Pendley, Mauga Combine for Four Homers in Final Weekend of Athletes Unlimited

CHICAGO – They ended the season with a bang. Katiyana Mauga and Nicole Pendley, who both coached on Mississippi State's 2020 staff, wrapped up the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited softball on Monday night.

The duo combined for four home runs in the final weekend, and Pendley earned MVP honors on Saturday. Mauga finished the season ranked 13^th on the overall leaderboard with 1,530 points. She was tied for third in the league with six home runs.

Mauga and Pendley opened the week going head-to-head for the second time. Mauga and Team Warren took that game, 7-4, with Mauga, who was the designated player in all three games, hitting the first of three solo homers on the weekend. She added two more solo shots the next day against Team Piancastelli, as her team cruised to a 15-9 victory.

"After the first at-bat (a strikeout in the first), I just wanted to make sure I settled down," Mauga said. "I know I went first-pitch swinging the first at-bat so my next at-bat I was like, 'OK, I want to see more pitches. I'm going to stick to my plan and execute it."

Pendley was hit for while playing left field out of the flex spot on Saturday but delivered a big hit on Sunday. Despite losing 15-2 to Team Osterman, she provided all of Team Ocasio's runs with a pinch-hit, two-run homer. The New Mexico native pinch hit again in a tightly contested game against Team Piancastelli on Monday.

Cat Osterman won the first season of the new league, with Jessica Warren and Victoria Hayward taking second and third places, respectively. Haley McCleney was voted the Defensive Player of the Year.

For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."

Katiyana Mauga's Game-by-Game Stats

W, 7-4 vs. Team Ocasio (Purple) – 1-for-3, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 120 total points
W, 15-9 vs. Team Piancastelli (Blue) – 2-for-5, 2, R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 3 K, 160 total points
L, 18-3 vs. Team Osterman (Gold) – 0-for-3, 1 K, 30 total points

WEEKLY TOTAL – 3 GP, 3 GS, 3-for-11 (.273), 3 R, 3 HR, 3 RBI, 4 K, .273 OBP, .900 SLG, 310 total points

SEASON TOTAL – 15 GP, 14 GS, 11-for-46 (.239), 6 R, 6 HR, 13 RBI, 4 BB, 8 K, .300 OBP, .630 SLG, 73 PO, 1 E, 76.0 INN Fielding, 1530 total points (No. 13)

Nicole Pendley's Game-by-Game Stats

L, 4-7 vs. Team Warren (Orange) – 1 PO, 40 total points
L, 2-15 vs. Team Osterman (Yellow) – 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K, MVP 1, 100 total points
L, 1-2 vs. Team Piancastelli (Blue) – 0-for-1, 20 total points

WEEKLY TOTAL – 3 GP, 1 GS, 1-for-3 (.333), 1 R, 1 PO, 2.0 INN Fielding, 160 total points

SEASON TOTAL – 14 GP, 11 GS, 5-for-32 (.156), 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 7 K, 2 SAC, .182 OBP, .250 SLG, 15 PO, 1 E, 74.0 INN Fielding, 740 total points (No. 52)

Mississippi State University Athletics

Pendley, Mauga Combine for Four Homers in Final Weekend of Athletes Unlimited

Related Videos