COLUMBUS, Ga. -- Despite threat of inclement weather, all 22 games on the first day of the 2023 NFCA Junior College Leadoff Classic are complete. Seven teams enjoyed an undefeated start to the tournament, held at the South Commons Complex.
Chipola College, No. 3 (DI) Florida SouthWestern State College and No. 11 (DI) Seminole State College of Florida all posted 3-0 marks, while No. 12 (DI) Indian River State College (IRSC), No. 15 (DII) Pearl River, No. 20 (DII) Rock Valley College (RVC), No. 4 (DI) Wallace State College-Hanceville opened the tournament with two wins apiece.
Tournament Central | Schedule
| Purchase Tickets | Photo Gallery
Chipola edged Wabash Valley, 2-1, in its opener before earning 7-0 and 8-1 victories over Illinois Central and No. 19 (DII) Lansing Community College, respectively. FSW opened with an 11-3 six-inning win over Illinois Central before taking home a pair of close wins over Jones College, 5-4, and No. 12 San Jacinto, 2-0.
Seminole State’s Keivana Durand highlighted the Raiders’ perfect day one. In her squad’s opener, Durand no hit No. 19 (DII) Lansing, striking out nine and walking two in a 16-0 five-inning win. The Raiders also blanked No. 8 (DII) Jones College, 2-0, and run-ruled Wabash Valley, 9-1.
IRSC outscored its opposition 23-2, with a pair of five-inning wins over No. 2 (DIII) North Dakota SCS (12-0) and Triton College (11-2). RVC earned a pair of close victories, topping NDSCS, 2-0, and Gulf Coast State, 7-4.
Wallace State blanked No. 7 (DII) Parkland, 7-0, and defeated Gordon State, 4-1. Pearl River held on for a 6-4 win over Illinois Central to open its tournament before blanking Triton 7-0 in its nightcap.
Also picking up victories were No. 2 (DII) Des Moines Area Community College, Jones College, Parkland and Wabash Valley. DMACC and Wabash Valley went 1-1, with the Bears posting a 10-0 triumph over Triton. Jones’ lone victory was over DMACC, 6-2. The Bobcats also dropped a pair of tight contests to nationally-ranked Division I programs Seminole State, 2-0, and FSW, 5-4.
Wabash’s 7-6 triumph over Lansing marked head coach Jade Montgomery’s first win as a collegiate head coach. San Jacinto, which went 1-1, opened its tournament with a 6-3 victory over Gordon State, while Parkland edged Gulf Coast State, 5-4, in the final game at the stadium.
The final day of the tournament features 23 games with the first six starting at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Leadoff Classics, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and the National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of over 6,700 coaches today!
