The Chicago Bandits moved into first place Saturday on a walk-off squeeze bunt with one game left in their regular season. On Thursday, Skylar Wallace hit three home runs in one game. On Saturday, two hitters broke the AUSL single-season home run record. This notebook covers Sunday, July 12, through Saturday, July 18.
Williams’ squeeze puts Chicago on top
Poor air quality in the Chicago area moved the Bandits’ last two home games against Utah to Hillsboro Ballpark in Oregon.
Saturday’s game was scoreless through seven innings. The Talons scored in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. Ailana Agbayani tied it with an RBI single in the bottom half. With two outs, two strikes and Bella Dayton on third, Sami Williams bunted her home for a 2-1 win.
“It just seemed like the perfect timing. I didn’t anticipate that anybody would expect it,” head coach Shonda Stanton said.
Lexi Kilfoyl threw all eight innings without allowing an earned run and moved to 6-0. Montana Fouts struck out 10 in the loss.
Chicago (16-8) leads Utah (15-9) by one game going into Sunday’s regular-season finale between the two teams. The No. 1 seed goes straight to the Championship Series. The Bandits had clinched a playoff spot Wednesday with a 7-6 win in eight innings in Durham, where Morgan Zerkle‘s double drove in the winning run.
Wallace’s night in Durham
Skylar Wallace went 5-for-5 with three home runs, seven RBIs and four runs in Chicago’s 15-7 win at Carolina on Thursday. The AUSL said she is the first player in any Athletes Unlimited softball game to hit three home runs. It also said she is the first AUSL player to score four runs in a regular-season game. Her seven RBIs tied the single-game record, and the Bandits’ 15 runs set the league record for a game.
“When you’re seeing it like that, like there’s really not a thought,” Wallace said. “I’m really just trying to control my bat angle.”
Chicago’s nine-game winning streak had ended the previous Sunday, when Portland won 5-4 in Hillsboro.
Two players break the home run record
Maya Brady hit two home runs for Oklahoma City in Durham on Saturday. The second led off the seventh inning, tied the game 4-4 and gave her 10 for the season. That broke the AUSL record of nine that Morgan Zerkle set in 2025. The Spark scored eight runs in the eighth to win 12-4.
Later Saturday in Hillsboro, Megan Grant homered twice in the Cascade’s 10-1 win over Texas and joined Brady at 10.
Cascade finish 14-11
Portland played its final regular-season game Saturday. On Wednesday, the Cascade scored 10 unanswered runs to beat Utah 10-2 in five innings before another sellout crowd. Korbe Otis hit a three-run home run and Tori Vidales a two-run homer in the third. Kennedy Powell ended it with an RBI single in the fifth. Kenzie Brown threw a complete game.
That was Portland’s fourth win in four games against the Talons. Utah won the rematch Thursday, 4-3, on home runs from Sahvanna Jaquish and Bri Ellis. Megan Faraimo struck out 10 in a complete game. The AUSL said she is the first pitcher in league regular-season history with 10 or more strikeouts in more than one game.
Volts sweep, then get swept
The Texas Volts completed their first three-game sweep in franchise history Monday, beating Carolina 8-0 in five innings. Jackie Lis hit a three-run homer for her first professional home run. Rachel Garcia threw a three-hit shutout for her first win of the season.
The Spark then won both games in Round Rock, 7-2 and 7-2, on complete games from Jailyn Ford and Maddie Penta. Garcia struck out 12 in the second loss. Texas won 7-2 in Hillsboro on Friday behind two home runs from Dejah Mulipola.
Standings through July 18
| Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bandits | 16 | 8 |
| Utah Talons | 15 | 9 |
| Portland Cascade | 14 | 11 |
| Oklahoma City Spark | 12 | 11 |
| Carolina Blaze | 8 | 15 |
| Texas Volts | 7 | 18 |
Portland’s season is complete. Oklahoma City has two games left at Carolina. Sunday’s schedule has the Talons and Bandits in Hillsboro and the Spark at the Blaze. Full dates are on our 2026 AUSL schedule.
Who has hit three home runs in an AUSL game?
Skylar Wallace of the Chicago Bandits, on July 16, 2026, against the Carolina Blaze. The AUSL said she was the first player in any Athletes Unlimited softball game to do it.
Why were Bandits home games played in Oregon?
Poor air quality in the Chicago area moved the July 18 and 19 games between the Bandits and Utah Talons to Hillsboro Ballpark in Hillsboro, Ore.
Who broke the AUSL single-season home run record in 2026?
Maya Brady of the Oklahoma City Spark passed Morgan Zerkle’s record of nine on July 18, 2026. Megan Grant of the Portland Cascade reached 10 later the same day.
About the AUSL — The Athletes Unlimited Softball League is a professional softball league featuring six teams across major U.S. markets. Commissioner Kim Ng leads the league, whose games air on ESPN, ABC, CBS Sports Network and MLB Network.
Sources: AUSL box scores and play-by-play for games 972-984; AUSL: Williams squeeze, games relocated, Bandits clinch, Wallace three homers, Brady record, Grant reaches 10, Cascade beat Talons, Talons beat Cascade, Volts sweep, Ford complete game. Featured photo: AUSL.
About Aspen Eighty
Aspen Eighty is a female-founded, independent digital publication covering the Athletes Unlimited Softball League. We publish news, season coverage, and player profiles for all six AUSL teams. Our mission is to amplify women’s professional softball and inspire the next generation of athletes.
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