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Bandits clinch spot in AUSL championship series with 8-7 win over Volts at Dell Diamond
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — Skylar Wallace blasted a go-ahead 3-run home run in the sixth inning to lift the Bandits to an 8-7 win Thursday over the Volts at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, and clinch a spot in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League championship series.
In its inaugural season, the AUSL's touring schedule has the teams in Central Texas for a 4-game set through Sunday. The series opener packed Dell Diamond with nearly 5,000 fans for professional softball, which featured three former Texas Longhorns — Bella Dayton and Mary Iakopo for the Bandits and 2025 national champion Mia Scott for the Volts.
Dayton had two hits for the Bandits from the No. 9 spot in the batting order while Iakopo and Scott went 0-for-2. The teams combined for 21 hits and five home runs. Amanda Lorenz hit two homers and Jessi Warren smacked another. Morgan Zerkle hit a solo homer for the Bandits in the third inning.
The Bandits (12-7) will play for the first AUSL title against the Talons (15-4) July 26-28 at Rhodes Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The AUSL has four teams in its first year. The Talons and Blaze are in action this week at Dumke Family Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The 2025 Texas Longhorns softball national championship team was honored before the game.
Longhorn legend Cat Osterman is the general manager for the Volts, and the Texas coaching tandem of Kristen Zaleski and Nick Williams are also on the Volts' staff.
The Bandits and Volts continue their series at 7 p.m. Friday.