Maya Brady made her Athletes Unlimited Softball League debut worth the wait.
The former UCLA star lived up to the hype Wednesday in her first AUSL game for the Talons after missing the season’s first 18 games due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
“I feel like I’ve been so anxious on the sideline,” Brady told ESPN after Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Blaze at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. “I’ve been wanting to get in the game so bad.”
ATHLETES UNLIMITED SOFTBALL LEAGUE
She finally got her chance, and she didn’t miss a beat.
Brady -- the niece of NFL legend Tom Brady -- was right in the thick of things as the AUSL-leading Talons (15-4) won for the 10th time in 11 games. Batting second and playing left field, she made a major impact for her club from her very first plate appearance.
Brady saw nine pitches and drew a walk, then stole second base -- causing a throwing error by the Blaze that put the Talons on the board. She advanced to third on the play, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Tori Vidales.
Her next time up, in the third inning, Brady laced a line drive into center field for her first AUSL hit. She got her second hit in as many at-bats in the fifth inning, beating out an infield chopper.
Brady’s final line: 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Not bad for her first action since early April. That was when Brady, playing for the Toyota Medics of the Japan Diamond League, strained her hamstring running to first base. She knew right away it was serious.
“It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced,” Brady said. “It just sounded almost like a paper shredder… like tearing a piece of paper.”
But after plenty of rest, rehab and mental preparation, Brady made her way back. She credited the Talons’ pitchers -- including Montana Fouts, Megan Faraimo and Raelin Chaffin — for encouraging her to take practice reps against them.
“I was like, ‘Oh, God, I haven’t seen live pitching,’” Brady said. “But my team has been so supportive in letting me hop in when I can.”
That team mentality has been crucial to the Talons’ success in the AUSL’s inaugural season. They’ve already clinched a spot in the league’s best-of-three finals, which will be held from July 26-28 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
While mic’d up on ESPN during Wednesday’s win, Talons infielder Hannah Flippen credited her team’s selflessness and lack of a star player.
“The secret sauce is that it’s been no one person,” Flippen said. “Every day is somebody different getting the clutch hit, the clutch RBI, the shutout in the circle. I think that’s been our little recipe for success. We’re not a one-man show here.”
Regardless, having Brady back in the fold will certainly help. The two-time Pac-12 player of the year and three-time first-team All-American at UCLA said she was happy to join the AUSL, praising its commissioner (former Marlins general manager Kim Ng) and the star power around the league -- coaches and players alike.
“I think it’s just the perfect storm of great talent all around the league and great leadership, and I think it makes something sustainable and definitely very attractive,” Brady said.