The Talons are coming off a dominant weekend that included a sweep of the Blaze. The offense was the headliner, scoring 31 runs off 32 hits. The Bandits are bringing the same energy to Wichita entering with a sweep of their own against the Volts, outscoring their opponent 18-6 on the weekend.
This series will showcase the current top two teams in the league, with the Bandits leading the AUSL at 5-1 and the Talons trailing at 4-2. In this Talons-Bandits showdown, you can expect a lot of offense while both teams are on a tear and not showing signs of letting up any time soon.
These two teams opened their season playing each other, and the Talons dropped the series. Just two weeks later, they will have a rematch. There have also been new developments to the Talons roster since opening weekend. The Talons welcomed the arm of Megan Faraimo this past weekend, their first-round pick returned from the Japan Diamond League, and she picked up a win in her first AUSL series. Maya Brady will also soon be in action with the Talons, adding her bat to the offense that is continuing to excel early in the season.
Veteran shortstop Hannah Flippen will likely play a big role in the Talons’ efforts this week, as she was named Player of Series Two after going 7-12 at the plate. One through nine, the Talons are continuing to show out. Rookie outfielder Sierra Sacco has been the spark plug in the lead-off spot and has recorded a hit in five of the six games this season. First baseman Tori Vidales has been consistent in the middle of the order with a hit in four of her five outings this season.
The Talons’ pitching staff continues to win games in a collective effort; you can expect this weekend to be no different. Montana Fouts has pitched the bulk of the innings and the addition of Faraimo makes them that much more dangerous.
The Talons will have to face the arms of Sarah Willis, Taylor McQuillin, and the rest of the six-woman Bandits staff as they look to keep their bats hot. Willis and McQuillin combined for a shutout that would secure the series finale for the Bandits this past weekend. Their staff is deep, and Oddici Alexander has taken a the bulk of the innings. She picked up her first win of the season this past weekend along with rookie Devyn Netz who is also coming off her first professional win in the circle.
Looking back at the Talon’s first outing against the Bandits, they struggled to finish the job with runners in scoring position, but could continue to make quick offensive adjustments like they did against the Blaze. They still left 25 runners on in last weekend’s series, but Coach Dobson sees the silver lining in their inflated base runners and the opportunity it presents.
“It’s a good and a bad thing, good that we’re getting them on, not great that we left them there. You know, we left a small village on the bases. So we gotta make sure we get the hit when we need it,” Dobson said after the Talons faced the Bandits opening weekend.
The Talons have made tremendous strides in just the first few weeks of the AUSL season and will look to take the series, facing the Bandits for the second time this season.
Fans are in for a treat with this mid-week matchup with first pitch set for Tuesday, June 17 at 7pm EDT on MLB.com.
Cayla Sweazie is a former collegiate softball player turned sports reporter with a passion for telling the stories of athletes. She is serving as a correspondent for the Talons of the AUSL. You can follow her on Instagram @caysweazie.
