The Temple College Leopards softball team needed two wins on Saturday to qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I JUCO National Championship games.

Temple faced Paris Junior College first, a team that the Leopards swept back on March 2 in Paris.

Marli Kennedy had a triple, double, and three RBI, and Jasmine Benavidez added three runs batted in to support Izzy Garcia and Reese Cottrell in the circle as Temple defeated Paris, 15-4.

Temple got on the board in the top of the second. Garcia singled to start the inning, and, with one out, Kennedy tripled home Garcia. Brooklynn Walton doubled home Kennedy, and Benavidez's sacrifice fly plated Walton to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead.

The Leopards posted three runs in the third inning. Kaiyah Ratu and Ryley Litchfield walked to start the inning, and Garcia sacrifice bunted them over a base. Angie DeLeon's single scored Ratu and Kennedy's double scored Litchfield and DeLeon to increase Temple's lead to 7-0.

TC's stellar defense shined through in the bottom of the third inning. Trinity Silguero and Hadison Fults singled and Jayce Ornelas walked to load the bases. Brandie Phillips hit a hard grounder to Benavidez at shortstop and returned a throw to Ratu at the plate to force out courtesy runner Aubrey Watkins. Esmeralda Soto flew out to Kennedy in center, and Kennedy fired a throw to Litchfield at third to tag out courtesy runner Madalynn Welch for the double play.

Temple posted three runs in the fourth inning. After Cottrell and Ratu singled, Garcia doubled home Ratu and Litchfield, and Garcia scored on an error to put the Leopards up 10-0.

The Dragons scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within six.

An amazing diving play by KyLeigh Cambiano to rob Phillips of a base hit with two outs in the sixth kept the margin at six runs.

The Leopards picked up five runs in the top of the seventh. Garcia and DeLeon singled to start the inning, and Walton singled to load the bases. Lexi Dudeczka drew a bases-loaded walk, Benavidez drilled a two-run single, and Jessica Reyes and Garcia each drew bases-loaded walks to make the score 15-4.

Temple collected 15 hits, with Garcia, Dudeczka, Benavidez, DeLeon, Kennedy, and Walton having multi-hit games.

Garcia tossed 3 2/3 innings for the win. She allowed four runs on five hits, struck out three, hit a batter and walked two. Cottrell pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowed three hits, struck out three, and walked one.

Silguero had two of Paris' eight hits.

The Leopards moved on in the elimination bracket to take on Florida SouthWestern State College, a team that dropped TC into the loser's bracket a little over 24 hours before.

Ratu's massive three-run home run into the left field parking lot in the sixth inning helped Temple down the Buccaneers 4-1, and qualify for the national championship matchup.

Garcia got the start in the circle and was untouchable early.

The Leopards scored in the top of the fourth off FSW starter Lizzy Kwakernaak. Dudeczka singled to lead off the inning, and was bunted to second by Benavidez. On a 1-2 offering, Cottrell doubled to left field to score Dudeczka and put Temple on the board.

The Leopards' dagger was plunged in the sixth inning. Dudeczka singled, and Benavidez bunted her to second bases. Cottrell walked to give Temple runners at first and second. On the seventh pitch, Ratu smashed a belt-high fastball over the Signature Field wall at Choccolocco Park and sent the ball bouncing past the busses to give Temple a 4-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Garcia was mowing down the Buccaneers until the bottom of the sixth inning when FSW scored on a double by Stephanie Basso.

Garcia struck out Bente Zwanenburg, got Makayla Jakubuwski to ground out to Benavidez at shortstop, and Mikan Nishiya to ground back to the circle in the seventh to end the game.

Dudeczka had two of Temple's five hits, and Ratu had three RBI.

Garcia pitched seven innings for the complete game win. She allowed one run on five hits and struck out eight.

This is the first time since 2018 that the Leopards will play for a national championship. They finished in third in 2024.

Temple will face Northeast Alabama State College in the CWS National Championship, with game one at 2 pm CT. With NEAL going through the winner's bracket undefeated, Temple must win two games for the national championship