The Temple College softball team embarked on their longest North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference road trip this weekend, as the Leopards took on Vernon College to finish out the regular season
Temple, not unlike their sweep on Wednesday, received another solid battle from the Chaparrals. The Leopards outlasted the Chaps in both games for the doubleheader sweep.
Scores of the game were 6-3 and 5-1.
The win insured a 50-win regular season and 30-win conference mark heading into the Southwest B District Softball Tournament, a tourney that Leopards are hosting and have the top seed from the North.
Temple (50-6 overall, 30-2 NTJCAC) set the tone in the top of the first inning. Lexi Dudeczka walked and Reese Cottrell doubled to start the rally. With one out, Izzy Garcia belted a single to left to score Dudeczka and Cottrell. Ryley Litchfield singled Garcia to third, and Garcia scored on KyLeigh Cambiano's ground out. Jess Reyes reached on an error that scored Litchfield to give Temple a 4-0 lead.
The Leopards added to their lead in the top of the second. Garcia's RBI double scored Cottrell to give Temple a 5-0 advantage.
Vernon scored three times in the bottom of the second. Zariah Liufau's drilled a two-run single and scored on a double-steal to bring the Chaps back to within two runs, 5-3.
Litchfield doubled to start the third inning. After Cambiano sacrifice bunted her to third base, Reyes drilled a double to the left-centerfield gap to score Litchfield to increase Temple's lead to three, 6-3.
It was all Temple needed in the opener to secure the win,
Garcia pitched an inning and a third, allowed three runs on three hits, and walked one. Dalanee Ekster picked up the win in relief, allowed one hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings, having struck out one. Reese Cottrell pitched three innings, allowed one hit and struck out five in relief.
Taylor Phillips had two of Vernon's five singles in the opener.
Remi Buchanan took the loss, allowed five runs on five hits, walked to and struck out one in 1 2/3 innings, Kadey Hatley allowed one run on four hits, and struck out two in 5 1/3 innings in relief.
The Leopards got on the scoreboard first in the second inning of game two. Angie DeLeon belted a belt-high fastball over the left field fence to give Temple a 1-0 lead.
TC extended the lead in the third inning. Brooklyn Walton singled to start the inning, and Dudeczka bunted Walton to second base. Following a ground out, Kaiyah Ratu doubled home Walton for a 2-0 TC lead.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Victoria Cano, Phillips, and Megan Paull hit successive singles to load the bases. After Cano was forced out on a fielder's choice, Cano scored on a wild pitch to get Chaps on the board.
Temple struck again in the top of the sixth. DeLeon walked, Reyes singled, and Marli Kennedy walked to load the bases. Maycee Griffin scored on a wild pitch and Reyes scored on a passed ball to give Temple a 4-1 lead.
Ratu bunted on base in the top of the seven, and Dudeczka scored on an error for TC's last run of the game.
Cottrell and Ratu had two hits each in Temple's seven-hit attack.
Kat Kram was solid in seven innings of work for the win. She pitched a complete game, allowed one run on five hits, walked three and struck out eight.
Giovanca Frias took the loss for Vernon. She pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three. Peyton Johnson pitched 3 2/3 innings in relief, allowed three runs on four hits, walked two, and struck out four.
The Leopards will host the Southwest B District Tournament at the Danny Scott Sports Complex. TC and Grayson College will represent the NTJCAC, while Midland College and Frank Phillips College will represent the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.
