Kayla Kowalik Called a One-Hitter and Won Both AUSL All-Star Cup MVPs
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Kowalik caught Rachel Garcia for the first time on Saturday and called all 84 pitches of a one-hit shutout.
Kayla Kowalik crouched behind the plate in Rosemont, Illinois on Saturday, August 8. She was catching Rachel Garcia for the first time, and the two of them had prepared by mostly talking. “We spent more time talking than actually having a bullpen,” Garcia said.
Kowalik catches for the Carolina Blaze, and she won the last AUSL All-Star Cup with 1,590 leaderboard points. So the AUSL made her one of three Series 1 captains on July 29, alongside Garcia and Keilani Ricketts. Kowalik then won the MVP award in both Series 1 games.
Calling a game for a new pitcher is the hardest version of the job. After all, there is no history to lean on. Kowalik said as much afterward.
“For me, it was a lot of stress figuring out what she likes, her tendencies,” Kowalik said.
Figuring that out is the catcher’s real work, and Kowalik did it live. She watched Garcia’s release, tracked which pitch had bite, and noticed what the hitters chased. Every answer became her next call.
Garcia needed 84 pitches to finish the complete game, and she allowed one hit and no runs. Kowalik called every one of those pitches. Meanwhile Garcia shook Kowalik off about twice all afternoon.
“I followed her the entire time, I think I only shook her twice,” Garcia said.
A shake-off count that low is what pitcher-catcher trust looks like.
The game stayed scoreless until the top of the fifth, when Kowalik doubled home Amanda Lorenz. Nobody else scored, and Kowalik’s side won 1-0.
Game 2 came on Monday, August 10. Bri Ellis got hit by a pitch in the bottom of the seventh. Then the other side walked Amanda Lorenz on purpose. The walk loaded the bases and brought Kowalik to the plate.
Kowalik took two balls for a 2-0 count with the bases full. That count begs for one enormous swing. Kowalik chose the small one instead: a single through the left side, and the winning run crossed for a 3-2 finish.
Kowalik left Rosemont with 100 MVP points, level with Garcia at the top of the field. The rest of Kowalik’s Series 1 ledger, per the AUSL team recap, reads as follows.
| After Series 1 | Kowalik |
|---|---|
| All-Star Cup leaderboard | 2nd overall |
| MVP points | 100 (tied with Rachel Garcia for the lead) |
| Stat points | 50 |
| Hits | two singles, one double |
The AUSL named Kowalik the Gold Team captain for Series 2. Your next bullpen might be with a pitcher you have caught fifty times, or with one you meet on Thursday. Either way the job is the same. Watch her, believe what you see, and call the next pitch.
Try this at your next practice
- First-look bullpen. Pair with a pitcher you rarely catch and call a full bullpen without talking about pitch selection first. Afterward, tell her what you learned about her release and her best pitch, then let her correct you.
- Shake-off count. Have a teammate count how many times your pitcher shakes off a sign during a scrimmage inning. A low count means you are reading what she shows you today. A high count means you are calling from habit instead.
- Two-oh with the bases loaded. Start a live batting-practice at-bat at 2-0 with runners on every base. Take the pitch you can drive up the middle, since the small swing wins that spot more often than the big one.
Sources: Kowalik excels behind the dish and at the plate in Series 1 of the All-Star Cup (AUSL); Kowalik, Garcia and Ricketts Named Series 1 Captains for 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup (AUSL); Kayla Kowalik wins AUSL All-Star Cup (On3).
