Two-time Olympic gold medalist Crystl Bustos - a former junior college softball player - gets set to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

TOP SEED LOSES, RECORD IS SET AT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2006-05-18

Plant City, Florida -- The National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division I women’s (fast pitch) softball national championship got underway today at the world headquarters of the International Softball Federation (ISF). An eight-inning, 4-3 loss this morning by top-seeded Temple College (Temple, TX) to #16 Louisburg College (Louisburg, NC) opened some eyes at the 16-team tournament. The #1 Leopards stayed alive in the double-elimination format event with a dramatic 1-0, 14-inning win tonight over #8 North Idaho College (Coeur d’Alene, ID) that knocked the Cardinals out. They’d lost this afternoon, 1-0, to ninth-seeded Odessa College (Odessa, TX).

The extra inning game saw a two-out base hit by Kami Crane with runners on first and second base make the difference in Temple staying alive.

The event, which runs through and including Saturday, is being played in Plant City Stadium and the adjacent Randy L. Larson Softball Fourplex, which will also host the tournament in May 2007 and May 2008.

This morning’s other big story was Eastern Oklahoma State College (Wilburton, OK) pitcher Marjorie Johnson setting a new NJCAA record for strikeouts in a season as her #7 Lady Mountaineers team defeated #10 Blinn College (Brenham, TX), 4-1. Johnson struck out 13 batters to raise her season total to 460, breaking the previous mark of 454 set by Central Florida Community College’s Kristen Keyes in 2001.

Number Three Gulf Coast Community College (Panama City, FL) gave the fans a show in their game this morning against #14 Lake Land (Mattoon, IL). The Lady Commodores backed up their high ranking by rebounding from a 5-1 deficit to down the Lakers, 9-5.

A run in the top of the ninth inning sent twelfth-seeded Jefferson College (Hillsboro, MO) past #5 Otero Junior College (La Junta, CO), 1-0, this morning. Designated hitter Lauren Dunn drove in Brandi Mayer and the defense held off the Rattlers in the bottom half of the inning for the win. Ally DeFosset pitched all nine innings and struck out 12 for the victory.

Four games will take place at 12 Noon tomorrow, followed by three at 2 p.m., one at 4:00 (in the stadium), two at 6:00, and one at 8 p.m. (in the stadium).

Also early this afternoon, #11 Southeastern Community College (West Burlington, IA) defeated #6 Chattanooga State Technical Community College (Chattanooga, TN), 4-1, in a game that had been tied, 1-1, after five innings.

Elsewhere, #2 Indian River Community College (Ft. Pierce, FL) got solo home runs from right fielder Kim Jalm and left fielder Marcy White to defeat #15 Central Alabama Community College (Alexander City, AL), 2-0. Winning pitcher Lisa Newman threw a complete game one-hitter, striking out 16.

Pima Community College (Tucson, AZ), who’d prevented last year’s champions (Central Arizona College) from coming to this year’s national championship, continued their winning ways by starting off today with a 5-2 win over #13 Darton College (Albany, GA). The #4 Aztecs were led by right fielder Ashley Aldrich, who went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs batted in and a run scored.

Chattanooga bounced back from their loss to Southeastern a few hours earlier, staying alive in the tournament with a 7-6 victory over Lake Land that eliminated the Lakers. The winners had trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, when they scored three times to move on to a 12:00 game tomorrow.

Gulf Coast put up nine runs again in their second win of the day, this time winning by seven runs over Southeastern. Right fielder Yusmary Perez went 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored to set up a 2:00 game tomorrow against the other Florida team, Indian River.

Instead of two straight nine run games, Odessa was victorious in both of its Day 1 outings by shutout. Their 9-0 win over Louisburg early this evening was fueled by a six-run fourth inning and designated hitter Laura Perales, who went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Unbeaten Pima’s play was even stronger in their second outing, an 8-0 win tonight over Jefferson. The win sends the Aztecs on to a 4:00 p.m. showdown Friday with Odessa. They got three-RBI performances from Cyndi Duran and Kelly Nielson, with a five-run third inning accounting for most of the offense.

Indian River also won twice today, posting a 4-2 win tonight over Eastern Oklahoma. Right fielder Kim Jalm hit a home run for the Pioneers, who never trailed in the game. Pitcher Elizabeth Gosby posted ten strikeouts in picking up the victory.

Darton College was eliminated tonight after losing in the bottom of the seventh inning, 2-1, to Otero. Winning pitcher Casey Thompson surrendered just two hits in a complete game performance.

The night ended with Blinn posting a 6-1 triumph that eliminated Central Alabama. The Buccaneers move on to face Louisburg tomorrow at 12 Noon.