When Jocelyn Alo was intentionally walked with the Athletes Unlimited AUX professional softball title at stake, Bubba Nickles took control of the game.
During Tuesday night’s game, Alo was almost the winner. If the college softball all-time home run leader had hit one more home run, she would have won the championship. On the contrary, the former Oklahoma star came in second place after being walked. Nickles reaped the rewards. Despite starting the last day of competition in fourth position, the ex-Bruins player stormed to a six-point victory and the individual title in Wichita, Kansas.
After leading the league in RBIs with eleven, Nickles finished second with five home runs. “I wasn´t doing anything special other than showing up and doing the best I could for my team every day,” said Nickles. “There are a lot of players who did amazing things this season, and my goal was just to learn and get better with every at-bat.” Alo, who hit six home runs to lead the league, hoped she could have played for the championship.
“I mean, it´s just part of the game, you know,” remarked the woman. I think I would have acted similarly if I had been on the opposing side of that argument. However, a part of me also believes that in such a scenario, being a competitor means just competing. However, that is the reality. This place was fantastic, and I refuse to allow that one minor setback dampen my spirits.
Among the 42 competitors, Delanie Wisz, a former player for UCLA, placed third. The defensive MVP was Jessi Warren, a former FSU catcher. Rosemont, Illinois is the site of the Athletes Unlimited championship on July 26. The sixth individual title is up for grabs, and sixty participants are set to compete. Wichita will see a reimagined AU Pro Softball in 2025. The city is one of several that will play host to the first season of the brand new, conventional team-format Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).
