Going into the series against North Central Texas College on Wednesday afternoon, Temple College Baseball's pitching staff had given up 80 earned runs in their last nine games. The Leopards were 2-7 during that stretch, having been outscored 103-61.

Temple needed longer, quality starts from their starting pitching. On Wednesday at the Danny Scott Sports Complex, the Leopards got just that. Twice over.

Patrick Collopy, who just committed to pitch at the University of Mississippi next year, gave the Leopards a six-inning perfect game, having struck out ten of the 18 Lions that he faced, and got eight runs of support in the first two innings as Temple defeated NCTC in game one, 10-0 in six innings.

Eric Tenery limited the Lions to three hits over seven innings, and Gavin Oliver pitched two innings of scoreless relief including halting a Lions bases-loaded rally in the ninth to shutout NCTC in game two, 5-0.

In game one, Jackson Todd hit a line shot off Andrew Roberts glove in the bottom of the first to score Andrew Ermis and Lance Cantrell. Peanut Brazzle's double to right field to give Temple a 3-0 lead.

The Leopards' six-run second chased NCTC starting pitcher Trevor Hunter. Kade Davis' double scored Kash Millar, Ermis' single scored Ryder Rutledge, Cantrell grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Davis, and Brazzle's two-run single to left field scored Todd and Cantrell to up the Leopards' advantage to 8-0.

Reliever Landon Campbell kept Leopards in check until the fourth inning, as Hunter Baros' fielder's choice scored Todd.

Temple had runs on first and third with one out in the sixth when Rutledge hit a grounder to Campbell. The throw to first went over the first baseman's head to score Baros to secure the run-rule win, the shutout for TC, and the perfect game for Collopy.

Within Collopy's perfect game, all nine Lions in the starting lineup struck out once, with one player having struck out twice.

Brazzle's went 2-of-4 with a walk, Millar went 2-of-3, Todd scored three times, and Ermis walked three times.

Hunter took the loss, allowed five earned runs (eight total) on five hits, walked two, hit two batters and struck out one in 1 2/3 innings. Campbell tossed 3 2/3 innings, allowed two unearned runs on two hits, walked six, hit one batter and struck out one.

The Leopards scored four separate ways in the second game.

In the first inning, Cantrell's groundout to first scored Rutledge to give TC a 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, Rutledge's bases-loaded walk forced home Kadyn Martinez, and Davis' sacrifice fly to left scored Baros to increase Temple's lead to 3-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Rutledge's two-run double scored Martinez and Baros to give the Leopards a 5-0 advantage.

Thompson's walk to start the second inning snapped a streak of 21 straight Lions retired to start the doubleheader. Colson Wood's single in the second was the first hit of the twin-bill.

While the Lions had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the second inning, the ninth inning was the most serious threat to score off Oliver, who came on in relief of Tenery in the eighth. Thompson singled to start the inning, and with one out, Austin Myers and Logan Sanchez singled to load the bases. Oliver struck out William Hickson looking and induced Cole Rager to ground to Todd at third base to secure the shutout and the doubleheader sweep.

Rutledge had three hits and three runs batted in, and Martinez and Baros each had two hits and two runs scored.

Tenery went seven innings for the win, allowed three hits, struck out seven, and walked one. Oliver went two innings, allowed four hits, and struck out one.

Thompson and Woods both had two hits to lead the Lions.

Aaron Montanez took the loss for the Lions having pitched three innings, allowed three runs on three hits, walked five and struck out one. Jace Patton pitched two innings of relief, allowed two runs on five hits, and struck out two. Kole Allen pitched the final two innings, allowed two hits, and struck out one.

The Temple starting staff pitched 13 innings, allowed no runs on three hits, struck out 17 and walked one.

It is the second time in the last two years that TC has had back-to-back shutouts against NCTC where the front end of the doubleheader was a no-hitter. Garrett Baumann fired a game-one, five-inning, no-hitter against the Lions on April 13, 2024, in an 11-0 win. Tanner Jackson and Zak Johnson combined on a four-hitter in an 8-0 win in seven innings.

The series will shift to Gainesville on Saturday at the Leopards will play NCTC in the final two games of the series.