AUSL Players Carry Team USA Into 2027 World Cup Finals; Maya Brady Homers Three Times in Clincher

Team USA qualified for the 2027 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals on Wednesday with a 7-0 win over China at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. AUSL players did nearly all of the work. Fifteen of the 16 players on the U.S. roster for the Group Stage play in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, and every AUSL team was represented.

The Americans went 6-0 in Group Oklahoma City from Sept. 12 through Sept. 16. They outscored opponents 59-0 and allowed eight hits in six games.

Brady’s three home runs

Oklahoma City Spark outfielder Maya Brady hit three home runs and drove in five runs in Wednesday’s play-off win. She hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo shot in the second and a two-run homer in the sixth that ended the game under the run-ahead rule. Tiare Jennings of the Texas Volts also hit a two-run homer in the first.

Karlyn Pickens of the Carolina Blaze threw three scoreless innings. Rachel Garcia of the Volts retired all nine batters she faced and struck out six to finish a combined no-hitter.

Game by game

• Sept. 12, USA 11, Mexico 0 (4 innings). Garcia threw three hitless innings. Jennings, Dejah Mulipola and Alyssa Brito homered.
• Sept. 13, USA 17, Brazil 0 (4 innings). Megan Grant of the Portland Cascade drove in seven runs. Kelly Maxwell allowed one hit and struck out seven.
• Sept. 13, USA 8, Netherlands 0 (5 innings). Montana Fouts of the Utah Talons threw five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Mulipola, Grant and Jayda Coleman homered.
• Sept. 14, USA 9, New Zealand 0 (5 innings). Pickens allowed one hit and struck out 10. Brady had three hits and three RBIs.
• Sept. 15, USA 7, China 0 (6 innings). Lexi Kilfoyl of the Chicago Bandits and Maxwell combined on a two-hitter. Skylar Wallace had three hits and three RBIs.
• Sept. 16, USA 7, China 0 (6 innings), play-off. Brady homered three times. Pickens and Garcia combined on the no-hitter.

The AUSL players on the roster

• Carolina Blaze: Alyssa Brito, Kayla Kowalik, Aubrey Leach, Karlyn Pickens
• Chicago Bandits: Erin Coffel, Lexi Kilfoyl, Skylar Wallace
• Texas Volts: Rachel Garcia, Tiare Jennings, Dejah Mulipola
• Utah Talons: Jayda Coleman, Montana Fouts
• Portland Cascade: Megan Grant, Kelly Maxwell
• Oklahoma City Spark: Maya Brady

The 16th player was infielder Janae Jefferson. Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso led the team.

Mazon pitches Mexico through

Mariah Mazon, who pitched for Portland this season, threw a three-hit shutout for Mexico in a 7-0 play-off win over the Netherlands. Mexico then beat China 8-6 for the group’s second spot in the Finals. China qualified as a wild card.

Finals in Australia

The eight-team Finals will be played April 5-10, 2027, at Kayo Stadium in Moreton Bay, Australia, outside Brisbane. The U.S., Mexico and China join Australia, Canada, Japan, Puerto Rico and Chinese Taipei.