The Volts head to Round Rock, Texas, July 17th-20th to take on the Bandits in a four-game series. They’re coming off two losses to the Blaze in Seattle, but will look to pick up steam heading into the games this weekend.
Last time these two teams met:
The good news for the team in purple and green is that the last time these two teams faced off, the Volts walked away with a 5-3 victory. Rachel Garcia threw her third complete game of the season, allowing just three hits and striking out nine.
The Volts also scored early with runs coming in innings three, four, and five. Dejah Mulipola was two-for-three with an RBI.
Another highlight of the last matchup was that the Volts stopped the seventh-inning surge from the Bandits, who scored three runs in the final frame, but could not complete the comeback thanks to gritty pitching from Garcia.
Since then:
Both squads have struggled a bit since the last time they met in early July. The Bandits have lost three of their last five games and the Volts are 1-4 in their last five matchups.
Keys for the Volts:
1. Shut down the Bandits’ batters.
As a team, the Bandits are hitting a league-leading .335 with three of the top six hitters in the AUSL. Erin Coffel has an average of .525, Sydney McKinney sits at .464 and Morgan Zerkle is hitting .435. She’s tied with her teammate, Bubba Nickels-Camaren, for the most home runs in the league.
The Volts pitching staff will have their work cut out for them.
2. Force mistakes and capitalize on them.
The games that the Bandits have lost are the games in which they have made multiple errors. In their 6-3 loss against the Talons, three errors were committed in six innings of play that changed the course of the game. They have the second-worst fielding percentage in the league at .967.
If the Volts can find a way to play fast and force mistakes, they can give their offense a chance to get going.
3. Play clean defense.
While Bandits have the second-worst fielding percentage in the league, the Volts rank at the bottom. They are leading the AUSL in errors with 18 on the season. Close games have fallen just out of reach because the team has made mistakes in key moments or hasn’t been able to come up with the big play. In games where they are solid defensively, they are successful. A perfect example is this stellar performance at third base from Jessi Warren against the Blaze on July 11.
In the first half, the Bandits were unstoppable, and they still sit in second place right behind the Talons. However, they are in a slightly vulnerable state right now, losing the last three out of five. If the Volts can capitalize on that, they have a shot to make some noise in their next four games. The team in purple and green has plenty of talent, especially at the plate.
Amanda Lorenz has been a leader in the box all season long. Sierra Romero has had her moments, and Mia Scott is heating up. Now, they need to put it all together.
First pitch of the series is set for Thursday, July 17 at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2 in Round Rock, TX.
Maria Trivelpiece is currently the Director of Video Communications and Reporter at the American Athletic Conference and a softball color analyst. Trivelpiece was an outfielder at Fordham University and still stays involved with the game through coaching and covering the sport. You can follow her on X M_Trivelpiece or Instagram @_mariatrivelpiece
