The Temple College softball began its 2026 season Monday afternoon as they hosted the Clarendon College Bulldogs in doubleheader action at the Danny Scote Sports Complex.
The Leopards rode a seven-rally in game one, with six straight doubles in the third inning and the pitching staff allowed five hits in game one. Temple received a perfect game from Kat Kram with 12 strikeouts in game two to help TC sweep the Bulldogs.
Scores of the twin bill were 10-2 and 9-0, both in five innings.
Having had minimal success offensively in the first two trips to the plate, the Leopards relied on small-ball for a jump start. Brooklyn Walton singled to start the rally and moved to third on Lexi Dudeczka's bunt single. Jasmine Benavidez doubled to the left field gap to score Walton and Dudeczka to give Temple a 2-0 lead. Ratu followed with an RBI double and scored on a passed ball. After Angie DeLeon was thrown out as she attempted to stretch a double into a triple, Reese Cottrell doubled and scored on Ryley Litchfield's double. Izzy Garcia helped her cause in the circle with an RBI single that scored Litchfield. With two outs, Walton, having batted for the second time in the inning, singled home courtesy runner KyLeigh Cambiano to give the Leopards a 7-0 lead.
Temple stretched their lead to nine in the bottom of the fourth. Benavidez walked and stole two bases to start the inning. Ratu singled home Benavidez and scored on Cottrell's ground out to put Temple up 9-0.
Dakota Cave's two-run double put Clarendon on the board in the top of the fifth to temporarily push the game out of run-rule.
Garcia's third hit of the game set up the final run. Marli Kennedy doubled courtesy runner Jess Reyes to third. Myah Starks pinch hit for Walton took two balls and, on the third, scored on a passed ball to end the contest.
Temple collected 14 hits, which included seven doubles.
Garcia led the attack with three hits, while Ratu, Litchfield, and Walton each collected two hits. Benavidez and Ratu had two runs batted in each.
Garcia picked up the win having pitched four innings, allowed no runs on four hits, struck out seven and walked one. Cottrell pitched an inning of relief, allowed two runs on one hit, walked three, and struck out three.
Cave collected two of Clarendon's five hits.
Kyla Rodriguez picked up the loss for the Bulldogs, having surrendered seven runs on 11 hits, struck out one, and walked one.
The Leopards jumped on the board in first inning on Ratu's inside-the-park homer.
Temple scored again on Dudeczka's bases-loaded walk that scored Cottrell to double the Leopards' lead.
While Kram was keeping the Bulldogs in their offensive doghouse, the Leopards doubled their lead again in the third. Cottrell singled home DeLeon, and Mayce Griffin scored on an error to make the score 4-0.
The Leopards scored three more runs in the fourth inning. Starks' sacrifice fly scored Walton, Ratu's double scored Dudeczka, and Cottrell doubled home Ratu to give TC a 7-0 lead.
Kennedy helped put a memorable punctuation on Kram's gem with an inside-the-park homer that scored Cambiano to end the game in run-rule fashion.
Temple crushed ten hits, including five extra-base hits (two homers, three doubles).
Kennedy, Ratu, and Cottrell each had two hits and two RBI.
Kram faced the minimum 15 batters through five innings, having struck out 12, (ten straight batters to start the outing) and every Bulldog in the starting lineup at least once. Kram threw 66 pitches, with 45 strikes.
The Leopards will face the Kilgore College Rangers in doubleheader action on Tuesday, beginning at 1 pm at the Dany Scott Sports Complex.