HOOVER, Ala. — It was delayed by a day, but Team USA's opening games at the World Games were more than worth the wait for the 4,500 fans at Hoover Met.

The Eagles swept Sunday evening's doubleheader against Italy and Chinese Taipei with two shutout victories, 6-0 and 7-0.

Because of the pandemic, it's been a while since there have been large crowds at international softball competitions, and Team USA veteran and former Alabama outfielder Haylie McCleney loved the support from the fans in her home state Sunday night.

"It was electric," McCleney said. "It’s been a while since I’ve played in front of people. For me and the veterans on this team, that energy the crowd provided us was really special, something we missed out on in Tokyo last year. So I loved it— the energy, the fans, the USA chants at the end, watching her [Montana Fouts] come in and do her thing, it was pretty surreal. I had a blast."

McCleney went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and walk in the doubleheader as the starter in centerfield and leadoff batter in both games. One of her RBIs came in the bottom of the sixth inning against Chinese Taipei that set up the game-winning run-rule hit from Amanda Lorenz in the 7-0 win.

The biggest cheers of the night came for Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts when she was announced pregame and came in to pitch in the fifth inning against Italy.

"I was just excited," Fouts said. "It was great to have that big of a crowd, and I think the Rhoads House kind of prepares us for that, so I was excited to get back out there and wear this uniform. Kinzie [Hansen] was great back there, and made me look a lot better than I am."

In three innings pitched, Fouts struck out eight batters and allowed one hit while giving up no runs.

In the sixth, she faced the highest pressure situation of the game thus far after a walk and error put two runners on base with two outs. But Fouts got out of the jam with another strikeout.

The Italian hitters were having trouble catching up to the speed of Fouts' pitches. McCleney said it looked like Fouts was throwing 90 mph from her vantage point in centerfield.

"I have the best view out there in center," McCleney said. "She was hitting her spots really well. She was mixing it. I think Kinzie did a great job calling for her. They were late, and she just kept pounding the zone. That’s a big key."

Fouts, McCleney and Team USA will be back in action at the Hoover Met on Monday at 7 p.m. against Canada.

It's been a week full of accolades and accomplishments for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. On Tuesday, he was named to the All-ACC First Team before being tabbed as the ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Rookie of the Year on Wednesday.

One day later and the honors continue to roll in for the Tar Heel signal caller.

Maye was named one of five finalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, an honor presented by the Maxwell Football Club after the former Alabama running back.

Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks, LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins, and Penn State linebackers Abdul Carter join Maye as finalists in the award's fifth year.

In his first season as a starter under center, Maye compiled one of, if not the best season in North Carolina football history.

His 3,847 passing yards and 35 passing touchdowns ranked first in the ACC and top five in all of college football.

On the ground, the redshirt freshman was equally as impressive, rushing for 629 yards and six scores. He led the explosive offense in both passing and rushing, becoming of the most valuable players in the country.

Maye helped lead the Tar Heels to a 9-3 regular season and a berth in the ACC Championship Game against the Clemson Tigers on Saturday.

A victory for the final ACC Coastal Champion would give them their first conference title since 1980 and their first ever win in the Championship Game format.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown made headlines for exposing himself to a random woman in a Dubai hotel pool, but the once All-Pro has defended himself on social media.

Brown went on a Twitter rant explaining his side of the story.

According to the New York Post, Brown made questionable decisions while nude in a hotel pool with a random woman in Dubih back in May.

The Post reports that Brown was engaging with a female guest in the pool but did not have clothes on. With a crowd of men cheering him on, the former wide receiver proceeded to lift himself out of the water and shove his butt in the woman's face.

The story writes the woman then "turns away, laughing off the apparent neutral zone infractions, as other men in the pool begin egging on Brown, yelling 'Yeah!' 'Another one!' and 'AB!'"

Afterward, Brown attempted to wrap a scarf around the woman's head. She then snatched the scarf away from her head, which prompted him to lift her out of the water and slam her head first into the pool "like he was spiking a football".

Once she came above the water and cleared her eyes, Brown leaned on the side of the pool and raised his penis above the water. According to The Post, he then asked "you want it?"

According to the report, the woman was upset and complaining after the incident and the hotel asked Brown to leave.

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