Smith Family Stadium was the site of a nine-inning showdown on Monday night as the Carolina Blaze erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Texas Volts.
Pitcher Aleshia Ocasio, who allowed two earned runs and struck out three batters over 2.2 innings in the circle, delivered the game-winning hit, driving in two runs with a single to right-center field to help Carolina improve to 4-1 on the season.
The Blaze and Volts each finished with 10 hits while Carolina matched an AUSL single-game record with 11 walks. Dakota Kennedy led the Blaze offensively by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, while Ana Gold tied the game in the sixth inning with her first home run of the season. Ocasio reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks and two RBIs.
Texas held a 3-1 lead through four innings behind Sierra Romero’s two-run homer in the third inning, which marked her first home run of the season. The Volts regained the lead in the ninth after scoring on a pair of wild pitches, but stranded 12 runners on base. Riley Boone added two hits for Texas, while Rachel Garcia allowed four runs, three earned, over 6.0 innings in the circle.
The game featured two lead changes over the final two innings. Texas took a 4-3 lead in the eighth before Carolina answered with a game-tying RBI double from Devyn Netz. The Volts regained a 5-4 advantage in the ninth when Jaydyn Goodwin scored on a wild pitch, but the lead lasted just two batters. Carolina’s Alyssa Brito singled, scoring Jenna Laird, who was placed on second, and Aleshia Ocasio followed with her walk-off two-run single to right-center field.
Karlyn Pickens earned the win in relief for Carolina, improving to 3-0 after allowing two runs, including one earned run, on two hits with three strikeouts over the final three innings.
Siera Jones is the digital media reporter at Athletes Unlimited. You can follow her on Instagram and X @sieraajones.