Business went as usual for the Talons, who defeated the Volts 6-4 in the opening game of the Tuscaloosa Series at Rhoads Stadium on Tuesday, July 22. As the number one ranked team in the league, the Talons have already qualified for the Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship on July 26 and 27. The final regular season slate for the top squad happens to be at the same exact venue, and they’re making use of the advantage in those two games.
Just another Tuesday for the flock
The first inning began on a high note for the Talons, as pitcher Montana Fouts delivered three strikeouts in the circle on the top and centerfielder Maya Brady scored the first run on the bottom. After Volts pitcher Sam Landry was relieved by Payton Gottshall, the Talons’ leftfielder Jadelyn Allchin and second baseman Sydney Romero added two more runs to their 3-0 lead.
After Fouts tossed her fourth strikeout in the second inning, the Volts finally found scoring action when first baseman Erika Piancastelli swung a home run to the left field that earned her and third baseman Jessi Warren their first two runs, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
The fourth inning saw Warren smack the Volts’ second homer to the left field, tying the Talons 3-3. The Volts made a second pitching change to Sam Show, who tossed her first strikeout on the mound. The Talons responded with Allchin singling up the middle to score for third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish and regain the lead at 4-3.
The Talons subbed Fouts for Georgina Corrick in the circle before the fifth inning, and the Volts also had Show relieved by Rachel Garcia. Her first strikeout wasn’t enough to prevent Brady from tapping a two-run single that increased the Talon’s lead by three runs to 6-3.
After second baseman Sierra Romero became the third Volt to homer in the sixth inning, Corrick struck her first batter out while Talons held on to a 6-4 lead.
As neither team saw any further runs in the seventh inning, the game ended with the second strikeout by Corrick that resulted in a 6-4 victory for the Talons.
The pitching staff for the Talons was top-notch as Fouts recorded season-high six strikeouts during the night, while she also spent the most time in the circle with 4.0 innings pitched whereas Corrick saw 3.0 innings of action. Leading the batters were Allchin and Brady going 2-for-4 at the plate, with Brady nailing two RBIs. Six Talon baserunners each contributed a single run in the game.
On the mound for the Volts, Garcia and Show each struck out one batter, while starter Gottshall saw the most action with 3.0 innings pitched compared to Show and Garcia with 1.0 and 2.0 innings respectively. Si. Romero led the batting lineup going 3-for-4, with one hit that led to a dinger. Warren scored the most runs with two in her team’s total of four.
Talons remain unbeaten against Volts, fly high with championship practice
Throughout the season, the Talons have led the Volts 7-0 after each and every encounter between both teams. The Talons raise their record to 18-5 and continue to glide in first place while preparing early for the AUSL championship at the host site. On the other hand, the Volts dropped to 7-16 and did not qualify for the postseason. With only one regular season game remaining, the Volts will try everything they can to end their season with a bang and make a shock upset happen although the Talons will stay in Alabama regardless of the result.
The Talons and Volts will play the last half of the Tuscaloosa series Wednesday, July 23. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, and the first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Rhoads Stadium.
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