AUSL Notebook, June 9-13: Cascade Set League Record With 12-Run Inning in First Win

The first week of the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League season gave both expansion teams their first wins. It also left last year’s runner-up without one. Here is what happened from opening night on June 9 through Saturday, June 13.

Cascade set a league record in their first win

The Portland Cascade scored 12 runs in the second inning at Smith Family Stadium on June 11 and beat the Carolina Blaze 12-4 in five innings. It was the franchise’s first win. The AUSL said the 12-run inning is a league record, breaking the seven-run inning the Texas Volts scored on July 11, 2025.

Korbe Otis capped the inning with a grand slam, the first in Cascade history, and finished with five RBIs. Kendra Falby went 3-for-3. Rookie Kenzie Brown earned her first professional win.

Two nights earlier, Portland opened its history with a 4-1 loss in Durham. Sis Bates had the franchise’s first hit and scored its first run. Falby drove in its first run.

Brady’s grand slam starts the Spark

The Oklahoma City Spark won their first AUSL game on June 9, beating the Volts 13-5 in six innings at Tom Heath Field. Maya Brady hit a grand slam in the second inning for the Spark’s first hit of the season. She finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs. The Spark hit four home runs.

Oklahoma City finished the week 3-1 and in a tie for first. Maya Johnson, the No. 3 pick in the College Draft, went 2-0 on the week. On Saturday she held Chicago to one hit over four scoreless innings.

A rough start for Chicago

The Chicago Bandits, who lost the 2025 final to Utah, opened 0-4. They dropped all three games in Salt Lake City, including a 1-0 loss on June 10 and a 9-8 loss in eight innings on June 11.

Their home opener in Rosemont went no better. The Spark won 9-1 in five innings on Saturday behind two home runs from Delanie Wisz and a three-run shot from Bubba Nickles-Camarena, both former Bandits.

“Their ceiling should be our floor,” Bandits head coach Shonda Stanton said, speaking about past Bandits teams. “We’ll get the Bandits there.”

Talons sweep, then lose

The defending champion Utah Talons swept Chicago at Dumke Family Softball Stadium. Montana Fouts threw a complete game in the 5-2 opener, and Bri Ellis hit the Talons’ first home run of the season. Sarah Willis and Megan Faraimo combined on the 1-0 shutout the next night.

The third game was the season’s first extra-inning game. Chicago erased an 8-4 deficit, and Jadelyn Allchin won it with a single in the bottom of the eighth. Fouts threw three scoreless innings of relief.

“Winning and still not playing our best softball, I mean, that’s a sign of an amazing team,” Talons head coach Cindy Ball-Malone said.

Utah’s first loss came Saturday. Sam Landry threw a complete game for Portland in a 3-1 win, allowing eight hits and no walks.

Rookie debuts

Karlyn Pickens, the No. 1 overall pick, won her pro debut on June 10. She allowed two runs over five innings in Carolina’s 11-2 win over Portland. Ana Gold went 3-for-3 in that game.

Megan Grant homered in her first pro game that same night and homered again against Utah on Saturday.

The Volts signed Texas Tech’s NiJaree Canady, the No. 2 overall pick, on June 12. She joined after the Red Raiders finished as national runners-up at the Women’s College World Series.

Standings through June 13

Sunday’s schedule has the Volts at the Blaze, the Spark at the Bandits and the Cascade at the Talons. The full season is on our 2026 AUSL schedule.