The AUSL champion Utah Talons have done it again, sweeping the Chicago Bandits with Sunday’s 6-1 Game 2 win to claim a second straight Athletes Unlimited Softball League title.

With victory adds to Utah’s AUSL domination, finishing as the second-year league’s No. 1 seed and champion in back-to-back seasons.

“I’m incredibly proud of this group,” coach Cindy Ball-Malone said. “When I first met this group in March, I asked them what they wanted to do, and they said repeat — job well done.”

Talons ace Montana Fouts delivered on the big stage, pitching a complete game while allowing just one run on eight hits with four strikeouts.

“I’m very proud of how I felt when I saw the rest of my team,” the 2026 Pitcher of the Year said. “I felt genuine love. I’m thankful I got the opportunity to get it done for them.”

Outfielder Jadelyn Allchin took championship series MVP, going 3-for-6 at the plate while recording three runs and three RBIs.

The AUSL now gears up for the 2026 All-Star Cup, taking the field on August 8th at 7 PM ET.

Montana Fouts delivered a complete game on Sunday as the Utah Talons swept the Chicago Bandits to repeat as AUSL softball champions. The former Alabama ace struck out four and held Chicago to one run in the 6-1 clincher at Davis Diamond in College Station, TX.

Montana Fouts Pitches Complete Game to Secure AUSL Softball Title

Montana Fouts bent but didn't break. Chicago collected eight hits yet went 1-for-9 in scoring position. It was a fitting close to a season that earned her 2026 Pitcher of the Year and a new single-season strikeout record with 63.

"I could feel in the middle of the game I was a little bit more intentional with locations," Fouts said. "They're obviously a good hitting team and they're going to take advantage of any mistake. So just kind of locking in a little bit more on locations in the middle of the game, that helped kind of set the tone."

Utah Talons Secure Back-to-Back AUSL Championships

Still, she had help. AUSL Championship Series MVP Jadelyn Allchin drove in three runs across the sweep. She opened Game 2 with a two-run homerun in the first inning to put the Talons ahead early. Bri Ellis then added a fifth-inning solo shot to remove any doubt.

"We came out and hit today, that's the difference between this year and last year," Ellis said. "I feel like when we're playing the Bandits, it's always a pitchers' duel. And we're just trying to get the monkey off our pitchers' backs and give them a break."

The Talons won the inaugural AUSL title last season. Now, two years into the league's run, they're building what looks like pro softball's first dynasty.

Pro softball is staking its claim, as the No. 2 Chicago Bandits and No. 1 Utah Talons kick off the 2026 AUSL championship series on ABC tomorrow — marking network television’s first-ever pro softball game.

Chicago set up the 2025 title rematch with last night’s 11-inning 6-5 walk-off win over the Portland Cascade, advancing behind Ailana Agbayani’s RBI single despite committing a season-high five errors.

“Not often at any level — little league, college, pro — do you have five errors and win a ball game,” said Bandits manager Shonda Stanton. “But that’s what it’s about: being gritty.”

ESPN is producing the series for the first time, bringing 23+ specialty cameras, a drone, and live player mics to Texas A&M’s Davis Diamond. Parent company Disney is additionally staging a Toy Story takeover, with Woody and Jessie handling pregame festivities.

The news builds on reports showing the second-year league’s regular-season viewership rose 183% year-over-year, while merchandise sales saw a 200% boost.

Where to Watch This Weekend’s AUSL Championship Series

Game 1 starts Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC), with Game 2 slated for Sunday at 2 PM ET (ESPN).

The Utah Talons are playoff-bound. The defending champions clinched the first postseason berth of the 2026 AUSL softball season on Saturday, climbing the AUSL standings by rallying past the Oklahoma City Spark 5-4 in a seventh-inning comeback.

How the Utah Talons Locked Up Their 2026 AUSL Playoff Spot

Utah trailed 3-2 heading into the final frame. Then Jadelyn Allchin connected on a solo home run to tie it. With two outs, Sharlize Palacios followed with a two-run shot off Maya Johnson, pushing the Talons ahead 5-3.

Oklahoma City answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Megan Faraimo closed things out, finishing with 10 strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

Staying on Top of the AUSL Standings

Now the focus shifts to the AUSL standings.

The No. 1 seed earns an automatic berth in the AUSL Championship at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas, while the second- and third-place teams meet in the Play-In Game.

Utah (14-6) holds a one-game edge over the Chicago Bandits (13-7), who have won nine straight. The Portland Cascade (11-9) sit three games back.

With a roster that includes Montana Fouts and a lineup built for the postseason, the Talons have the depth to chase more than just a playoff spot.

Sydney Sherrill lined a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting the Oklahoma City Spark to a 4-3 comeback win over the Talons on Thursday to shake up the AUSL softball standings.

Sherrill, Brady, and Spark Turn the Tide Against the Talons in AUSL Thriller

Utah started strong, building a 3-1 lead through four innings at Tom Heath Field. Jadelyn Allchin opened the scoring with a solo home run in the first before Hannah Flippen added another in the third. Sharlize Palacios later extended the gap with an RBI single in the fourth.

Maya Brady's solo home run pushed Oklahoma City within reach, but the Spark still trailed by two heading into the fifth.

Then, Sydney Romero launched a two-run home run toward left-center, scoring Brady — who reached on an error — to tie the game at 3-3. It was Romero's sixth bomb of the season.

In the seventh, Delanie Wisz subsequently singled with one out to set the stage. Sherrill followed with a double to center field, driving Wisz home for the winning run.

OKC Spark, Talons Shake Up AUSL Softball Standings

The victory marks Oklahoma City's third in its last four games, a stretch that could shift the AUSL softball standings down the line.

The series continues Saturday night. Fan can check the Athletes Unlimited softball schedule for broadcast times and more game information.

Professional softball put down roots coast-to-coast on Tuesday, when the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) unveiled the home cities and stadiums for each of the expanded league's teams for the 2026 season — and beyond.

After adopting a touring model for its four-team inaugural 2025 campaign, AUSL's move into home markets coincides with the league's expansion, as the now-six-team second-year league welcomed the Cascade and Spark in November.

With Tuesday's announcement, the previously independent Spark will continue to play in Oklahoma City at Oklahoma Christian University's Tom Heath Field, with fellow expansion side Cascade making its home at Hillsboro Ballpark, in Portland, Oregon.

Meanwhile, the four original teams will re-debut as the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Texas Volts, and Utah Talons.

The Blaze will play their home games at Duke University's Smith Family Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, while the Bandits' permanent home will be at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Illinois — a longtime hub for pro softball.

The Volts will play at Dell Diamond, the home of Minor League Baseball's Round Rock Express, the Triple-A team for MLB's Texas Rangers.

Lastly, the University of Utah will house the Talons, with the reigning AUSL champions taking over the Utes' Dumke Family Stadium in Salt Lake City beginning this year.

"This is about creating lasting connections between our athletes, our teams, and the communities they represent, and setting up the sport of softball for long-term success at the professional level," said AUSL commissioner Kim Ng in Tuesday's announcement.

All six teams will kick off their 2026 season on June 9th, when games will be played across multiple cities simultaneously for the first time in AUSL history.

How to purchase 2026 AUSL season tickets

Softball fans can now score 2026 season tickets for their AUSL home teams online.