SALT LAKE CITY — The Portland Cascade completed a three-game series sweep of the Utah Talons with a 3-2 victory Monday night at Dumke Family Softball Stadium, powered by early offense and a strong outing in the circle from Kelly Maxwell.
The Cascade scored all three of their runs in the first three innings and held off a late Utah push to secure their fourth straight win after opening the season with back-to-back losses.
Portland set the tone early, striking in the first inning when catcher Sydney Stewart singled to left field. Outfielder Sierra Sacco-Ferrie followed with a triple to left-center field, driving in Stewart to give the Cascade an early lead. Korbe Otis added a sacrifice RBI groundout later in the frame as Portland built a 3-1 advantage through the opening innings.
That early cushion proved decisive.
Utah answered in the first inning when Kailey Wyckoff delivered an RBI single over the first-base bag, marking the first hit and RBI of her professional career while also giving the Talons an early spark in front of the home crowd.
The Talons continued to chip away throughout the game but were unable to fully recover from Portland’s early surge. Rachel Becker provided one of the night’s bright spots for Utah, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI single in the fourth inning for her first career multi-hit performance.
Portland starter Kelly Maxwell controlled the pace in the circle, allowing two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. She struck out two and improved her record as the Cascade continued their mid-season surge.
Utah starter Megan Faraimo took the loss despite a solid effort, giving up three runs—two earned—on seven hits while striking out a season-high five batters. The Talons’ offense managed just three hits in 12 advancement opportunities and failed to record an extra-base hit for the first time this season.
The loss marked the first series sweep against Utah in franchise history, a notable setback for a Talons team that entered the series with momentum after a strong opening week.
Aliyah Andrews saw her season-opening five-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-4, while Sahvanna Jaquish recorded her first hit of the season with a leadoff single in the fourth inning.
Portland added a late insurance boost in the seventh when Sam Landry worked out of the bullpen, retiring the final two batters to earn her first career save.
The Cascade improved their winning streak to four games and have now outscored opponents 20-8 during that span. Utah, meanwhile, will look to regroup quickly as it heads into its next series after being swept for the first time in AUSL play.
Tags: Athletes Unlimited Softball League, AUSL, Portland Cascade, softball, Utah Talons