Bubba Nickles-Camarena leads the charge as Bandits even the series with a 9-1 run-rule win
A Different Vibe in Omaha
After last night’s crazy classic of a game that ended with a Talons walk-off in eight innings, tonight had a different flavor. It was a heavy dose of the Bandits, and a complete team win from start to finish.
Their entire makeup looked sharp and ready. They were hot in the box, efficient in the circle, and locked down defensively. The Bandits held the Talons to just three hits and controlled the game throughout.
Early Action for the Talons, Then Silence
The Talons opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Hannah Flippen reached on a hit by pitch, and Tori Vidales followed with an RBI-double to right center to make it 1-0.
That would be the only run of the game for the Talons. Unfamiliar territory for them, but the credit goes to Odicci Alexander, Sarah Willis, and a Bandits defense that did not blink.
Odicci threw 26 pitches in the first. The Talons are known for grinding out at-bats, but Alexander stayed calm and efficient.
I asked Coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz after the game about the three-hit performance and what turned the game for them.
“Yeah, that was huge. And I think to the point of the first inning and kind of some of the second, they were making CC work, for sure, right? She was at 57 pitches in two innings. So, they did what their signature thing is, and they ran a lot of foul balls, ran counts up. Then the next two innings, it was like 12 and 11 somewhere around there.”
“So just much more efficient, throwing strikes, just locating a little bit more efficiently. Now, I think in her case, she’s also kind of a bad ball pitcher if that makes sense. Like, she’s good at being effectively wild. The hitters can’t really settle in, so that’s part of her deal too. But generally speaking, I think the efficiency was huge.”
Bandits Answer in the Second
The Bandits got it going in the top of the second. Bubba Nickles-Camarena ripped a double to left, her second straight night with an extra base hit. Sydney McKinney moved her over with a sacrifice bunt, and Delanie Wisz battled through a 10-pitch at-bat to bring her in with an RBI-double. Just like that, it was 1-1.
That at-bat was a tone setter. Wisz gave the Talons a dose of their own style, fouling pitches off and coming through in the clutch.
Odicci Alexander stayed on the grind in the circle. The Talons kept making her work, and by the end of the second she had thrown 57 pitches. But the score remained tied.
Zerkle and Coffel Start the Push
The top of the third started with a blast. Morgan Zerkle, the league leader in home runs, added another to her tally, smashing a 3-2 pitch to deep center. No doubt about that one. The Bandits grabbed a 2-1 lead and never looked back.
Skylar Wallace singled up the middle and advanced on a wild pitch. Then Erin Coffel, an MVP candidate, stepped in and launched a two-run homer to center to make it 4-1.
Megan Faraimo was chased with no outs in the third. Raelin Chaffin entered, but things didn’t slow down.
Danielle Gibson Whorton walked, and then Nickles-Camarena struck again with a two-run shot of her own. The Bandits now led 6-1. The Bandits were dialed in and nothing was slowing them down.
Mariah Lopez came in to try and limit the damage, and she did just that, getting the final two outs. But the hole was already dug.
After Alexander got through the third clean, the Bandits stayed hot. Wallace doubled with one out, and Coffel came through yet again with an RBI-double to stretch the lead to 7-1 in the top of the fourth.
Bandits Keep Pouring It On
Bri Ellis got on with a single in the bottom of the fourth. She has had a quiet rookie season, but that swing could start to turn some things. Still, the Talons could not build anything sustained.
Nickles-Camarena came up again in the fifth and unloaded on one to right. A solo shot pushed the score to 8-1 and added to her monster day. After McKinney singled, the Talons brought in Elena Escobar.
It just wasn’t the Talons’ day. Coming in with nine wins in their last ten, they looked flat, while the Bandits were in full control.
Closing Time in Omaha
Sarah Willis entered in the fifth for the Bandits. Alexander finished with a strong line: 4.0 innings pitched, 1 run on 3 hits, 1 strikeout, and 3 walks. She threw a lot of pitches, but the Talons came up empty almost every time.
Top of the sixth, the Bandits put the game into run-rule territory. Coffel walked, Whorton walked, and Nickles-Camarena delivered again with an RBI-single to score Coffel.
That made it 9-1, and that was the final score. Willis closed it out in the bottom of the sixth to seal the run-rule win.
Bandits Offense Wakes Up
The Bandits totaled 15 hits. Six players had multiple hits, and the numbers across the board were loud.
Hitters 1 through 3 went 7-for-12 with four RBIs, two doubles, and two home runs.
Hitters 5 through 7 went a blazing 8-for-10 with five RBIs, two doubles, and two home runs.
And leading the charge was Bubba Nickles-Camarena. A 4-for-4 performance, two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. She did it all.
All Eyes on Sunday
The win sets up a decisive rubber match between the Talons and Bandits. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM EDT/12 PM CT on ESPN2 from Omaha, Nebraska.
