The Athletes Unlimited Softball League will conclude its inaugural season this weekend with a championship series between the Talons and Bandits in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and will feature two recent Bulldog softball graduates.
Former Mississippi State standouts Sierra Sacco and Raelin Chaffin have played big roles for the Talons on their way to clinching the top seed in the league, with the former earning All-Defensive honors from the inaugural league.
In two years as a Bulldog, Sacco never once committed an error in the field on 229 chances. She holds two of the seven errorless seasons in program history and has continued that form as a pro.
Sacco has a 34-34 record on chances with the Talons, playing both left and center field. She made the switch to left field as a pro and has answered the call so far, helping her team to an AUSL-best .981 team fielding percentage with eight fewer errors than the next closest team.
Chaffin, like Sacco, also played a big part in fuelling the league’s best defense. The former Bulldog ace boasts a 6-2 record from 14 appearances for the Talons, making 5 starts in the circle. Over 36.2 innings pitched, she boasts a 3.63 ERA, allowing just a .277 batting average, 38 hits and 19 earned runs from opponents.
The AUSL best-of-three championship series will be played between the Talons and Bandits at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. Games 1 and 2 will air on ESPN. Game 3, if necessary, will air on ESPN 2.
Tickets for Game 1 of the series are sold out, but Game 2 tickets are available through the University of Alabama.
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