What a weekend it was for the first-place Talons.
On Saturday, they became the first team to punch their ticket to the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship -- doing so nearly two weeks in advance -- by virtue of the Volts’ loss to the Blaze.
The Talons (14-4) followed up the milestone achievement with a statement win on Sunday against the second-place Bandits (11-7), a team that has been a thorn in their side all season and looms as a potential opponent in the best-of-three final series, which gets underway on July 26 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The Talons rode a four-run third inning to an 6-3 win on Sunday at Connie Claussen Field in Omaha, Neb., bouncing back from Saturday’s 9-1 loss and securing a weekend series win over the Bandits, the only team to defeat the Talons this season. The two teams are now 4-4 against each other on the year.
Sunday’s game also marked the return of one of the Talons’ best pitchers, Montana Fouts, who came off the injured list to make her first appearance since June 14. Fouts was one out away from completing three scoreless innings before allowing a two-out, two-run homer to the Bandits' Skylar Wallace in the top of the third. Raelin Chaffin came on in relief of Fouts and tossed four innings of one-run ball to close out the Talons' win.
The Talons' roster is about to get even stronger, with Maya Brady -- the niece of seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady and former Major Leaguer Kevin Youkilis -- expected to come off the injured list for the team's upcoming series against the Blaze that begins Wednesday. Brady will be making her AUSL debut after recovering from the hamstring injury she suffered in April while playing in Japan.
Blaze 10, Volts 2
At long last, the Blaze have their first winning streak -- and series win -- of the inaugural AUSL season.
Ana Gold, Devyn Netz and McKenzie Clark all homered on Sunday as the Blaze erupted for 10 runs -- eight coming over the final two innings -- against the Volts. On the mound, Alana Vawter (2 IP), Keilani Ricketts (3 IP) and Emma Lemley (2 IP) combined to hold the Volts to three hits in the win.
The Blaze, who also defeated the Volts on Saturday, have played better after starting out 1-10, going 4-3 in their past seven games.