“A whole team win.”
Blaze Puts it Together Against Bandits
When things are stacked against you, and nobody expects anything good from you; that is when it is time to strike. I would say that is the situation that the Blaze has been in during this Athletes Unlimited Softball season.
Coming in to today, with a record of 2-11 and facing a Bandits team that had been hot through the first half of the season, the odds of course were against them. Not to mention the weather for the first few innings was not ideal, as rain poured and made it difficult on pitchers and fielders on both sides.
On a rainy afternoon in Rosemont, the Blaze and Bandits took the field, both looking to bounce back from losses the night before. Sarah Willis got the start for the Bandits, while Aliyah Binford stepped into the circle for her professional debut with the Blaze.
The Blaze wasted no time. Korbe Otis and Aubrey Leach reached base to open the game, and Ana Gold followed with a single to load the bases. Kayla Kowalik worked a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first run, and former Clemson Tiger McKenzie Clark tacked on another with a sac fly. Just like that, it was 2–0.
Binford’s Composed Debut in the Rain
Binford had to fight the elements right away, with the rain coming down harder pitch by pitch. Skylar Wallace beat out an infield single, and Erin Coffel smoked an RBI triple to put the Bandits on the board at 2–1. Still, Binford showed poise, locating pitches through the downpour and settling in.
Second Inning Explosion from the Blaze
Ali Newland led off the second with a double and would later score on an Aubrey Leach RBI double. Ana Gold and Danielle Gibson Whorton added to the hit parade, with the Blaze extending their lead to 5–1. Mistakes in the field compounded the damage, and after another misfire on a bunt and a rundown error, it was 7–1 before the Bandits could escape.
Willis gave way to Odicci Alexander, but the Blaze were capitalizing on every opportunity. Meanwhile, Binford picked up her first professional strikeout and worked around trouble in her final inning of work.
Bandits Battle Back with a Four-Run Second
The Bandits showed fight in the second. A walk, two singles, and a walk with the bases loaded cut it to 7–2. Erin Coffel drew another walk, and Bubba Nickles-Camarena delivered a 2-RBI single to pull the Bandits within two runs, trailing 7–5.
Trading Blows in the Third
The Blaze quickly responded. Andrews got aboard with a bunt single and stole second before Leach drove her in with another RBI double. That made it 9–5. But the Bandits, as they often do, kept the pressure on. Morgan Zerkle slapped a 2-RBI double down the left field line to make it 9–8 by the end of the third.
Errors and Aggression Add Up
In the fourth, chaos returned. A dropped ball at second allowed Clark to reach. After loading the bases, the Bandits tried to trap a runner, and Kowalik took full advantage, scoring on a gutsy sprint home. Blaze went up 10–8.
Lemley Brings Stability
Emma Lemley took over in the fourth and stopped the bleeding with a two-strikeout inning. She battled through a 33-pitch frame but stranded runners and gave the Blaze their first clean inning of the day.
A Quiet Fifth Brings a Breather
Taylor McQuillin retired the Blaze in order in the top of the fifth, and Lemley matched that energy with back-to-back strikeouts. Zerkle singled and stole second but was left stranded. For the first time all afternoon, both teams went scoreless.
Kowalik and Urtez Extend the Lead
Kayla Kowalik wasted no time in the sixth, blasting a leadoff triple to center. McQuillin got Clark to strike out, but Anissa Urtez came through with a huge RBI double to push the lead to 11–8. Newland struck out and Andrews flied out, but the Blaze had gained another insurance run.
Bandits Trim It Again
The Bandits stayed alive in the bottom half. Coffel led off with a triple and scored on a Delanie Wisz groundout to make it 11–9.
Otis Homers, Leach Stays Hot
The Blaze responded once again, and it started with Korbe Otis. She drilled a leadoff home run to right field in the top of the seventh, giving the Blaze a 12–9 lead. Aubrey Leach added her fourth hit of the game, finishing the day 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Patty Gasso said Leach was a gamer in OKC during the USA Softball All-Star Showcase, that continues to be true. She’s the kind of hitter every team wants and can plug in anywhere.
Vawter Called On to Close It Out
Emma Lemley had done her job, putting together three scoreless innings. So it was Alana Vawter’s turn to close things out in the bottom of the seventh, but it would not be easy.
Mary Iakopo singled with one out, and Sydney McKinney followed with a double to move her to third. The top of the Bandits order came back around, and Morgan Zerkle delivered an RBI single to make it 12–10.
Still with just one out, Skylar Wallace loaded the bases with a single to third. Huge moment in the game, and credit to Ana Gold for a slick play at the hot corner that saved a possible extra base hit.
That brought up Erin Coffel, but her infield pop-up was a huge second out. Now it was down to Bubba Nickles-Camarena, who had already come through once in the game. This time though, Vawter got the job done, a fly out to center field would seal it.
Final:
Blaze 12, Bandits 10
