Focused Bandits Ride Patient Bats and Arms to an Eight-Run Run Rule Win
Bandits Had a Plan
Tonight’s rubber match in Rosemont, Illinois had a clear theme: the Bandits showed up knowing exactly what they wanted to do, and they never wavered. Both clubs entered at 1–1 after the Talons’ 6 to 3 win on Sunday, a game that limited the Bandits to six hits and three runs. Two days later, the response was loud and clear, a series winning 8 to 0 run rule victory secured in just five innings.
From the outset, there was no matchup problem for the Bandits. With the wind gusting up to eighteen miles per hour, Bubba Nickles-Camarena set the tone by sending a two-out solo shot over the center-field wall in the first. The ball carried just enough, but the swing was pure.
The onslaught continued in the second. Devyn Netz ripped a leadoff double and Delanie Wisz followed by barreling a pitch into right-center for an RBI triple and a two-run cushion. That knock chased Mariah Lopez, prompting a quick call to Montana Fouts. The former Alabama star is known for generating grounders, yet she left one pitch up and Jordan Roberts demolished it down the left-field line for a two-run shot and a 4 to 0 lead.
After the game I asked Roberts about the team’s preparation and approach.
“We talked a lot about, after the loss the other day, we really talked about having a plan and sticking to a plan and trusting, you know, if the plan doesn’t work out, like, you’re still good enough to stay in it. And so I think it was just selling out, being committed to something.”
That commitment was obvious. Bandits Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz echoed the point.
“You know, against this level of pitching, as an offensive team and as an offensive player, you can’t be in between, right? Like, you’ve got to know what you’re looking for, and when they throw it to you, you gotta be ready for it.”
In the circle, Odicci Alexander supplied two quiet frames before rookie left-hander Emiley Kennedy debuted. The former Texas A&M standout dodged traffic in back-to-back innings, recording timely strikeouts to keep the shutout rolling. Nuveman Deniz loved the poise.
“Like, you are very rarely going to go out and just roll over everybody. So I thought how she handled, got a couple hits in that first inning. Boom, came right back, got the outs, jammed them up, got a big strike out, I thought that strike out of Palacios was huge. Just even seeing her energy, like seeing her get fired up, like that fires me up, even thinking about it, that was really cool.
And then the same thing, the second inning, got a couple runners on, but then boom, came right back, strike out looking at it in the inning. So those are character moments for her.”
Lexi Kilfoyl came in to pitch the top of the fifth for the Bandits and made quick work of the Talons, retiring them in order. It was a clean and confident showing that matched the moment. After the game, I asked what came to mind when the name Lexi Kilfoyl is mentioned. Nuveman Deniz had nothing but high praise for her presence and upside.
“She’s elite. She’s truly elite, her stuff is elite, and her mindset’s elite, her preparation, all of that,” Nuveman Deniz said. “She is going to have a very long career. Hopefully in a Bandits uniform, with the AUSL, Team USA, whatever she wants to do. She could be in it for the long haul.”
That shutdown frame led the Bandits in to the bottom half, and they finished the job.
Patience at the plate sealed the deal in the fifth. Skylar Wallace singled and swiped second, Nickles-Camarena and Erin Coffel drew walks, and a Sydney Romero error loaded the bases. Reliever Raelin Chaffin recorded one out, but Wisz worked an RBI walk, Bella Dayton delivered an RBI single, and Sydney McKinney stroked a walk-off RBI single to center. Final score: 8 to 0, run rule.
A tough Sunday loss turned into a statement Tuesday win. The Bandits are now 2–1 and looked every bit the focused, driven team they planned to be.
Featured Image Courtesy of: Athletes Unlimited Softball League-Bandits
