Garcia has big day at plate, in circle

FROM A PRESS RELEASE

SAN DIEGO — Highland grad Rachel Garcia put together arguably one of the greatest days in the history of Athletes Unlimited Softball on Thursday at San Diego State.

After leading Team O’Toole to a 4-3 extra-inning victory against Team Zerkle to begin the day, the former UCLA standout decided she could do even more. Garcia blasted two home runs to tally 240 leaderboard points and lead Team O’Toole to a 7-3 triumph over Team Fischer in the nightcap.

Garcia, who earned MVP 1 honors in the opener, duplicated her efforts in the second game to give her a league-high four MVP 1 awards this season. She has five total with one MVP 3 award. She also led her squad to 100 of the 120 possible win points in the victory.

In the first game, Garcia, who accrued 228 leaderboard points, earned the win after throwing the most innings by a pitcher this season. The former UCLA standout spun 6.2 scoreless innings and scattered just three hits while striking out a season-high six hitters.

In addition to her performance in the circle, Garcia went 2-for-3 at the plate.

After Team Zerkle forced extra innings by scoring twice in the top of the seventh inning, Team O’Toole secured the victory in the bottom of the eighth inning when Amanda Chidester singled down the left-field line to bring home Sierra Romero.

Chidester earned MVP 2 honors while Romero picked up MVP 3 honors.

While Garcia was the star at the plate in the second game, team captain Danielle O’Toole was putting her own stellar performance together in the pitching circle. O’Toole became the first pitcher to hurl a complete game in AUX Softball history, giving up three runs on 10 hits with three strikeouts.

Outfielder Victoria Hayward and middle infielder Sis Bates anchored the Team Fischer lineup in the loss, combining to go 4-for-7 with two runs scored and a walk. Both players authored a two-hit performance while Bates added a run batted in.

Rookie pitcher Mariah Mazon took the loss for Team Fischer after surrendering four runs on four hits with three strikeouts.

Team O’Toole broke a 3-all tie by scoring four runs in its final three trips to the plate. Garcia’s first blast, a solo shot to right field in the fourth inning, broke the deadlock before outfielder Aliyah Andrews scored in the fifth for a 5-3 advantage. Garcia completed the scoring in the sixth inning when she hit her second home run of the night, a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers with no outs in the sixth inning.

O’Toole earned MVP 2 honors, while Tori Vidales earned MVP 3 honors. Vidales hit a two-run home run for Team O’Toole, while Amanda Lorenz hit a solo shot.

Garcia’s impressive night vaulted her 22 spots up the leaderboard and she now stands in second with 1,188 points behind O’Toole, who owns the overall lead with 1,252 points.

Chidester also made a six-spot improvement on the league standings and ranks third in the circuit with 1,064 points.

All of the Athletes Unlimited softball players wore IX on the back of their jerseys to honor the 50th anniversary of Title IX on Thursday.