The Talons are gearing up for the 2025 AUSL Championship this weekend, but not without facing the Volts for the final time this season. This two-game series gives the Talons the chance to utilize regular-season games for preparation before they lay it all on the line this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
The Talons have successfully secured the one seed for the title series against the Bandits, and the mid-week series against the Volts presents an opportunity to keep momentum on their side.
The Volts, currently the third-ranked team in the AUSL, are coming off a big 7-3 win against the Bandits in Round Rock. While the Volts’ hopes of qualifying for postseason are no more, they will surely bring their best as they look to take down the Talons for the first time this season.
Volts’ pitcher Rachel Garcia will be one of the biggest obstacles to overcome. Leading her team with 52.2 innings pitched, she has a 3.72 earned run average, is 4-3 on the season, and has a team-leading 50 strikeouts.
At the plate, she continues to be a presence; her only home run on the season was against the Talons just over one month ago. Off the arm of Megan Faraimo, she launched a 267-foot homer, showcasing her ability to dominate on either side of the ball. The Talons will have the tall task of containing Garcia at the plate and catching up to her lights-out pitching.
“She can do so much, and she has so many different pitches that can get people out in so many different ways. We talk through our plan going up to the plate [and] I think [it] helps make a lot of us successful,” Talons outfielder Caroline Jacobsen said about approaching Garcia in the circle.
The Talons’ offense has been booming all season, and with the recent addition of Maya Brady, they continue to trend upwards. Named the Player of the Series last week, she has been a seemingly impossible out at the top of the Talons’ lineup.
Brady is accompanied by Jacobsen, Hannah Flippen, Jadelyn Allchin, Sydney Romero and Sierra Sacco, whose bats have been hot long before last weekend. Raelin Chaffin and Montana Fouts are probable starters for the mid-week series, with Georgina Corrick likely on ice ahead of the championship series. Fouts gets the chance for the first time all season to compete back on her home field of Rhoads Stadium.
The Talons will face off against the Volts tonight at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Tuesday.
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.
