THREE STRAIGHT HOME RUNS LIFT TEAM WARREN OVER TEAM OCASIO
Talk about orange crushing it.
Captain Jessie Warren’s Team Orange put some pop and fizz into the proceedings Saturday on a cloudy afternoon at Parkway Bank Sports Complex.
Team Warren hit four home runs during a 7-4 victory over Team Ocasio. While back-to-back homers have been in vogue during this Athletes Unlimited softball season, Team Warren batters went that 1-2-3 better with back-to-back-to-back shots in the bottom of the third inning to erase a 3-0 deficit and take a 4-3 lead.
Even better, the homers came on consecutive pitches.
Warren singled with one out in the third. Amanda Chidester launched her second homer of the season, a drive to center against Aleshia Ocasio. On the next two pitches, Taylor Edwards and Katiyana Mauga each went deep to left. Warren got in on the fun with a two-run homer in the fourth.
There was a little extra treat awaiting Team Warren long ball hitters on their way home: a can of orange soda to chug in celebration.
“It was super fun,” said Warren, the game’s MVP 1 for 60 additional points in addition to her 70 stat points and 80 win points. “There was Fanta soda, so we decided to go with the Fanta Girls this week. “We decided to get some sodas and then came up with the celebration at practice and kind of just went with it. We had four celebrations today and hopefully some more this weekend.”
Chidester said she got enough just to wet her whistle.
“We didn’t chug the whole thing, at least I didn’t,” she said.
But there was an art to the run, catch and chug.
“It was definitely fun,” Edwards said. “You had to really focus on catching it first and not dropping it, and especially on stepping on home plate.”
Team Ocasio got the early jump in the top of the third with three runs, all with two outs as Danielle O’Toole quickly retired Nadia Taylor and Caleigh Clifton.
Ocasio doubled on a ball that ticked off Warren’s glove at third base and bounded into left field. Kelsey Jenkins singled Ocasio home. A single by Sashel Palacios, coupled with a throwing error, put runners on second and third for Nicole DeWitt, who drove both runners home with a single to center.
The four-run third and three-run fourth gave O’Toole and Team Warren some breathing room before Clifton hit a solo homer in the sixth.
O’Toole was the game’s MVP 2 for an additional 40 points. She worked the first six innings before giving way to Trish Parks in the seventh. Parks gave up a walk, got a groundout and then walked another batter before O’Toole re-entered the game and got the final two outs as she improved to 4-4 for the season.
Chidester earned an additional 20 points for winning MVP 2 honors.
“One of things was Lele (Ocasio) was throwing strikes early in the count,” Chidester said. “We were all aware of that. It was just stay patient, see the ball and go for it. That’s exactly what I do. It was stay calm and find your pitch. And for everyone else to go first pitch for back-to-back-to-back home runs, that was awesome.”
Teams that Warren has captained are 7-0, and she’s the only player not to lose a game while serving as captain. She spread the credit around.
“It’s really not all about me,” she said. “I get input from everybody on the team about lineups and things and who we think should be on the mound. So it’s kind of a collective thing. We’re all one unit. It’s nothing I’m doing individually. Pats on the backs to my teammates as well because they’re also helping me with these decisions. I’m not doing it alone.”
Here are the Game 25 video highlights:
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Game 26: Jordan Roberts’ three-run homer helps Team Osterman on way to victory
You didn’t need to see the stadium lights all lit up to know that the power was back on at Parkway Banks Sports Complex.
The hitters of Athletes Unlimited provided all the juice.
That continued in Saturday’s second game as Team Osterman outslugged Team Piancastelli 9-5 to cap a power-packed doubleheader.
There has been only one game this season in which there was not a home run. Last Monday’s 2-0 victory for Team Osterman over Team Reed ended a streak of 23 games with at least one.
Things went back to business as usual Saturday.
In the day’s first game, Teams Ocasio and Warren combined for five homers. In the nightcap, Teams Osterman and Piancastelli hit four home runs between them, two coming by captain Erika Piancastelli in a losing effort.
Piancastelli moved into the Athletes Unlimited lead in homers with teammate Sahvanna Jaquish, with both having eight.
The day’s happiest homer, however, may have been he three-run blast hit by pinch hitter Jordan Roberts in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Team Osterman a 3-1 lead after Piancastelli hit one in the top half.
For Roberts, it was her second homer of the season in only eight at-bats. Earlier this season, she homered in her first professional at-bat.
Her smile as she rounded the bases may have been the widest of the entire day.
“It was amazing,” said Roberts, who earned MVP 1 honors and 60 points on top of her 40 for the homer and 120 team points. “It’s a great opportunity to be here, just to have the chance for Cat (Osterman) to trust me in that position. To help the team was amazing. I was really happy.”
Piancastelli earned MVP 2 and 40 points to go with her 80 for the two home runs. Her three-run drive to left-center in the fifth against Osterman – who had relieved starter Haylie Wagner – highlighted a four-run top of the fifth.
It was Piancastelli’s second multi-homer game of the season.
“I was seeing the ball pretty well today,” she said. “I think I was just having a lot of fun with my team, and when I’m having fun with my team, it allows me to be at peace in the box and just be myself and focus on the pitches. My team helped me a lot today, and I’m really proud to be on the Blue team.”
Vidales added icing and insurance in the sixth with a solo homer, a big hit over the all in left field. In the third inning, she flied out to the wall in right.
This time she made sure to get it all.
“It was funny because Erika and I were actually talking about that before the game,” she said. “I was just really comfortable in the box. When I’m able to spray to every side of the field, that’s how you know you’re really seeing it and your body feels right, and you’re on it. I had to make sure I got one before I got out of there.”
“She was definitely seeing it,” Piancastelli chimed in.
The players of Athletes Unlimited are making sure to have fun. Team Gold home run hitters were presented with a large chain to wear around their necks after the rounded the bases.
Now for the back story.
“It was actually kind of funny,” Vidales said. “Mizuno sent (teammate) Samantha Show a chain that she had. She brought it out and was like, ‘Hey, funny story. They just sent this to me. I just got it. Let’s put it on whoever hits a home run.’ Jordan actually put it on the first time. I think we weren’t ready for it, for someone to hit a home run. So it was kind of delayed. Whenever I hit mine, it was already in the spot it was supposed to be in at a good grabbing spot.
“It was just really fun. It was just something that we do. We like to plan on each team the home run celebration. It was all good fun.”
There was some good pitching in this game, despite the home run barrage. Osterman earned the win in relief of Wagner and improved to 9-1. Wagner was very good. She worked the first four innings and then finished in the seventh. In her five innings, she allowed five hits and only one run.
Team Gold outfielder Morgan Zerkle used her speed for two singles, including an infield single. She also stole second and third in the fifth, getting 10 points for each of those steals in addition to 10 each for the singles.
Here are the Game 26 video highlights: