The Bandits took care of business in more ways than one over the weekend at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
First and foremost, they wasted no time securing the second and final postseason berth in this inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League season by winning the first game of the four-game series against the Volts with an 8-7 victory on Thursday.
Second, and perhaps equally important, the Bandits seemed to regain their mojo after a midseason dip in form by winning three of four in the series.
And AUSL did handsome business by playing before big and enthusiastic crowds at Dell Diamond, a minor league baseball park.
Here is how it all went down before beautiful sunsets deep in the heart of Texas:
Securing a spot in the big dance
The Bandits fell behind the Volts 2-0 by the second inning of the series opener, but three big innings enabled them to pull ahead before they held on for their one-run victory.
The key hit was a three-run homer by Skylar Wallace in the sixth inning that put the Bandits ahead 8-6. Lexi Kilfoyl pitched the final three innings to preserve a heart-stopping victory.
“That was a back-and-forth game, a very emotional game,” said Bandits Head Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. “I was really proud of the offense. They kept us in it. They kept answering back. Pitching-wise, that’s an area I just really want to see us sharpen up. We’ve got to do a better job of getting outs in critical situations. I will never argue or complain about a win, especially a clinching win like tonight. So I’m really happy we got it done. Today, the offense gets the credit in terms of just continuing to put the pressure on.
“Overall, just really happy we got it done tonight and don’t have to drag this thing out. I think the goal for us now is to just get some momentum and gain some confidence as we get into this home stretch and get ourselves ready for Tuscaloosa (against the Talons in the Championship).”
Leaving little doubt
The Bandits came out and played free and easy in Game 2 of the series, posting a 9-2 victory.
Morgan Zerkle fell a triple shy of the cycle, hitting a single, double and home run with five RBIs. The Bandits also got home runs from Danielle Gibson Whorton and Bubba Nickles Camarena.
“Great night of softball,” Nuveman Deniz said. “This was outstanding. We had a couple of really big innings and just really never let them get into the game. I think that was the key. We scored early, got that big five-spot, and just kind of took the wind out of their sails. I thought our pitching today was as good as it’s been all season, honestly, in terms of the combination, everybody coming in and doing their job for a short stint.”
Taylor McQuillin ran her record to 3-0 with 2.2 innings of scoreless ball in the circle.
“In particular, I thought Taylor McQuillin was outstanding, as sharp as she’s been all year, honestly,” Nuveman Deniz said. “I really like what I saw from the circle today.”
For Zerkle, the home run was her eighth of the season. She has been known for speed and on-base ability out of the leadoff spot, but teams underestimate her power at their peril.
“I personally think I’ve had power for a while,” she said. “But I do get in mindsets where I swing to contact or maybe have a two-strike approach early in the count. This year, that was a goal of mine: to swing early in the count, swing free and then go to the two-strike approach if needed. I think having that mindset of swinging early and swinging hard has benefited me.”
Earning the coach’s favor
The Bandits fell behind the Volts in the fifth inning but rallied for four runs in the bottom half and held on for a 4-3 victory.
Most impressive, the Bandits did their damage against phenom Sam Landry, who was pitching before a pro-Volts crowd shortly after a stellar college career, which concluded at Oklahoma.
“I feel like that win might be one of my favorites of the season,” Nuveman Deniz said. “I say that because it would have been easy for us to kind of get down. Landry was dealing for four innings, whatever it was. And that can be deflating for an offense. We were swinging and missing and getting hit by a pitch. I think that was a really awesome testament to sticking with it. Keep grinding and just keep attacking and making adjustments and refuse to go down without a fight.”
In the big fifth inning, Zerkle hit a sacrifice fly, and Danielle Gibson Whorton added a clutch two-run single. She was asked about her clutch hitting.
“It’s funny,” she said. “I hesitate because I feel like I have a very smart approach, whether there are runners on base or there’s not. I’m just like, ‘Can I do something to manufacture a run, whether it’s a solo shot, whether it’s a groundball up the middle?’ I’m just trying to generate any type of runs that I can.”
Gibson Whorton came to the Bandits in a deadline-day trade with the Blaze. Over the first three games of the series, she went 5-for-10 with five RBIs.
Comeback falls short
Skylar Wallace hit two home runs for the Bandits, who fell behind 7-2. A late-inning rally fell short, however, and the Volts salvaged the final game of the series 7-5.
With the loss, the Bandits were eliminated from finishing in first place. In the AUSL Championship, the Talons will have home-field advantage in two of the three games, should the series go that far.
Wallace’s first homer of the game gave the Bandits a brief 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Volts answered quickly, scoring five in the second against Bandits starting pitcher Emily Kennedy.
Delanie Wisz hit a solo homer for the Bandits in the sixth inning. Wallace’s second homer was a two-run shot in the seventh. The game ended with the Bandits having the tying run at the plate.
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
