Happy Father’s Day!
Talons Fight to a Sweep
Chattanooga, TN – Today wrapped up the weekend Athletes Unlimited Softball League series between the Talons and the Blaze. The Talons secured the series win in yesterday’s doubleheader, with both games seeing late pushes from the Blaze.
The Talons held on, winning 14-12 in game one and 7-6 in game two. Today, the Talons took the field in green tops with white lettering and numerals outlined in gold, paired with black pants. The Blaze came out in white tops with pink numerals outlined in black, black lettering, and all white pants.
Raelin Chaffin got the start for the Talons, entering with a 2-0 record, a 0.00 ERA, and a .294 opponent batting average over 4.1 innings pitched. The Blaze sent out Aleshia Ocasio, who came in at 0-1 with a 4.94 ERA and a .348 opponent batting average. Both teams had gotten after it offensively all series long.
Even in yesterday’s losing efforts, Baylee Klingler and Danielle Gibson Whorton had monster days for the Blaze. For the Talons, Hannah Flippen proved why she’s such a savvy veteran, going 3-for-7 with 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs scored between both games.
Speaking of Flippen, she came through early again with a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle in the top of the first to give the Talons a 2-0 lead. Ocasio struggled with command early, allowing runners on freely in the first frame.
As expected, the Blaze didn’t go away. Chaffin gave up two runs on three hits in the bottom half. Korbe Otis lined an RBI single to left to score Kayla Kowalik, and Ana Gold followed with one of her own to bring in Klingler. Just like that, it was a 2-2 ballgame.
Ocasio continued struggling with her command, hitting three batters and walking two through just two innings. The Talons took advantage, jumping back ahead 4-2 in the top of the second with RBIs from Jadelyn Allchin and Tori Vidales.
With one out in the third, Bri Ellis launched her first career professional home run to right, stretching the Talons’ lead to 5-2. After Ocasio hit another batter and walked one more, putting Sydney Romero and Allchin aboard, she was pulled for Emma Lemley, who inherited two on. Lemley got out of the jam without damage.
Baylee Klingler continued her tear, leading off the bottom of the third with a single to move to 2-for-2 on the day and 7-for-10 in the series. Gibson Whorton followed with a single to right-center, putting the Blaze in business with no outs. But Chaffin and the Talons held firm — Otis grounded into a fielder’s choice that got Klingler at third and Gibson Whorton at second. Gold then flew out deep to center to end the inning.
Lemley ran into trouble in the fourth but escaped unscathed. With the bases loaded and no outs, Caroline Jacobsen flew out in foul territory to left, and Ali Aguilar tested Otis’ arm — and lost. Otis threw a dart home to complete a double play. Lemley then ended the inning with a strikeout to Romero.
Chaffin issued three walks and gave up a single to Aliyah Andrews in the bottom of the fourth. With one out and the bases loaded, a walk to Kowalik brought in Kalei Harding, making it 5-3. Megan Faraimo entered in relief for the Talons.
BAYLEE KLINGLER IS CLUTCH! The very first pitch Faraimo threw was crushed over the right field wall — the first grand slam in AUSL history — to give the Blaze a 7-5 lead.
With Otis on first, Ana Gold roped an RBI triple to right, giving the Blaze an 8-5 edge and all the momentum going to the fifth. This Blaze team always finds ways to fight back.
Keilani Ricketts took the circle for the Blaze in the fifth, and with one out, Sierra Sacco lifted a solo shot over the center field wall to trim it to 8-6. Ricketts recorded two outs in the side, then Lemley reentered after an Aguilar walk and got Vidales to pop up to end a 12-pitch battle.
In the sixth, the Talons sparked another rally. Flippen and Jacobsen both singled, and a sac bunt from Victoria Hayward moved them over. Romero followed with a sac fly to score Flippen, pulling the Talons within one at 8-7, but Allchin flew out to center to end the frame.
We went to the bottom of the sixth with this game still very much up for grabs — exactly what this series has delivered all weekend.
Chaffin returned for the Talons with one out. She walked Baylee Klingler on four pitches, but the Blaze followed with a fielder’s choice that got Klingler at second. Faraimo came back in to pitch and got Otis to fly out to end the inning.
Surprisingly, the Blaze turned back to Ocasio in the seventh for a high-leverage close despite her earlier struggles.
Sacco led off with a single but was erased on a fielder’s choice as Palacios reached. Aguilar struck out looking. Ocasio was just one out away from closing it out and securing a win for the Blaze — but that’s where things unraveled.
Vidales slipped one past Ana Gold at short, putting two on for Hannah Flippen, and the veteran didn’t miss.
Flippen crushed a three-run homer to right field, putting the Talons ahead 10-8 in stunning fashion. This series simply did not disappoint.
Faraimo came back to finish things off and closed it down in the seventh to complete the Talons’ sweep.
This series had it all. Every game saw big swings, comebacks, and clutch moments. This is what professional softball looks like — and the city of Chattanooga got one heck of a show.
