The Temple College baseball team hosted No. 1 Weatherford College North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play in doubleheader action Saturday at the Danny Scott Sports Complex.
Weatherford's timely offense and good pitching outlasted the Leopards in the two-game sweep, having won 10-2 and 12-8.
The Coyotes led 2-0 in the top of the second, as Blake Martinez's sacrifice fly scored Mason Ashlock and Trace Mazon's double scored Jax Marshall.
Weatherford extended the lead to 3-0 on a JC Davis RBI single that scored Martinez.
Temple reached the board in the bottom of the fourth. Peanut Brazzle's ground out scored Kade Davis and Jackson Todd homered to left field to pull the Leopards to within a run, 3-2.
The Coyotes scored seven runs over the final two innings to win by eight runs.
Caden Mitchell homered, and Manny Salas' double scored to give the Coyotes a three-run cushion. Mitchell's sacrifice fly, and Mazon and Uriah Walters contributed two-run homers for the final eight-run margin.
JC Davis was 4-of-4 with a run scored and an RBI, and Mazon, Salas, Martinez, and Mitchell all had two hits for Weatherford.
AJ Miera picked up the win, having dealt four innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked three, and struck out two. Rodney Pena pitched three innings, allowed one hits, struck out four, and walked two.
Kade Davis led Temple with two of the Leopards' four hits.
Tobin Eschief picked up the loss, having dealt five innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out eight. Thomas Perez and Caleb Berry-Smith each pitched an inning of relief, combined to give up seven runs on seven hits and walked two.
In the second game, Mazon homered in the first inning to give the Coyotes the early lead.
In the bottom of the first, Kade Davis singled home Brazzle to tie the score.
Weatherford answered in the top of the second, as Clark Springs singled home Ashlock and JC Davis' sacrifice fly scored Walters to extend the Coyotes lead to 3-1.
Todd's ground ball out to Dylan Russo scored Andrew Ermis to draw the Leopards within two runs.
Temple found themselves in a jam in the top of the fourth, and Weatherford took advantage with four runs in the top of the fourth. Mazon drew a bases-loaded walk, Salas drilled a two-run single, and Ashlock reached on an error that scored Mazon to give the Coyotes a 7-2 lead.
Millar's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth drew the Leopards to within four. However, Weatherford's four-run top of the fifth inning was the big blow. Springs RBI double, Salas' two-run single, and Marshall's fielder's choice scored Springs to put Weatherford up, 11-3.
Ermis' home run in the bottom of the fifth was answered with a Martinez sacrifice in the sixth to make the score 12-4.
The Leopards best chance to catch the Coyotes was in the bottom of the sixth. Cantrell's RBI single, Ermis' two-run single, and Kolvin Davis' RBI double brought the Leopards to within four, 12-8.
Salas led Weatherford with three hits and four runs batted in.
Ermis led Temple with two hits and three RBI, and Kade Davis had three hits and two RBI. Cantrell, Kolvin Davis, and Sage Sanders each had two hits.
Kade Davis picked up the loss, having dealt four innings, allowed six earned runs on five hits, walked five and struck out two. Gavin Oliver allowed three earned runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out one. Bralen Veazey pitched four innings in long relief, allowed one run on two hits, walked two, and struck out two.
The Leopards (11-14 overall, 4-4 NTJCAC) will face Vernon College in a four-game series that will begin with a doubleheader on Wednesday at the Danny Scott Sports Complex. The Chaparrals took three of four games from North Central Texas College.