TVCC Cardinals end record-breaking season at 55-10
By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information
The Cardinals saw their record-breaking season end Thursday night with a 4-2 loss to Odessa at the 2026 NJCAA D1 Softball World Series in an elimination round contest played at Jacksonville State University.
The eighth-seeded Cardinals, who closed the year 55-10, spotted sixth-seeded Odessa a 3-0 lead after two innings. It proved to be too big a hill to climb. Odessa advanced in the tournament with a 53-8 record.
The Cardinals got back in the game in the top of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. Allie Wainright scored on a fielder’s choice and Clarissa Valdez came in on a Kamryn Messick single.
The Cardinals managed just four hits with Georgia Tardiff, Sydney Murphy, Valdez and Messick getting one each – all singles.
Odessa had eight hits against Cardinal pitchers Dominique Vargas, Makayla Castillo and Valdez. Vargas was tagged with the loss, finishing the year 21-6.
Among the highlights for the Cardinals in the season were program records for most wins and fewest losses. The also won the Region XIV Conference North Zone title for a third straight year, posting the most conference wins in program history with 22. They also recorded the first world series win in four trips now with Wednesday’s dramatic 9-8 comeback decision against Southern Idaho. The Cardinals were also unbeaten at home with a 32-0 mark (26-0 at Cain Park and 6-0 at the new on-campus Drumgoole Field).