Like father, like daughter: Agbayani's walk-off winner isn't 1st clutch moment for her family
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There have been plenty of memorable father-son duos in MLB history. How about a father-daughter pairing in which each player has authored an incredible postseason moment for their club?
Benny Agbayani, the Hawaii native who broke out as a Mets cult hero around the turn of the century, delivered an unforgettable 13th-inning walk-off home run in Game 3 of the 2000 NLDS.
His daughter, Ailana Agbayani, just made AUSL history in similar fashion on Thursday. In the league’s inaugural play-in game for a spot in the 2026 Championship Series, she smacked a walk-off single in the 11th inning, helping her Chicago Bandits defeat the Portland Cascade.
Ailana pulled a ground ball down the first-base line to score the winning run from third base with two outs in the inning. She and the Bandits will now face off against the Utah Talons in a best-of-three series for the AUSL crown, a rematch of the 2025 championship. Game 1 is Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on ABC.
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Ailana is in her rookie season with the Bandits after a strong college career at BYU and Oklahoma. A third-round pick this year, she has led Chicago this season with a .329 batting average in 26 games.
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Benny appeared in just five MLB seasons overall -- four with the Mets and one with the Rockies and Red Sox – and then spent time with Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines. But his legacy has lived on thanks to his knack for a clutch hit.
Another Agbayani may one day join the ranks in the big leagues. Benny’s son, Bruin Agbayani, is currently the No. 30 prospect in the Minnesota Twins’ system after being a sixth-round Draft pick in 2025. Perhaps he, too, will collect a pivotal walk-off hit in the future.