Bandits' Lexi Kilfoyl crowned 2026 AUSL All-Star Cup champion

In an Athletes Unlimited Softball League All-Star Cup season dominated by pitching, Chicago Bandits pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl was one of the top arms in the league’s unique format. She had the fourth-best ERA (1.98) across 17.1 innings with a 3-1 record. She collected 162 stat points and 750 win points for a winning total of 1,072 points.

But what it came down to was her MVP points.

In a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup on Sunday night at Parkway Bank Sports Complex, Team Klingler swept the inning win points and picked up 70 more game win points in their 5-0 victory. This propelled Baylee Klingler ahead of Kilfoyl by just eight points.

It looked like Klingler had clawed into the top spot until MVP votes, cast by athletes and fans, were tallied. Kilfoyl was voted MVP 2 in the final game of the season, pushing her back into first place after an additional 40 points.

“I was shocked,” Kilfoyl said. “At the end of that game, it didn’t even feel like I should have won that, but they trusted me and said, ‘Just one outing doesn’t define you.'”

“To know that they had my back in that moment, that seals a deal for me, and I’d rather lose with them than lose with anyone else,” Kilfoyl said.

This is Kilfoyl’s second time medaling in the All-Star Cup. In 2024, she finished second and also earned Rookie of the Year honors. Last season, she also finished in the top 10 at No. 9 overall.

2nd-Place: Baylee Klingler

Klingler’s season, which culminated in a second-place medal, was largely because of her success as a captain. Klingler rose to the top three after Series One and was a captain for the next three series. She went undefeated in two of them and finished with a 5-1 record. Game and inning wins contributed a leading 840 win points to her leaderboard total.

She also delivered one of the most memorable moments of the All-Star Cup during Series Three. Klingler and her team were down to their last out against Team Landry; they trailed by one with a runner on second. In a captain versus captain matchup, Klingler hit a walk-off two-run home run against Sam Landry. It was a 230-point swing: the home run was worth 40 points, 60 inning win points had rolled up and were up for grabs, she won her team the game for 70 more points, and secured MVP 1 for an additional 60.

While she may not have brought in a mass of stat points, Klingler’s impact in games was often clutch, and her teammates rewarded her with an MVP 1 vote twice for 120 total points in the category (tied for third overall in the league).

3rd-Place: Sam Landry

A last-minute surge up the leaderboard made Sam Landry the third-place medalist with 908 total points. In the final game against Team Kilfoyl, Landry threw four scoreless innings with two strikeouts and a single walk. She concluded the season with a league-best 4-1 record and a 1.21 ERA.