Bandits coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz apologized for being a few minutes late entering the postgame interview on Opening Day of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League season.
“Shaking hands and kissing babies,” she said.
It was that kind of day in Rosemont, Illinois, this past Saturday for the historic start of the AUSL season as the Bandits and Talons opened a three-game series.
AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng greeted the sell-out crowd, and softball greats Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza and Natasha Watley threw out simultaneous ceremonial first pitches. Major League Baseball executive Joe Torre and former Chicago White Sox executive Ken Williams were also in attendance.
In the end, the teams played before three enthusiastic crowds, with the Bandits taking two of three.
For openers, Bandits bring it ‘home’
The Bandits pleased their many fans, who no doubt remember the Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch, with a crisply played 3-1 victory over the Talons.
“We knew it was a sellout,” Nuveman Deniz said. “I’ve had the privilege of coaching in this facility before with some excited and rabid Bandit fans. It was very much the same – great energy, great excitement, a lot of anticipation. A lot of people, us included, knew we were part of something special, a historic day for our sport, this organization, as well, Athletes Unlimited. So just really, really excited and could feel the energy in the space, for sure.”
Sierra Sacco put the Talons up 1-0 in the top of the third inning with the first home run in AUSL history. But Erin Coffel gave the Bandits the lead for good with a two-run triple to right-center in the bottom of the inning.
“It was two strikes, and there were two outs, as well,” Coffel said. “So I needed to do a job, and I needed to get the ball on the ground. You got to do what you got to do.”
In the circle, Lexi Kilfoyl started and pitched four innings of five-hit, one-run ball to earn the victory. Lefty Taylor McQuillin worked the final three innings for the save.
“That was the plan today, and they executed it,” Nuveman Deniz said. “It made me look like I knew what I was doing. So I’m happy about that.”
As for the atmosphere in the ballpark, both player and coach noticed it.
“I personally didn’t know it was a sellout, but I could kind of tell the first inning when the outfield bleachers were full, the infield bleachers were full,” Coffel said. “It was an awesome environment. I was talking to someone on the way over here. I could feel the energy, and I could feel like this AUSL league is going to be so cool, and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
For Nuveman Deniz, the day was made even more special for personal reasons.
“I’ll share that probably in the fifth inning, I don’t generally look in the stands, but I took a glance up, I saw Sue Enquist,” Nuveman Deniz said, referring to the former player and coaching legend. “I almost cried. I got a little emotional because that was my college coach and a legend in our game.
“She understands, too. Just seeing her in the stands and obviously before the game with former teammates Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley and Jessica Mendoza. And Joe Torre is here. Everybody came out of the woodworks. It’s a special day. Obviously, it’s great we got the ‘W,’ and that feels really nice. But more than that, today means a lot to a lot of people, the amount of effort and work that has gone into this 24-hour period is insane, and I hope none of the athletes will ever take that for granted because it’s not always been like that.”
Two-out woes dampen early excitement
Morgan Zerkle made history in Game 1 by recording the first hit in AUSL history. She did so again in Game 2 by hitting the first inside-the-park home run.
Zerkle’s homer came in the bottom of the first inning after the Talons had scored two in the top half. The left-handed hitting Zerkle lined the ball to left field. Sierra Sacco made a diving attempt at the ball, but it got behind her and rolled to the wall.
The speedy Zerkle circled the bases and scored with a head-first slide into home plate.
“I was just trying to keep moving,” she said. “When I saw Coach send me, I was like, ‘All right, this is cool.’ I was kind of like, ‘What happened there? How did that happen?’”
But it wasn’t enough, as the Talons scored all six of their runs after the first two batters had been retired in the first, third, and seventh innings.
The Bandits were outhit 12-6. Devyn Netz pitched two innings and gave up three hits and two runs for the Bandits. Odicci Alexander made her season debut by pitching four innings of six-hit, two-run ball. Taylor McQuillin pitched for the second time in two days and gave up three hits and two runs in the seventh inning.
“We couldn’t close out an inning,” Nuveman Deniz said. “And we talked about that a little bit. At this level, you can’t let your guard down. We get two outs and we’re one out from getting back in the dugout, and they just kept it on. I think that’s something we can take note of and be a little better moving forward.”
A barrage of Bandits bats
The run rule was invoked after the Bandits scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning for an 8-0 victory in the first night game of the series.
Bubba Nickles-Camarena hit her second homer in two games, a solo shot to center field in the first.
Devyn Netz opened the second with a double and came home on a triple by Delanie Wisz. Jordan Roberts followed with her first homer of the season, a high, towering drive that barely stayed fair down the left-field line.
“For a second, I really did not think it was going to stay fair; I was going to be so sad,” Roberts said. “It was just a really special moment. I feel like we’ve all been working really hard, and tonight (it) really showed.”
Bandits batters drew five walks in addition to their eight hits, drawing praise from Nuveman Deniz.
“Probably the highlight for me was the walks,” she said. “Some of those walks were really timely and just really great discipline, fouling some balls off and taking what the game was giving us.”
Starting pitcher Odicci Alexander worked two innings before being relieved by Emiley Kennedy, who made her professional debut by pitching two innings and giving up three hits while walking one and striking out two. She worked out of trouble in both innings.
“It wasn’t flawless … but that’s what this game will do,” Nuveman Deniz said. “You’re very rarely going to go out and just roll over everybody. Got a couple of hits in that first inning, boom, came right back, got the outs, jammed them up, got a big strikeout. I thought that strikeout of (Sharlize) Palacios (to end the third) was huge. Even seeing [Kennedy’s] energy, seeing her get fired up, that fires me up even thinking about it. That was really cool.”
Lexi Kilfoyl finished with one inning to improve her record to 2-0.
Bruce Miles has covered sports in the Chicago area for 46 years, including baseball, hockey, football and Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball. He covered the Chicago Cubs in their historic run to the World Series title in 2016. He has written stories for Athletes Unlimited since 2020.
Follow Bruce on Bluesky @brucemiles2112.bsky.social and on X @brucemiles2112
