Team Ricketts defeats Team Garcia 4-1, Klingler takes MVP 1

The Series 1 finale of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup was built on great pitching and timely offense. Team Ricketts took the win 4-1 and never trailed in this one.

Team Ricketts got to Rachel Garcia from the jump. Maya Brady, Sydney Romero and Morgan Zerkle singled consecutively to begin the game. Tiare Jennings grounded into a double play, but Brady scored on the play to give Team Ricketts the 1-0 lead. Garcia then got out of the inning with a strikeout of Amari Harper.

With the run scored, Team Ricketts went on to win the inning. Amber Fiser took the ball and retired Team Garcia in order. Fiser began and ended the side with a strikeout looking and really hit the corners well.

The second inning went scoreless, which rolled over 10 points to the third. Garcia and Fiser combined for a clean inning. Fiser continued to show great movement and command. After Ailana Agbayani worked a two-out walk, Fiser fell behind 3-0 to Sydney Stewart. She battled back to a 3-2 count and retired her on a groundout that ended the inning.

Garcia really settled in and put up another clean inning in the top half of the third. She struck out Brady in the process, working the outside with her curveball. Fiser took to the circle in the bottom of the third and retired her last two hitters before Kenzie Brown relieved her and struck out Skylar Wallace. Fiser pitched 2.2 innings of no-hit ball with 3 strikeouts to 1 walk.

With neither team scoring for the second consecutive inning, the fourth inning presented a chance for 30 win points. Garcia had retired nine straight before Jennings hit a one-out single to left in the top of the fourth.

She responded with her fourth strikeout of the day, before Reese Atwood reached on a throwing error to put two on with two outs. However, a Jordan Woolery lineout retired the side. Team Ricketts put up another zero on the scoreboard to finish the fourth inning, keeping Team Garcia hitless.

In the fifth, Garcia picked up more points by retiring the top side in order, ending with another strikeout of Brady for the fifth on the day. Then, Brown worked through another scoreless inning, only giving up a walk with a strikeout recorded.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Morgan Zerkle broke through with a single to left field. On the next play, she collided with Agbayani between first and second for an out. Jennings reached first on the play. Agbayani exited the game, with Ana Gold taking her spot at second.

Kendra Falby pinch hit for Harper and worked a six-pitch two-out walk to put two on. That brought Reese Atwood to the plate, who came through with an RBI single to score Jennings, taking a 2-0 lead.

Garcia remained in the circle and gave up a walk to Woolery to load the bases. Her command had gone by the wayside, and then, Baylee Klingler drove a two-RBI double to increase Team Ricketts’ lead to 4-0.

With the three-run inning for Team Ricketts, they went on to take 50 win points after Team Garcia failed to match. However, Wallace finally broke up the no-hitter and demolished a 239-foot leadoff solo shot, making the score 4-1 Team Ricketts.

Garcia finished the complete game and retired the top of the seventh and picked up 12 stat points.

Keilani Ricketts came on to close out the game in the bottom half. With two outs, Bubba Nickles-Camarena gapped a double to right-center. Then, with Aubrey Leach at bat, Nickles-Camarena advanced to third on a passed ball, but a Leach groundout finished the game.

With Monday night’s results, Klingler took MVP 1 and is a captain for the next series. Brown earned MVP 2 and captain status, and Fiser rounded out with MVP 3. Rylie Boone earned the Defensive MVP. Ricketts also kept her spot as a captain for Series 2.

Stay tuned for the results from Series 2’s draft. Team Ricketts will take on Team Klingler on Friday at 8 p.m. EDT / 7 p.m. CDT on CBS Sports Network. Tickets for the game in Rosemont, Ill., are available at the link below.

https://theausl.com/tickets/?event-id=128247