New coach, new season, no problem.
The Utah Talons entered their second AUSL season with one thing on their mind – repeat.
On Sunday, the Talons achieved their goal by beating the Chicago Bandits 6-1 at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas.
“The first time I met all of (the players) on a call in March, I asked them what their mission was, and they said to repeat,” first-year Utah coach Cindy Ball-Malone told reporters after the game. “All I’m gonna say is, job well done. So incredibly proud of them, and I’m pinching myself with this opportunity. I feel so blessed.”
Montana Fouts pitched a complete game and gave up just one run on eight hits and four strikeouts. Sunday’s game marked the second straight season where Fouts was in the circle with the championship on the line.
“I’m super blessed with the opportunity to be around these amazing people. I mean, it’s pretty hard to not want to get better whenever these are your teammates, those are your coaches,” Fouts said. “ … I feel like a lot of my internal dialogue was, like, if you can’t muscle it up for you, then you’re gonna muscle it up for them.”
Fouts walked one, the leadoff in the seventh inning, but the Talons weren’t worried. They had a six-run cushion, which was a very different turnout compared to last year when they won the title 1-0.
“We came out and we hit today — that’s the difference between this year and last year,” infielder Bri Ellis said. “I feel like whenever we’re playing the Bandits, it’s always a pitchers’ duel, and (we’re) just trying to get the monkey off our pitcher’s back and give them a break.”
Utah combined for 10 hits and got home runs from Sahvanna Jaquish, Jadelyn Allchin and Ellis.
Jayda Coleman, Jordan Woolery and Allchin each contributed with two hits.
Allchin was named the AUSL Championship Most Valuable Player, which was voted on by AUSL team & league personnel and broadcasters. The former UCLA and Washington standout led Utah during regular-season leader in hits (26), runs (19) and RBIs (17).
“She’s the perfect combination of a little bit of goofiness, a little bit of fun and serious business,” Ball-Malone said of Allchin. “She’s going to give it her all every single day, and she’s not going to leave any page unturned. She sticks to herself, she knows what she can do. She uses the entire field, and she lays it out there.”
Utah will look to three-peat in 2027, and infielder Hannah Flippen is fully confident the Talons can do it.
“We have the best group of women in our locker room, and I think what helped us win last year and what helped us win this year is it was never the same person getting the job done,” Flippen said. “Our pitching staff is just so elite and not only carries us through games, but in the way that they lead, as well. It was a fun year, and (I) can’t wait to do it again next year.”
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2026 AUSL Awards
AUSL Hitter of the Year: Sami Williams (Chicago Bandits)
The Iowa State star introduced herself to the AUSL in a big way. She started all regular-season games at third base and set AUSL single-season records with 12 doubles and 34 RBIs while ranking second in the league with a .427 batting average.
Williams played in the 2021 AU Pro Championship season and for the Oklahoma City Spark of the now-defunct WPF in 2023.
AUSL Pitcher of the Year: Montana Fouts (Utah Talons)
Montana Fouts had a record-breaking season for the AUSL.
The Alabama great established AUSL single-season records with 62.1 innings pitched, 63 strikeouts, seven wins and seven complete games.
Fouts also set a new AUSL single-game best with 12 strikeouts against the Texas Volts on June 18.
AUSL Rookie of the Year: Reese Atwood (Carolina Blaze)
After winning back-to-back national titles with the Texas Longhorns, Reese Atwood didn’t miss a beat, batting .309 with a team-leading eight home runs and 25 runs batted in.
Atwood ranked third in the AUSL in RBIs and reached base safely in each of her final 12 games.
AUSL Comeback Player of the Year: Bri Ellis (Utah Talons)
Bri Ellis had a rookie season she’d like to forget in 2025. So, she turned her career around with an incredible sophomore campaign.
Ellis was one of Utah’s top hitters with a .353 batting average and five home runs. She ranked fifth in the league in batting and fourth with a .450 on-base percentage.
AUSL Impact Award: Odicci Alexander-Bennett (Chicago Bandits)
Odicci Alexander-Bennett earned the 2026 AUSL Impact Award for her work with the Natasha Watley Foundation, a nonprofit that introduces softball to girls in historically marginalized communities while using the sport to build confidence, leadership and life skills.
In the circle for Chicago, the former James Madison Duke appeared in five games and posted a 1-0 record with a 3.71 earned run average.
All-AUSL Team
- Pitcher: Montana Fouts (Utah Talons)
- Catcher: Reese Atwood (Carolina Blaze)
- Corner Infielders: Sami Williams (Chicago Bandits), Bri Ellis (Utah Talons)
- Middle Infielders: Skylar Wallace (Chicago Bandits), Sydney Romero (Oklahoma City Spark)
- Outfielders: Maya Brady (Oklahoma City Spark), Jadelyn Allchin (Utah Talons), Korbe Otis (Portland Cascade)
- Utility: Megan Grant (Portland Cascade)
2026 AUSL All-Star Cup
The 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) All-Star Cup begins on Aug. 8 and will be played at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, Ill.
The four-series season features 45 of the league’s top players competing across 12 games.
Here is a breakdown of who will be competing for the individual title by AUSL team.
Carolina Blaze
Reese Atwood
Alyssa Brito
Ana Gold
Baylee Klingler
Kayla Kowalik
Aubrey Leach
Aleshia Ocasio
Karlyn Pickens
Keilani Ricketts
Chicago Bandits
Ailana Agbayani
Bella Dayton
Amber Fiser
Mary Iakopo
Lexi Kilfoyl
Kat Sandercock
Skylar Wallace
Sami Williams
Morgan Zerkle
OKC Spark
Maya Brady
Sydney McKinney
Sydney Romero
Sydney Sherrill
Jessi Warren
Delanie Wisz
Portland Cascade
Kenzie Brown
Kenleigh Cahalan
Kendra Falby
Megan Grant
Sam Landry
Sydney Stewart
Texas Volts
Aliyah Binford
Rylie Boone
Rachel Garcia
Amari Harper
Tiare Jennings
Dejah Mulipola
Utah Talons
Jadelyn Allchin
Jayda Coleman
Georgina Corrick
Bri Ellis
Megan Faraimo
Hannah Flippen
Montana Fouts
Sharlize Palacios
Jordan Woolery
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Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
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Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
