The Talons split a two-game series with the Bandits, with two major hits deciding the fate of each team this week. Sharlize Palacios hit a walk-off home run that clinched the Talons’ lone midweek win (5-4) on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Bandits responded with an Erin Coffel grand slam in the top of the sixth inning that would earn them the 8-4 win.
“It could be a really good [rivalry], we keep going back and forth,” said Talons head coach Howard Dobson. “The Bandits are a really solid squad, they pitch it well, they swing it well but you could say that across the whole league.”
In Game 1, the Talons did the bulk of their work at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Trailing 4-1, they overcame the deficit with an Ally Shipman-Shrout two-run home run, followed by the Palacios walk-off.
“Honestly, in that last at-bat, I could hear every single voice in that dugout that was cheering on for me,” Palacios said. “It felt like everybody was in the box with me, it was so crazy, I felt so calm, even though I felt like there was one out left, I could have been the last out. I definitely felt the most calm out of all my at-bats just because every single person was with me on that.”
Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin had a pair of hits on the day as well. Georgina Corrick earned the win in her Athletes Unlimited Softball League debut after pitching the seventh inning in relief. Megan Faraimo pitched the first six innings and allowed four runs.
In Game 2, the Talons scored four runs in the second inning, but it wouldn’t be enough to sustain the win. Shipman-Shrout and Allchin each had a home run on the day. Bandits outfielder Morgan Zerkle responded in the top of the third with a home run of her own, and Coffel’s grand slam in the sixth gave the Bandits the 8-4 lead and ultimately, the win. Corrick, Raelin Chaffin, Faraimo and Mariah Lopez all shared time in the circle for the Talons.
The Talons have roughly 24 hours to bounce back from the loss before facing the Volts for the first time this season. This four-game series will be played in Norman, Oklahoma, hosted at Love’s Field – a homecoming of sorts for Talons infielder Sydney Romero. The Volts also have two former Sooners on their squad in pitcher Sam Landry and infielder Tiare Jennings.
The two teams stand in the middle of the pack in the AUSL. The Talons have a 5-6 record, while the Volts (4-4) sit at .500. The Volts are coming off a sweep of their two-game series against the Blaze this week, which featured the pro debut of 2025 National Champion Mia Scott, an excellent addition to their already impressive roster.
The Talons will have to overcome the arms of Rachel Garcia and the Volts’ pitching staff as they hope to keep their offense rolling this weekend. Garcia threw a complete game with nine strikeouts to help the Volts secure their win on Wednesday.
Chaffin, Montana Fouts and Faraimo have done the bulk of the pitching for the Talons this season. Faraimo and Fouts each have 12 strikeouts on the season as well. The Talons staff will be put to the test against the Volts’ bats this weekend in Norman.
First pitch is set for 8:30 pm ET. The game is available to watch 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.
