WICHITA, Kan. – Making a splash in her first taste of professional softball, Auburn alumna Maddie Penta made her debut with Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball’s AUX this week and quickly proved why she was a two-time All-American in the collegiate ranks.
The 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year was drafted in the eighth round to Team Warren, captained by Florida State softball alumna Jessi Warren, for AUX Series 1.
Penta made three appearances and one start over the course of Series 1, totaling 216 points. She finished tied for fourth with six strikeouts over her 7.1 innings of work. She held opponents to a .280 average and posted a 1-0 record behind a 3.82 earned run average.
Penta made her professional debut on Monday night, tossing an inning of relief for Team Warren. Penta only needed three pitches to record her first professional strikeout. In her one frame of work, the Chesapeake City, Maryland native struck out two and issued one walk to keep it a one-run game.
Team Warren and Penta returned to the diamond on Tuesday. The rookie once again entered the game in relief and worked three full innings. Penta was tagged for one run off two hits and a wild pitch and recorded a pair of strikeouts.
Penta tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth inning, stranding the tying run at third base in the eighth, to lead Team Warren to its first win of Series 1 and earn her first professional victory.
It was a doubleheader slate for Team Warren on Thursday with Penta earning her first professional start in game two of the twin billing. Penta went 3.1 innings, striking out a pair. She did not factor into the decision on Thursday.
AUX Series 2 Draft is set for 3 p.m. CT on Friday with Jocelyn Alo, Taylor Edwards and McKenzie Clark serving as team captains. Series 2 begins on Sunday, June 16 and concludes on Wednesday, June 19. Every game of Series 2 is available on the ESPN Family of Networks.