Carolina Blaze Bring Pro Softball to Durham, Take Down Utah Talons

by Fran Stuchbury
Published on June 29, 2026 under Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)
Carolina Blaze

Carolina Blaze pitcher Jala Wright signs autographs
(Carolina Blaze, Credit: Fran Stuchbury)

"Durham Bulls Athletic Park is one of the most iconic settings in baseball, and it provides a great stage for our players and for fans across the region to experience professional softball," said AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng.

Following a barnstorming season in 2025 with four teams - the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts - playing in 10 different cities, the AUSL started its second season earlier this month. The Talons won last year's title, sweeping the Bandits in the best-of-three championship series.

In 2026 AUSL decided to place teams in home cities. They became the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Oklahoma City Spark, Portland Cascade, Texas Volts and Utah Talons.

The AUSL has TV deals with ESPN, CBS Sports Network, MLB Network and MLB.TV. ABC will broadcast a Championship Series game, marking the first time professional softball has aired on U.S. network broadcast television.

Games are seven innings. If foul balls go into the stands fans are able to keep them.

The pitch clock is 15 seconds. This is 5 seconds shorter than the 20-second timer used in NCAA softball.

The regular season consists of 25 games, and three teams qualify for the postseason. The number two and three seeds play each other on July 23rd, at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas. A best-of-three AUSL Championship Series will follow, to be held July 25-27, also at Davis Diamond.

Ticket prices for Blaze games at the Durham Bulls Ballpark ranged from $20 to $32.

Utah won the first two games against the Carolina Blaze, 3-2 on Thursday and 3-0 on Friday.

On Saturday the Blaze held a Fan Fest on Blackwell Street prior to the game. The first 2,000 fans to enter the ballpark received a pink Blaze Barbie Rally towel.

Durham Bulls mascot Wool E. Bull was also there to engage with fans, and Carolina pitcher Jala Wright was signing rally towel autographs for fans prior to the game,

At the end of the day, the Blaze put an end to the Talons' seven-game winning streak, taking the victory 6-1. The result snapped Carolina's three-game losing streak as well and improved their record to 6-5, while the Talons fell to 10-4.

Outfielder Dakota Kennedy hit a home run in the first inning to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

Kennedy is a rookie in the AUSL having played at Arkansas.

"Honestly, it's been pretty seamless," said Kennedy of her transition to the pro league. "It's honestly a privilege to be able to just kind of flow right in just coming off my season and still being prepped and primed to play. They welcomed me in super fast. It's been really great, the transition onto this team."

Carolina added three runs in the second inning. Infielder Ana Gold hit a triple that scored outfielder Jenna Laird. Alyssa Brito grounded out to score Jenna Laird before utility player Valerie Cagel hit a home run in her first at bat of the series to extend the lead to 4-0.

It was the second game with multiple home runs for the Blaze. On June 14th Carolina blasted four homers against the Texas Volts.

The outburst marked only the second time Utah gave up more than three runs. The big inning forced the Talons make a pitching change as two time Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Megan Faraimo our of UCLA only lasting 1.1 innings. Dallas Escobedo Magee took over on the mound.

Utah got on the scoreboard in the top of the third with a home run by outfielder Caroline Jacobson, her second of the AUSL season. That made the score 4-1.

The Blaze added another run in the fifth inning on an RBI single from catcher Reese Atwood that scored Dakota Kennedy.

In the sixth inning utility player Devyn Netz homered, giving Carolina a commanding 6-1 lead.

"I think our team has the power to do that," said Blaze Head Coach Kara Dill of the three-homer day. "I think what's happened in the first two games is we wanted it so bad. We're just like a little bit tense up there. It's not a lack of preparation; it's not a lack of talent. So today to see them, you could just tell they were on time, they were smooth. They weren't squeezing the mat. They weren't trying too hard to muscle things. They were just letting their preparation take over. They were trusting in their swings. It's almost like getting the monkey off your back. Like once you get the first one, hitting is contagious. It's like, 'Oh yeah, we can do this,' like we've done this a lot this season. So, I think after that it was just rolling with some momentum."

Aleshia Ocasio pitched four innings to get the victory for Carolina, allowing just one run off the homer.

"I feel good," said Ocasio. "I thinking coming into today after two loses, my goal was to give my team a chance to win and try to keep runs off the board. They got one, but at the end of the day we won, so I am just being resilient. I am proud of this team."

Keilani Ricketts came on in the fifth inning and struck out one batter.

Karlyn Pickens, a rookie who started Friday's game, finished with two scoreless innings while striking out two.

Pickens played at Tennessee where she was a two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2024 and 2025. On May 24, 2025, during the Super Regionals of the NCAA Softball Tournament against Nebraska, she set a new fastest pitch record at 79.4 miles per hour.

On May 4th she became the first overall pick in the AUSL College Draft by Carolina.

The Carolina staff kept fans entertained between innings. In the second inning, fans waved pink rally towels. The team's DJ also kept up fan energy up with music in between pitches.

The Blaze face a long, nine-game road trip before they return home to Smith Family Stadium on the Duke Campus when they host the Chicago Bandits on July 15th.

Carolina Blaze block party (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze block party (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze pose for a team photo (Fran Stuchbury)
Carolina Blaze vs. the Utah Talons at Durham Bulls Ballpark (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze vs. the Utah Talons at Durham Bulls Ballpark (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze vs. the Utah Talons at Durham Bulls Ballpark (Fran Stuchbury)
Carolina Blaze vs. the Utah Talons at Durham Bulls Ballpark (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze fans with rally towels (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze fans with rally towels (Fran Stuchbury)
Carolina Blaze fans with rally towels (Fran Stuchbury)	Carolina Blaze pitcher Jala Wright signs autographs (Fran Stuchbury)

Athletes Unlimited Softball League Stories from June 29, 2026

• Klingler Hits a Go-Ahead Grand Slam in Blaze Victory - Carolina Blaze
• AUSL Viewership Surges 181% on ESPN Platforms - AUSL
• Carolina Blaze Bring Pro Softball to Durham, Take Down Utah Talons - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
• Carolina Blaze Bring Pro Softball to Durham, Take Down Utah Talons - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury
• Carolina Blaze Bring Pro Softball to Durham, Take Down Utah Talons - OSC Original by Fran Stuchbury

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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