Four Bruins Help Talons Win First AUSL Championship
July 28, 2025 | Softball
Four UCLA softball alumnae โ players Maya Brady, Megan Faraimo and Sharlize Palacios and general manager Lisa Fernandez โ helped the Talons win the first-ever Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) Championship on Sunday.
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After a rain postponement on Saturday, the Talons defeated the Bandits in Game 1 by a score of 3-1 Sunday morning. Later in the afternoon, the Talons shut out the Bandits in Game 2 by a narrow 1-0 margin to win the historic title.
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Three more UCLA softball alumnae suited up for the Bandits in the AUSL Championship Series: players Bubba Nickles-Camarena and Delanie Wisz and head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. Additionally, longtime UCLA assistant Kirk Walker and current UCLA Director of Player Development and Data Analytics Will Oldham both serve as assistant coaches on the Talons' staff.
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Brady made her mark in Game 1 by scoring the Talons' second run after reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Faraimo closed out the contest with two strikeouts against the four batters she faced in the seventh to earn a save.
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Oklahoma alumna Sydney Romero drove in the only run of Game 2 with a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning. Palacios, playing behind the dish, caught the final out of Montana Fouts' complete-game effort.
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Brady finished her first AUSL season with a .500 batting average (11-for-22), one home run and five RBIs in limited action. Palacios hit .278 (20-for-72) with three doubles, one home run, one triple and seven RBIs. Faraimo concluded her second AUSL season with a 3-1 record, 4.80 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 42.1 innings and 14 games (six starts).
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Former Bruin Jadelyn Allchin was also a key contributor for the Talons during the regular season before being reassigned to the reserve pool prior to the start of the AUSL Championship Series. Read more about Allchin's season HERE.
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Launched in June 2025, the AUSL is a professional women's softball league featuring four teams โ the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts โ playing a 24-game season in a traditional format. Athletes Unlimited previously ran four-week events and crowned individual champions based on a scoring system that awards players for on-field production the past four years.
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The AUSL is ran by former Miami Marlins general manager and trailblazing sports executive Kim Ng, who is serving as league commissioner.
To learn more about the AUSL, clickย HERE.
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After a rain postponement on Saturday, the Talons defeated the Bandits in Game 1 by a score of 3-1 Sunday morning. Later in the afternoon, the Talons shut out the Bandits in Game 2 by a narrow 1-0 margin to win the historic title.
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Three more UCLA softball alumnae suited up for the Bandits in the AUSL Championship Series: players Bubba Nickles-Camarena and Delanie Wisz and head coach Stacey Nuveman Deniz. Additionally, longtime UCLA assistant Kirk Walker and current UCLA Director of Player Development and Data Analytics Will Oldham both serve as assistant coaches on the Talons' staff.
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Brady made her mark in Game 1 by scoring the Talons' second run after reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Faraimo closed out the contest with two strikeouts against the four batters she faced in the seventh to earn a save.
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Oklahoma alumna Sydney Romero drove in the only run of Game 2 with a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning. Palacios, playing behind the dish, caught the final out of Montana Fouts' complete-game effort.
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Brady finished her first AUSL season with a .500 batting average (11-for-22), one home run and five RBIs in limited action. Palacios hit .278 (20-for-72) with three doubles, one home run, one triple and seven RBIs. Faraimo concluded her second AUSL season with a 3-1 record, 4.80 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 42.1 innings and 14 games (six starts).
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Former Bruin Jadelyn Allchin was also a key contributor for the Talons during the regular season before being reassigned to the reserve pool prior to the start of the AUSL Championship Series. Read more about Allchin's season HERE.
ย
Launched in June 2025, the AUSL is a professional women's softball league featuring four teams โ the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts โ playing a 24-game season in a traditional format. Athletes Unlimited previously ran four-week events and crowned individual champions based on a scoring system that awards players for on-field production the past four years.
ย
The AUSL is ran by former Miami Marlins general manager and trailblazing sports executive Kim Ng, who is serving as league commissioner.
To learn more about the AUSL, clickย HERE.
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Players Mentioned
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Sunday, June 01
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Texas Tech (May 31, 2025)
Saturday, May 31
Highlights - UCLA Softball vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29
UCLA Softball Postgame - Coach Inouye-Perez & Players, vs. Oregon (May 29, 2025)
Thursday, May 29