CANYON LAKE – It was a day of dramatic highs and tough lessons for the Temple Tem-Cats on Friday at the Comal ISD "Wurst" Tournament. Facing stiff competition at Canyon Lake High School, the Tem-Cats (2-3) showcased their late-game heroics in a walk-off victory over New Braunfels before falling to a powerhouse Hays Lady Hawks squad in their second contest.

Game 1: Foreman’s Walk-Off Lifts Temple Over Unicorns
In a game that felt like a postseason clash, the Tem-Cats battled through lead changes and defensive miscues to edge out the New Braunfels Unicorns 6-5.

The Unicorns struck first, capitalizing on a Temple error to plate two runs in the opening frame. However, the Tem-Cats showed their resolve early. In the bottom of the second, Glory Foreman grounded out to drive in a run, helping Temple knot the game at 2-2.

After New Braunfels reclaimed the lead via a solo home run by Kaiden Esparza, the Tem-Cats responded with a thunderous third inning. An error allowed one run to score before Brenna Thomas launched a massive two-run home run to center field, surging Temple ahead 5-3.
The drama peaked in the fifth. After New Braunfels tied the game at 5-5 in the top half of the inning, the Tem-Cats came to the plate with victory on their minds. Foreman provided the heroics, lining a double that drove in the winning run to seal the walk-off win.

Stat Leaders:

Brenna Thomas: 5.0 IP, 6 K, 1 ER; 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI.
Glory Foreman: 2-for-3, 2B, Walk-off RBI.
Kyleigh Juarez: 2 hits.
Ka’Myhrea Freeman: 2 Stolen Bases.

Game 2: Big Third Inning Dooms Tem-Cats Against Hays
The momentum from the morning thriller was hard to maintain in Game 2, as the Hays Lady Hawks used a massive offensive outburst to defeat Temple 8-2.

Temple actually struck first when London Armour grounded out in the first inning to give the Tem-Cats a 1-0 lead. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Hays’ Addie Sierra tied the game with a solo homer in the second before the wheels came off in the third.

The Lady Hawks exploded for seven runs on five hits in that third frame, highlighted by another Sierra home run—this time a three-run blast—to put the game out of reach at 8-1. Despite the deficit, Thomas continued to battle in the circle, finishing with six strikeouts over nearly four innings of work. Kyleigh Juarez and Ava Machuca provided the only hits for Temple in the loss.

Looking Ahead

The Tem-Cats move to 2-3 on the young season. They are scheduled to return to the diamond on Saturday for the final day of the Wurst Tournament, with opponents and times to be determined by the seeding results of Friday's pool play.

Coach's Note: The bottom of the lineup proved vital on Friday, with Foreman, Juarez, and Chiyna Granderson accounting for five of the team's eight hits in the victory over New Braunfels.