Skylar Wallace’s Three-Run Blast Lifts Bandits Past Volts in 8-7 Thriller
Opening the Series in Round Rock
Tonight started the Bandits vs Volts series at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. The Volts came in hanging on for their lives, in hopes to somehow make a late run for Tuscaloosa. The Bandits just needed one win to punch that ticket. The Volts gave it all they had, but in the end, it was about who could outlast the other.
Volts Strike First Behind Rachel Garcia
Volts would send their best stuff to the circle, Rachel Garcia, and she would start with a cleanly.
Bottom half, the Volts got some runners on, and with two outs, Sierra Romero shot a two-out RBI single down the third base line to score Ciara Briggs to make it 1-0 Volts.
Romero tried to stretch it to second on the throw, but was tagged for the third out. Romero thought she had beat the tag, but a lengthy review upheld the call.
Jessi Warren Adds On with a Blast
Rachel Garcia was dialed in, and the Bandits were only able to manage a couple of walks in the first couple of innings. Garcia has been one of the league’s best this season in the circle, and her rise and movement across the plate have been big reasons why.
Jessi Warren would apply some two-out pressure in the bottom of the second, with her first home run of the season. Volts would take a 2-0 lead.
Volts scored their first two runs on two-out situations. Pretty tough pill to swallow for the Bandits.
Zerkle and Wallace Ignite the Bandits
Morgan Zerkle has been one of the sparks for the Bandits this season, and in the third, she would take her league-leading seventh home run out to right field to cut the Volts lead to 2-1.
Zerkle has found a home run talent this season. What’s so great about this one, she was out in front of it and still had the barrel to get it out.
Bandits got to Garcia this inning. Skylar Wallace used her speed to beat out an infield single. She would steal second, and make it home on a Danielle Gibson Whorton RBI single to tie the game at 2.
Bandits are a team that has shown time and time again they can strike at anytime. After Bubba Nickles-Camarena and Sydney McKinney reached to load the bases with two outs, Delanie Wisz popped out to end the inning.
Lorenz Answers with a Rocket
Now with a new game going into the bottom of the third, Odicci Alexander would have a new game. Alexander didn’t pitch bad at all, despite the two runs. After registering one out in the bottom of the third, the Bandits would go to Emiley Kennedy.
Amanda Lorenz would jump on Kennedy with the first pitch and blast a solo home run, her fourth of the season. Lorenz turned on a ball that was up on the inside corner, and just connected. Volts would go back up, 3-2.
Bandits Explode After Garcia Exits
Bandits came right back in the fourth and were able to get a couple on with one out before Rachel Garcia exited for Payton Gottshall.
The Bandits would open things up and fast. Skylar Wallace singled to load the bases, and then an unfortunate defensive error by Dejah Mulipola caused two runs to come in for the Bandits.
Erin Coffel reached on a fielder’s choice, then Mulipola threw the ball past first base trying to turn a double. That allowed Wallace and Zerkle to score and the Bandits would take a 4-3 lead.
Danielle Gibson Whorton then smacked an RBI double to bring in Coffel and the Bandits took a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the fourth.
Volts Respond with Big Fifth Inning
After a quiet top of the fifth, the Volts would continue to grind and fight the bottom half. Dejah Mulipola and Sis Bates reached on back-to-back singles, and no outs.
Amanda Lorenz reached on a fielder’s choice, as Mulipola appeared to have been tagged out at third, but a review for obstruction overturned the call.
Now the Volts had bases loaded with no outs and Ciara Briggs up to bat. The time was now for the Volts to capitalize on this situation, and Briggs did.
Ciara Briggs took a two-RBI single up the middle to bring in Mulipola and Bates. Tie game at five a piece with two runners still on and no outs.
That would force Kennedy out of the game, for Lexi Kilfoyl.
The Volts have scored the league’s lowest amount of runs coming in with just under four runs a game. With everything to fight for tonight, they were able to find the offense.
Erika Piancastelli came in to pinch hit for Mia Scott, and the call paid off. Piancastelli took a 1-2 pitch to the center field wall for an RBI double. Volts would have a 6-5 lead, with runners on first and second.
This is the Volts production that many thought they would produce all season, but that has not been the case as stated earlier. Many of their problems this year have been the failure to bring runners after getting them on. Tonight was a different story.
After a couple of outs, Danieca Coffey would reach on a walk to load the bases. That gave Jessi Warren another shot at adding on to the Volts lead, but a groundout would leave the bases full.
Wallace Delivers the Knockout Blow
Plating three runs in the bottom of the fifth for the Volts was huge, the question was could they hold off the Bandits bats for the duration to pull out the win.
Bella Dayton would open the sixth with a leadoff double to right field. The Bandits are a hot team in the box, as they have been most of the season. Gottshall would lose Zerkle on a walk, and the Bandits were in business with two on and no outs.
Things would not get better for Gottshall, as the former Florida Gator Skylar Wallace left the yard for a three-run shot to take an 8-6 lead. That was Wallace’s fourth homer of the season, and it could not have come at a better time.
Gottshall would see Coffel and after a flyout, Sam Show would take the circle.
Show would get out of the inning with no other runs coming across, but the Bandits had done what you would expect, they answered and answered opportunistically.
Lorenz Homers Again, But Bandits Close It Out
More two-out production in the bottom of the sixth for the Volts. Amanda Lorenz would go deep for her second home run of the night, to cut the Bandits lead to 8-7.
Bandits wanted to add some insurance in the top of the seventh. After getting two on, and with two outs, Morgan Zerkle would go down swinging, as Sam Show was able to hold the score to a one-run game.
Lexi Kilfoyl would finish it off in the bottom half, retiring the Volts in order. The Bandits clinched their spot to Tuscaloosa, but remain focused on finishing out the regular season strong, as Morgan Zerkle told me on yesterday that they would.
Postgame Mindset from Nuveman Deniz and Wallace
Postgame Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz and Skylar Wallace echoed those points.
“It’s good that it’s happening now, right? Like, we have a chance to make some to make some corrections and to figure some things out and get on a roll. And I think that’s ultimately what we want to do is learn from our mistakes, get better every day.”, said Coach Nuveman Deniz.
That is the beauty of clinching now, and being able to have that off of their backs. Now they can use the next few games between now and next weekend to continue improving in areas and getting back in a groove. Skylar Wallace is honored to be in this position, but remains focused on the bigger picture. There is still work to do.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s obviously a huge honor to be in that final, you know, in Tuscaloosa come the end of July. But I think our main focus is just doing the little things for tomorrow’s game.”
Finishing the Job
Tomorrow’s game two against the Volts will be a good look at how focused the Bandits are after tonight. I wholeheartedly believe they mean what they say, and want to put the foot on the gas to the finish, as well as work on some much needed fixes.
“Like, yeah, it’s nice that we clinched and we have that locked, but it’s really just focusing on how we can have better swings at bats, how can we move runners? How can we have crisp defense? How can we make better pitches and just kind of focus on that so that when we get there, we’re ready to go.”, said Skylar Wallace.
Tomorrow the Bandits and Volts will take on each other for game two at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, TX. Game time is set for 8:00 PM EDT/7:00 PM CT on ESPNU.
Probable starters in the circle are Sarah Willis vs Mariah Mazón.
Follow along with Fastpitch Wire, as we continue to bring you firsthand coverage of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
