Cascade Secures Final Spot in AUSL Playoffs After Win and Late Drama

STARKVILLE — The Portland Cascade secured the final spot in the 2026 AUSL Softball Playoffs with a win on the last day of the regular season, according to team officials. Sierra Sacco-Ferrie contributed to the effort with a strong hitting streak, helping her team advance to a one-game playoff against the Chicago Bandits.

The Cascade will face the Bandits at 8 p.m. CT Thursday at Davis Diamond in College Station, Texas. The winner will advance to face the No. 1 seed Utah Talons in the best-of-three championship series beginning Saturday. The series schedule includes games on Saturday, Sunday, and, if necessary, Monday.

Portland needed any combination of three wins or three Oklahoma City Spark losses to secure a playoff spot. The Spark was eliminated after a weather delay and a run-rule loss to Oklahoma City on Monday night, which sealed Portland’s fate. Sacco-Ferrie, who ended the regular season with a five-game hitting streak, has recorded hits in nine of her last 11 games. During that stretch, she batted .438 with two doubles, three RBIs, and seven runs scored.

In the final regular-season series, Sacco-Ferrie started strong with an RBI double and scored in Portland’s 7-2 loss to Texas. She also contributed defensively with a diving catch and added multiple hits in the series finale, a 4-3 loss to the same team. Mia Davidson also played a key role, walking and driving in a run in the final game. The Cascade’s postseason journey continues with the upcoming playoff game on ESPN.

Sacco-Ferrie and Tori Vidales of Texas A&M would become the only two-time AUSL champions if Portland wins the title, both having played with the 2025 champion Utah Talons before being selected in this year’s expansion draft. The Bandits and Talons faced off in last year’s championship.

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