Team Garcia Wins First Extra-Inning Game of the AUSL All-Star Cup
Final Weekend of AUSL All-Star Cup
Welcome to the final weekend of the Athletes Unlimited Softball All-Star Cup. Kayla Kowalik entered the weekend with a comfortable lead, and the first matchup between Team Coffel and Team Garcia wasted no time setting the stage for drama.
Pitchers Dominate Early
The first inning belonged to the pitchers. Montana Fouts struck out Danieca Coffey before giving up a single to Jadelyn Allchin, but a double play from Jessi Warren ended the threat. Rachel Garcia, entering with a 0.63 ERA, answered with a strikeout looking to Amanda Lorenz on a tight 3-2 call and retired the side in order.
Both Fouts and Garcia stayed sharp through the early innings. Team Garcia threatened in the third when Ciara Briggs and Coffey reached with two outs, but Team Coffel escaped without damage.
Team Garcia Strikes First
In the fourth, Team Garcia grabbed a 2-0 lead. Sydney McKinney came through with two outs, driving a 2 RBI double that scored Ana Gold and Rachel Garcia.
Team Coffel quickly responded in the bottom half. With the bases loaded, Sierra Romero worked an RBI walk to cut the lead to one. Caroline Jacobsen then delivered the biggest swing of the game to that point, a bases-clearing double in the gap that gave Team Coffel a 4-2 lead. That rally forced a pitching change and brought Lexi Kilfoyl into the game.
Momentum Shifts Back
Team Garcia did not stay down long. In the fifth, after Briggs singled and Coffey walked, Rachel Garcia and Jessi Warren each added RBI singles to tie it up at 4-4.
Kilfoyl and Megan Faraimo took over from there. Kilfoyl quieted Team Coffel in the bottom of the fifth with a key strikeout, while Faraimo came in for Team Coffel and piled up four strikeouts across two innings of dominant relief.
Extra Innings Battle
The game remained tied into the seventh, and both teams left runners stranded. In the eighth, Team Garcia loaded the bases but could not push across a run, as Faraimo forced Dejah Mulipola into a flyout. Team Coffel nearly walked it off in the bottom half after Victoria Hayward doubled, but Kilfoyl buckled down with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
Finally in the ninth, Briggs began on second base and Coffey dropped a perfect bloop single to move her to third. Allchin then lifted a sac fly to left, bringing Briggs home for the go-ahead run.
Team Garcia Closes It Out
With their backs against the wall, Team Coffel moved Delanie Wisz to third on a sac bunt, but Kilfoyl slammed the door. She struck out Jordan Roberts looking to end the game and seal Team Garcia’s 5-4 victory.
A Great Game
It was the first extra-inning game of the All-Star Cup and it lived up to the moment. Kilfoyl was lights out in relief, tossing 5.2 innings with only two hits allowed, one walk, and seven strikeouts. Her ability to rise to the moment made all the difference in one of the best games of the summer.
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