Softball On SI

Montana Fouts, Sydney Romero Power Talons to Historic AUSL Championship

Allison Smith|
Montana Fouts (14) of the Talons helped give her squad their first championship in game two with a seven inning shutout.
Montana Fouts (14) of the Talons helped give her squad their first championship in game two with a seven inning shutout. | Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)

In Game 2 of the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Championship Series, the first-place regular-season Talons took the title, 1-0, at Alabama's Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Leading the way for the Talons was starting pitcher and Alabama alumna Montana Fouts, who finished a season-high seven strikeouts and former Oklahoma star Sydney Romero scored the games only run with a solo home run.

"We are very blue collar, and we respect the game so much, and I think that is why this team is so successful in how we play the game," Romero said after the game. "This team is also really selfless, the most selfless team I have ever been a part of."

Romero also dedicated this game and her performance to her late father.

"There was this butterfly that I kept seeing during the game, and yesterday I saw the same butterfly – I could feel my dad with me."

The Talons won the first game of the series, 3-1.

The game began with a pitchers' duel between Bandits starter Taylor McQuillin and Fouts. Both pitchers mowed down their competitors in the first two innings – going six up and six down.

In the third inning, both teams finally cracked through with hits, but both pitchers were able to depend on their defense to escape the pressure situations.

In the top of the third, the Talons' Aguilar singled through the right side, and Sierra Sacco followed with a walk to put a runner on first and second.

However, McQuillin held the Talons scoreless and escaped the jam with two flyouts.

In the bottom of the third, Fouts worked her way out of a jam of her own after giving up a single to Bubba Nickles-Camarena and a sacrifice bunt from Mary Iakopo.

Bandits right fielder Bella Dayton used her speed to drop a bunt for a single. Zerkle grounded out to Talons shortstop and AUSL Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Flippen, putting the Hitter and MVP of the regular season, Erin Coffel, in the box.

Coffel appeared to pop out in foul territory on a 2-2 rise ball, but third baseman Romero ran into catcher Sharlize Palacios, causing her to drop the ball.

Fouts then conceded a walk to Coffel, but escaped the bases-loaded jam as Bandits infielder Skylar Wallace ended the inning on a routine ground ball to second base.

But once again, weather interfered.

At the start of the fifth inning, after McQuillin and Fouts were able to go three up, three down in the fourth, pouring rain caused a delay. This was after the first game of the series dealt with weather delays that required them to continue the game on Sunday morning before starting Game 2.

After the rain delay, it was Romero who finally broke through and blasted a solo home run over the left field wall for the Talons in the top of the sixth inning off Bandits reliever Lexi Kilfoyl.

The one run was all that Fouts needed as she survived the bottom of the seventh inning even after Nickles-Camarena doubled to the center field wall, only inches away from tying the game.

First baseman Tori Vidales snagged a line drive from Iakopo and doubled up Nickles-Camarena at first for the double play. With two outs, Fouts ended the inning and game in her typical style and struck out Bella Dayton looking.

Published | Modified
Allison Smith
ALLISON SMITH

Allison Smith is an expert in leadership and organizational behavior in collegiate and professional women’s sports. Smith is a professor (Georgia State University), researcher, and writer. Smith holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in Kinesiology and Sport Studies. Smith’s research centers on combatting the underrepresentation of women leaders in sport, lack of organizational structure for work life integration for sport employees, and lack of programming and oversight for preparing athletes to transition to life after sport. Since graduating with a bachelor’s in journalism in 2011, Smith has sought opportunities to write about sports as a contributing writer focused on the growth of women’s collegiate, Olympic, and professional sports in this new age and movement for multiple outlets including Athletic Director U, and now Forbes.com. As a former Division I and II pitcher and Division III pitching coach Smith will bring unique insight and expertise to Softball on SI.

Share on XFollow allisonbsmith15
Home/Pro