When Lexi Kilfoyl threw the first pitch of the inaugural AUSL season on June 7 in Rosemont, the Bandits and the Chicago area seemed a perfect fit.

On that festive sunny day, AUSL rekindled the spirit of the old Chicago Bandits of National Pro Fastpitch, but with a new era being born. 

The Bandits’ 3-1 victory over the Talons on Opening Day propelled them to a 9-2 start to the season. The Bandits eventually finished second to the Talons and earned a spot in the AUSL Championship Series. 

Although the Bandits were swept in two games by the Talons, the season has to be considered a rousing success overall.

“My reflection on the season is that we have so much to be proud of and absolutely no reason to hang our heads,” said Head Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz, who coached the Chicago Bandits to the championship series in 2018. “Obviously, losing on the final day is disappointing. We had had a chance in both games, plenty of chances to score and to win. We just couldn’t push it across. 

“It doesn’t define who we are as a team. It doesn’t define our athletes who are in the dugout with us. Wanted a different outcome, but we’re also gracious losers and we’re proud of all things that happened this summer AUSL related.”

The Bandits’ 9-2 start was marked by an offense that was relentless from top to bottom. In those 11 games, the Bandits scored a pair of run-rule victories and reached double digits in runs twice on the way to a run differential of plus-41.

At that point, the Bandits held a one-game lead over the Talons. 

Second half struggles

Signs of trouble began in the 12th game of the season, an 11-3 run-rule loss to the Blaze, who would finish in fourth place. That kicked off a three-game losing streak with the Bandits getting outscored 28-16 as they fell out of first place. 

The Bandits boasted extra pitching depth from the beginning of the season. They carried six pitchers while the league norm was five. But General Manager Jenny Dalton-Hill made a move at the trading deadline (July 11), sending infielder-pitcher Devyn Netz to the Blaze for infielder Danielle Gibson Whorton. 

The veteran Gibson Whorton fit right in, both on and off the field. In nine games, she went 10-for-27 with a home run and five RBI. 

All the while, Nuveman Deniz kept adjusting the lineup, moving Sydney McKinney up in the order after she began the season as the Bandits’ No. 9 hitter. 

The Bandits also had to mix and match behind the plate when it became apparent that projected starting catcher Mia Davidson would not play this season because of injury. 

Jordan Roberts opened as the starting catcher with Kelly Torres backing up. Before the season was out, the Bandits selected Mary Iakopo from the reserve pool of players. Iakopo wound up taking over the top job at catcher and held that job into the Championship Series. 

The injury bug bit the Bandits at the worst possible time. In the second-to-last game of the regular season, shortstop and No. 2 hitter Skylar Wallace went down with a right-ankle injury and missed the final game. Pitcher Odicci Alexander was hit by a line drive in that same game. Both players were able to return for the Championship Series, but Wallace had to serve as the designated player and be lifted for a pinch runner when she reached base. 

“Oh, it took a lot of rehab, it took a lot of time and a lot of tape,” Nuveman Deniz said of Wallace’s rehab. “She basically immobilized herself. But she’s a competitor. You saw her leg out that infield single (in Game 2 of the Championship Series). She was not going to be denied. I’m sure that did not feel good on her ankle, but she did what she needed to do to get on base and do something for her team.”

Over the final 13 games of the regular season, the Bandits went 6-7 with a run differential of minus-2. Their pitching staff was the only one in the league without a complete game, but most of that was by design, with Nuveman Deniz wanting to limit the number of times opposing batters saw Bandits starting pitchers during a game. 

Honors galore

The Bandits took home individual titles and won awards at the end of the season. 

Infielder Erin Coffel was MVP and Hitter of the Year and was named to the AUSL All-Defensive Team. 

Bandits batters finished 1-4 in batting average, with McKinney winning the title at .486. She was followed by Morgan Zerkle (.419), Coffel (.410) and Wallace (.390)

Coffel and Zerkle were the most potent offensive combo in AUSL. Zerkle was just as legitimate an MVP candidate as her teammate. She led the league in home runs, doubles, hits and total bases. Coffel topped AUSL in slugging percentage, on-base percentage and RBI. 

In the circle, Kilfoyl tied for the league lead in wins (six) and was second in ERA (2.35) while Taylor McQuillin tied for the lead in saves (four).

With everything the Bandits endured to get to the Championship Series, Nuveman Deniz was not lamenting the final outcome.

“We’re proud of all things that happened this summer, AUSL-related,” she said. “Right now we’re in our feels about losing our final game as Bandits, but this summer in general was an absolute grand slam for the sport of softball, and the future of professional softball is as bright as it’s ever been. And it’s very exciting to be a part of that.”

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 X @brucemiles2112