The Chicago Bandits punched their ticket to the 2026 AUSL Championship Series on Thursday night. Ailana Agbayani lined a walk-off single down the right side in the 11th inning, giving Chicago a 6-5 win over the Portland Cascade in the longest game in AUSL softball history.
Chicago Bandits Extra-Inning Drama Seals Victory Over Portland Cascade
For four innings, the Bandits couldn't touch Portland starter Carley Hoover. That changed in the fifth. Chicago worked three free passes to load the bases, and Skylar Wallace earned a walk to force in a run. Morgan Zerkle then drove a single to left, plating two and knotting the score at 3-3.
Neither team could finish it in regulation. After both sides pushed across a run in the eighth, the Portland Cascade grabbed the lead again in the 11th. But Taryn Kern, entering off the bench, roped an RBI double to tie it. Agbayani did the rest two batters later.
"She had a great game today, and just seeing her at second and seeing her play just calms me down," Agbayani said of Kern's heroics. "She's meant for the moment. She's meant for this."
Chicago Bandits to Face Utah Talons in 2026 AUSL Softball Championship
Chicago now turns to the AUSL Championship Series against the Utah Talons on Saturday. Game 1 begins at 1 PM ET on ABC.
