In the game of college softball, especially in junior college, that two teams that faced each other in a pre-conference matchup could potentially meet in a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I JUCO World Series game in late-May.
On Saturday afternoon, we have just that.
The Temple College Leopards, who started the tournament as the number four seed, will face seventh-seeded Paris Junior College in an elimination game at 3:15 pm Saturday afternoon at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.
The winner of the game will move on to play the loser's of Florida SouthWestern State College and Northeast Alabama College in the loser's bracket final at 5:30 pm.
When teams met in Paris on March 2, the Dragons were ranked 10th and Temple was ranked 15th. The Leopards swept the doubleheader by the scores of 11-3 (five innings) and 7-3.
In the opening game, Jasmine Benavidez hit a grand slam, Kaiyah Ratu, Marli Kennedy, and Reese Cottrell added homers, and Cottrell scattered six hits in the Leopards run-rule win.
Christi McGuire and Peyton Peck had homers for the Dragons in the opener.
Paris jumped on the board in the bottom of the first in the second game when Kaci Gobert hit a three-run homer.
Temple bounced back with four runs in the third inning to take a lead they would not relinquish.
KyLeigh Cambiano had two hits and three RBI, and Izzy Garcia added two hits and two RBI to go with a complete game four-hitter with seven strikeouts.
Isabella Jeter had two hits of Paris' four-hit output.
Since the meeting, the teams have had similar paths to the CWS. Temple (56-7), who left Paris with a 18-4 mark, has gone 38-3 with a North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Championship and Southwest B District Championship in tow, and a 3-1 record at the CWS. They have defeated College of Southern Idaho (4-3) and Seminole State College (9-3) before sustaining a 12-2 loss to Florida SouthWestern State College (12-2). They won an elimination game against Santa Fe College (7-1) Friday afternoon at Jacksonville State University.
Paris (52-11), who emerged from the doubleheader with a 23-5 record, has gone 29-6, finished second in Region 14 North behind Trinity Valley Community College, won the Mid-South A Tournament. The Dragons defeated McLennan Community College (3-2) and Northwest Florida State College (6-3) before falling into the CWS loser's bracket with a 9-4 loss to Northeast Alabama Community College (9-4). They defeated Odessa in an elimination game on Friday, 9-5.
Through 63 games, Temple has a .382 batting average, .451 on-base percentage, and .609 slugging percentage. The Leopards have scored 507 runs on 644 hits, 133 doubles, 34 triples, 60 homers, 453 runs batted in, 1,025 total bases, walked 194 times, been hit by 43 pitches, stolen 217 bases on 229 tries, and have committed just 33 errors in 1,454 total chances (.977 fielding percentage).
Brooklynn Walton (.445 BA, .475 OBP, HR, 25 RBI), Reese Cottrell (.441 BA, .522 OBP, 26 doubles, 13 HR, 76 RBI, 36 walks), Lexi Dudeczka (.432 BA, .494 OBP, HR, 40 RBI 26 walks, 32 stolen bases), Jasmine Benavidez (.425 BA, .500 OBP, 18 doubles, 7 HR, 65 RBI, 26 walks, 26 stolen bases), Izzy Garcia (.390 BA, .446 OBP, 5 HR, 35 RBI), Kaiyah Ratu (.384 BA, .450 OBP, 17 HR, 55 RBI), Marli Kennedy (.346 BA, .431 OBP, 15 doubles, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 39 stolen bases), and Ryley Litchfield (.345 BA, .359 OBP, 2 HR, 35 RBI 24 stolen bases) have been amongst the chief contributors in the Temple batting order.
Temple's pitching staff earned run average is 2.22 in 393 2/3 innings pitched. The Leopards have allowed 148 total runs (125 earned), have struck out 373 batters and walked 135 hitters, with opponents hitting .191 against them.
Garcia (27-1, nine complete games, four shutouts, 1.91 ERA, 157 2/3 IP, 164 strikeouts, 44 walks) and Kat Kram (18-4, 13 complete games, six shutouts, 2.42 ERA, 130 IP, 152 strikeouts, 53 walks) are the starters, while Cottrell (9-2, 25 appearances, 2.22 ERA, 69 1/3 IP, 45 strikeouts, 24 walks) and Dalanee Ekster (2-0, 23 appearances, 2.86 ERA, 14 walks, 12 strikeouts) have been the fully-capable relievers out of the Temple pen.
Through 63 games, Paris is hitting .336, has on-base percentage on .434, and a slugging percentage of .590. The Dragons have scored 470 runs on 545 hits, 106 doubles, 20 triples, 89 homers, 441 runs batted in, walked 263 times, have stolen 105 bases in 115 tries, and committed 71 errors in 1,781 total chances (.960 fielding percentage).
Christi McGuire (.415 BA, .529 OBP, 29 HR, 84 RBI, 42 walks), Brandie Phillips (.386 BA, .485 OBP, 73 hits, 36 walks, HR, 36 RBI), Esmeralda Soto (.367 BA, .449 OBP, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 15 doubles, 21 stolen bases), Kaci Gobert (.366 BA, .452 OBP, 15 HR, 65 RBI, 15 doubles), and Grace McDonald (.347 BA, .457 OBP, 11 HR, 62 RBI) are amongst Paris' key contributors on offense.
The Dragons staff ERA is 2.67 in 401 innings, has allowed 201 total runs (153 earned), struck out 260 batters, walked 125 hitters, and opposition hitting .233 against them.
Hadison Fults (24-4, 2.76 ERA, 14 complete games, two shutouts in 159 2/3 IP, struck out 110, walked 47) and McDonald (17-6, 2.35 ERA, 14 complete games, five shutouts in 149 IP, struck out 77, walked 32) are the starters, while Reyleigh Shockley (6-1, 3.48 ERA, 19 appearances, 58 1/3 IP, 37 strikeouts, 26 walks) and Luna Aranda (4-0, 1.63 ERA, 12 appearances, 30 IP, 34 strikeouts, 16 walks) are the relievers on staff.
