Baylee Klingler’s Seven RBIs Nearly Steal It, But Romero and Fouts Seal the Deal for Talons
Talons Jump Out Early Behind Flippen Bomb and Feraimo Debut
Chattanooga, TN – The Talons and Blaze came into today with a doubleheader to play after last night’s postponement, and game one had it all. It marked Megan Faraimo’s AUSL season debut in the circle for the Talons, while the Blaze countered with Emma Lemley. What looked like a runaway Talons win quickly turned into a slugfest, complete with a weather delay and a near comeback.
Lemley got the start for the Blaze, and things got bumpy fast. Sierra Sacco led off with a swinging bunt single and Sharlize Palacios followed with a walk. Ali Aguilar worked an eight-pitch battle before going down looking, but the Talons quickly started chipping away.
Tori Vidales dropped a ball down the right field line, scoring Sacco on a throwing error. Then came the big blow — a three-run home run by Hannah Flippen that made it 4-0 Talons before the Blaze could blink.
Faraimo Looks Sharp Early Despite Blaze Threat
Faraimo made her first AUSL appearance after her stint in Japan, and faced early pressure. Aubrey Leach laced a leadoff double, and after striking out Kayla Kowalik, Faraimo gave up an RBI single to Baylee Klingler. With two in scoring position and two outs, she got Taylor Edwards swinging to escape the jam.
The Talons added another in the second when Victoria Hayward scored on an Aguilar groundout to extend the lead to 5-1.
Talons Explode for Seven Runs in the Fourth
The third saw the Talons load the bases and force in a run with a walk to Sacco, making it 6-1. But it was the fourth inning where things blew wide open. Aguilar ripped a liner off the top of the wall, Flippen singled, and Jacobsen walked to fill the bases. Bri Ellis and Victoria Hayward added RBI singles, and Palacios drove in two more with a base hit.
Ali Aguilar added yet another RBI knock, and by the time Brooke McCubbin was chased from the game, it was 12-1 Talons. Hope Trautwein-Valdespino entered to get the final out, but the damage was done.
Blaze Rally Begins After Rain Delay
The bottom of the fourth opened with an Ana Gold single and a sudden downpour forced a weather delay. When play resumed, the Blaze woke up. A wild pitch brought in Gold, then Baylee Klingler uncorked a three-run homer to cut the lead to 12-5. Faraimo was pulled after allowing another hit, and Lauren Derkowski came in to stop the bleeding.
That momentum carried into the fifth. The Blaze loaded the bases with no outs and clawed back four more runs — sac fly from Leach, RBI singles from Klingler and Gibson-Whorton, and one more by Korbe Otis. All of a sudden, the Talons’ commanding lead was just 12-10.
Klingler Delivers Again, But Romero Answers Loudly
In the sixth, the Blaze tied it. After loading the bases, Kowalik reached on a fielder’s choice, and Baylee Klingler delivered once again with a two-RBI single to tie the game 12-12. She finished the game 4-for-5 with 7 RBIs.
But the Talons weren’t done. In the top of the seventh, Keilani Ricketts — who was scheduled to start the next game — entered in relief and faced her fellow Sooner, Sydney Romero. Romero crushed a two-run homer to left, giving the Talons a 14-12 lead.
Montana Fouts Slams the Door
The Talons turned to Montana Fouts in the bottom of the seventh to lock it down, and the former Alabama ace made quick work of the Blaze to earn her second save of the season.
Final Score: Talons 14, Blaze 12
This game featured nine pitchers, 26 combined runs, and 29 total hits. Raellin Chaffin improved to 2-0 with the win, while Hope Trautwein-Valdespino took the loss. Despite the loss, the Blaze showed serious fight, and Baylee Klingler put together one of the best single-game performances of the AUSL season so far.
