Basketball season's final stretch, softball's opening of conference play, and baseball continue non-conference dominates this week's Leopard Athletics Report.
The inclement weather this past week resulted in the cancellation of TC Softball's second game against Howard College on Tuesday, the doubleheader cancellation of TC Baseball versus Alvin Community College on Friday, and the push back of TC Baseball's doubleheader with Angelina College from Saturday to Sunday.
Here is a recap of last week's action and a short preview of this week's action:
Men's basketball downs Hill, falls at Weatherford
The Temple College hosted Hill College in a Wednesday evening North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference men's basketball tilt at Kirby Johnson Court.
Hill overcame a seven-point Temple lead early in the game before the Leopards got a dunk by Eben Effah with 11:44 to go that gave TC the lead for good. Temple won the contest by 14 points, 86-72.
Temple jumped out to a seven-point lead and kept a two-score game before Hill closed out the half on a 13-8 clip and led at the break, 45-42.
The Rebels led 57-50 when the Leopards' 10-2 run was capped on a slash through the lane by Effah. He grabbed a pass, went airborne, and finished with a one-handed dunk, which forced the Rebels to call a timeout with 11:44 to play, down 60-59.
Temple's suffocating defense force multiple turnovers that the Leopards cashed in. A 12-4 TC run over 3:44 opened a nine-point lead with eight minutes to play.
The closest the Rebels came down the stretch was six points with five minutes to go. However, the Leopards closed out the game on a 9-1 run to win the game by 14.
Five Leopards scored in double figures, with Josh Telfort having led TC with 26 points. Jaymes Brown-Peterson added 13, Joel Brown contributed 12, and Roy Gardner and Camren Roper added ten each.
Three Rebels scored in double figures, led by Allan Omana with 19 points, 17 of which he scored in the first half. Derrick Morris added 15 and Andrew Robinson chipped in 13 for Hill.
On Saturday, the Leopards took their next-to-last road trip of the conference season as took on the Weatherford College Coyotes.
It was a tight battle between the schools. However, the Coyotes came out of the winning end over Temple, 65-61.
The Coyotes led at the halftime break, 27-25.
TC pushed the tempo in the second half but could not cover the difference as the Leopards sustained the loss.
Where they stand
17-11 overall, 6-6 in NTJCAC play, in third place. They are three games behind first-place McLennan and three in back of Weatherford for second place. The Leopards are one-game ahead of Collin County Community College, Ranger College, and Southwestern Christian College.
What's next
The Leopards host Southwestern Christian College, Wednesday at 7 pm. When the teams met in Terrell on Jan. 25, SWCC defeated the Leopards, 93-80.
Women's Basketball wins a pair
Following a 2-0 forfeit win over Hill College, the Temple College women's basketball team played Weatherford College on Saturday afternoon.
Having needed a win to keep pace in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference race, the Leopards played with determination and grit as they outscored the Coyotes by 15 in the first half and held off Weatherford for the win, 73-62.
Temple led at the end of the first quarter, 15-10. The Leopards' offensive surge led to Temple outscoring the Coyotes in the second quarter, 27-18, and TC led at halftime, 42-28.
The Leopards outscored the Coyotes 15-14 in the third quarter and led 57-42. Weatherford made up four points of ground, having outscored the Leopards 20-16 in the final quarter.
Mychal White led four Leopards in double figures with 22 points. Reagan Pavesi had 14 points and six assists, Aniyah Lewis had ten points and nine rebounds, and Imani McCray had ten points, five rebounds and four steals.
Where they stand
The Leopards are 18-9 overall and 8-5 in NTJCAC play. They sit in a fourth-place tie with Weatherford College. MCC sits at 11-1, Grayson College at 10-2, and Collin County Community College is at 9-3.
What's next
With three games left, Temple has just one this week: against Southwestern Christian College at Kirby Johnson Court on Wednesday at 5 pm.
Leopards baseball completes 1-3 week
The Temple College baseball team traveled to Wharton County Junior College in non-conference doubleheader action on Monday night.
The Leopards were stymied in the first game but snapped back in game two for the doubleheader split.
Wharton shut out Temple in the opener, 8-0. The Leopards beat the Pioneers in game two, 6-2.
Temple took the season series, 2-1.
Lance Cantrell had two hits, including a double, Andrew Ermis, and Hunter Baros collected the four Temple hits in the opener.
Wharton scored four times in the first, once in the second, and three times in the fourth.
David Bell homered and drove home four runs. Braylon Mitchell homered and doubled for the Pioneers.
Kade Davis took the loss for the Leopards.
Kolvin Davis started the Temple scoring in game two, as his groundout scored Cantrell to give Leopards a 1-0 lead.
After the Pioneers tied the game in third inning on a Lane Sparks homer, the Leopards pushed across four runs in the fourth inning. Kolvin Davis reached on an error that scored Ermis. Peanut Brazzle singled in Davis, Davis stole home, and Brazzle scored on a passed ball to put Temple up 5-1.
Cantrell drove home Kash Millar on a fielder's choice in the top of the sixth.
Jose Vargas scored on a double steal in bottom of the sixth to cap the scoring.
Ermis led the Leopards with three hits, and Kolvin Davis added in two hits in Temple's nine-hit attack.
Eric Tenery picked up the win on the hill, as he pitched five innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out six and walked two. Bralen Veazey pitched two innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out three and walked two.
After the Alvin doubleheader cancellation, the Leopards and Angelina College Roadrunners took the field on Sunday at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.
The Roadrunners won both doubleheader games, by scores of 10-5 and 7-3.
Lance Cantrell reached base on a one-out error that scored Brayden Simmons in the bottom of the first to give Temple a 1-0 lead in game one.
Connor Ficarra's RBI single and Mark Henderson's run that scored on a passed ball gave the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead.
The Leopards bounced back with two runs in the last of the third. Jackson Todd reached on an error that scored Simmons and Kade Davis to give Temple a 3-2 lead.
Jacob Tanguma scored on a double play in the fifth inning to tie the game 3-3.
Todd's RBI single and Peanut Brazzle's sacrifice fly put the Leopards out front after five, 5-3.
Angelina sent 11 batters to the play in the top of the sixth and scored seven times to give the Roadrunners a 10-5 lead.
Temple was not able to push across any runs in the final two innings.
The Roadrunners had 14 hits, with Tanguma, Cole Standley, and Cooper Molnes each with three hits. Ashton Wagner had three of Angelina's six RBI.
Todd had two of Temple's six hits.
Patrick Collopy pitched five innings, allowed two runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out three. Caleb Barry-Smith pitched 2/3 inning, allowed two runs on two hits, and walked one. Bralen Veazey picked up the loss, having allowed four unearned runs on three hits. Gavin Oliver pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowed one run on one hit and a walk.
Angelina jumped out to the lead in the opening inning of game two. A two-run blast over the right-centerfield wall by Stefano Ramos gave the Roadrunners a 2-0 cushion. They added a run in the second inning on a groundout by Ryan Lewis, and two more in the third on single by Wagner to give the Roadrunners a 5-0 lead.
The Leopards cracked into the run column in the bottom of the third. Cantrell reached on an error that scored Enrique Perozo. Kade Davis walked to score Kash Millar and Kadyn Martinez hit into a fielder's choice that scored Ryder Rutledge to pull Temple to within two runs at 5-3.
Angelina picked up single runs in the sixth and seventh innings on a wild pitch and a bunt single by Lewis.
The Roadrunners had ten hits, with Ramos, Tanguma, Lewis, and Sean Bazmore each collecting two.
Five pitchers took the hill for Angelina, with starter Luke Harrington picking up the win.
Temple collected six hits, with Perozo the only Leopard with two hits.
Tobin Eschief took the loss, as he pitched three innings, allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, struck out five and walked three. Carson Henderson allowed one run and four hits over three innings and struck out three. Micah Melott pitched one inning, allowed one run on one hit, and walked one.
Where they stand
The Leopards are 4-9 overall, 2-3 at home and 2-6 on the road.
What's next
The Leopards will host Midland College on Friday (3 pm) and Saturday (10 am) and will take on Navarro College on Saturday (3 pm).
Softball goes 5-1 on the week, closes non-conference play
The Temple College softball team began their westward road trip on Monday afternoon, as the Leopards took on Western Texas College in Snyder.
The Leopards' offense was potent, and the pitch allowed one run over 12 innings as they swept the Westerners. The scores of the twin-bill were 8-0 (five innings) and 5-1.
In the first game, Temple scored in all five innings.
Angie DeLeon and Lily Garcia hit back-to-back homers to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead in the first.
Emily Delgado's sacrifice fly scored Marli Kennedy in the second inning.
A bases-loaded walk to Anissa Hill in the third inning plated Garcia to increase the Leopards' lead to 5-0.
Jasmine Benavidez two-run double in the fourth inning scored Delgado and Lexi Dudeczka.
DeLeon completed Temple's output in the opener with a single that scored Marleigh Manns.
Haley Crawford pitched a complete game shutout, as she allowed one hit over five innings, struck out three and walked two.
Manns collected three hits, and DeLeon and Benavidez each had two hits in Temple's 14-hit performance.
In the second game, the Leopards scored single runs in the second through sixth innings.
Reese Cottrell's double scored Delgado to get the Leopards on the board in the second.
Delgado drove home an unearned run in the third, as Benavidez scored on a ground out.
In the fourth inning, Manns drive in courtesy runner Paige Findley with a single to give the Leopards a three-run cushion.
Garcia led off the fifth inning with a 2-0 homer to left field to increase the Temple lead to four runs.
The Westerners scored in the sixth inning to break up the shut out.
Temple collected 11 hits, with Manns. Benavidez, Delgado, and Cottrell each had two hits.
Hannah Calhoun pitched 5 2/3 innings for the win, allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out a career-high nine batters. Cottrell pitched 1/3 inning, allowed an unearned run on one hit, and walked one. Dalanee Ekster pitched an inning of scoreless relief and struck out one.
The Leopards softball team traveled to Big Spring on Tuesday for a doubleheader against Howard College.
Temple scored in four of six innings, which included a five-run sixth to help secure the win in run-rule fashion, 13-2.
Anissa Hill's bases-loaded walk with one out in the top of the second got the Leopards into the run column. Lexi Dudeczka doubled home Kendall Gross and Marli Kennedy to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead.
Gross' RBI single in the third scored Emily Delgado to increase the Leopards' advantage to four.
After the Hawks scored a run in the bottom of the third, the Leopards answered with Angie DeLeon's home run to get the run back. Gross and Kennedy hit back-to-back homers to pull Temple out front, 8-1.
The Leopards hit three homers in the top of the sixth. With one out. DeLeon hit a two-run shot, Garcia hit a solo homer, Delgado hit a double, and pinch-hitter Jaycee Tumlinson hit a two-run blast to put Temple up by 12.
Howard scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to finish the scoring.
Temple collected 12 hits in the game, the 11th time in 17 games that the Leopards have gathered ten or more hits. It is the eighth time in double digits scoring and eighth run-rule victory.
Gross and Delgado each had three hits, Delgado scored four times, and Gross and DeLeon each had three runs batted in.
Haley Crawford picked up the complete game win and is now 6-1 for the season. Crawford allowed two runs on six hits, struck out five, and walked two.
The second game was cancelled due to inclement weather.
On Saturday, the Leopards began their two-day round robin against No. 18 Odessa College and Otero College at the Wrangler Softball Complex.
Against Odessa, the Wranglers picked up three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to come from behind to defeat the Leopards, 6-4.
In the game against Otero, a homer by Marleigh Manns paced the Leopards' attack as Temple won in five innings, 8-0.
Down 1-0 to the Wranglers in the top of the third, Manns drove in Marli Kennedy with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
Having trailed 3-1 in the top of the fifth, Manns' two-run homer scored Anissa Hill and tied the score 3-3.
Jasmine Benavidez reached on an error that scored Lily Garcia to give Temple a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth.
Mason Barclay's two-single the Wranglers the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Mackenzei Mahagan-Bernal scored Taryn Blazevich to give the Wranglers an insurance run.
The Leopards put two on in the top of the seventh but could not cut the margin.
Manns drove home three runs and, along with Emily Delgado, had two hits.
Haley Crawford took the loss in the circle. She pitched six innings, allowed six runs on five hits, tied a career-high with nine strikeouts, and issued seven walks.
The Leopards opened the scoring in the top of the second inning against Otero with an RBI single by Kennedy.
Temple opened the floodgates with five runs in the third inning. Manns' two-run homer opened the scoring. Garcia's two-run triple scored Benavidez and Angie DeLeon, and Delgado's double plated Garcia to give Temple a 6-0 lead.
Delgado's sacrifice in the fourth inning scored DeLeon, and Hill scored on a fielder's choice to complete the Leopards scoring.
Manns, Garcia, and Delgado each registered two runs batted in, and DeLeon led the Temple's offense with two hits in their nine-hit attack.
Hannah Calhoun picked up the win in the circle, as she pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed two hits and struck out on. Delanee Ekster pitched an inning and a third of scoreless relief, having allowed a hit and struck out one.
The Temple College softball team completed non-conference play on Sunday, as they began the day with a dominating 16-1 win over Otero and ended the day storming back from a 4-0 deficit to score 11 of the final 12 runs to beat the Wranglers, 11-5.
After a scoreless first, Temple pounced on Rattlers' pitching for eight runs in the second. Reese Cottrell doubled home Emily Delgado to open the scoring. Marleigh Manns' two-run double scored Cottrell and Camryn Dunkley, and Jasmine Benavidez doubled home Manns. Following an Angie DeLeon walk, Lily Garcia's three-run homer of the centerfield fence increased Temple's lead to 7-0. Cottrell's second double of the inning scored Abby Drabek to give the Leopards an 8-0 lead.
Following a Rattler run in the top of the third, the Leopards scored seven runs in the bottom of the inning. An error on Manns' single scored Anissa Hill, Benavidez's single scored Manns, and Garcia's second homer on game scored two to up Temple's lead to 12. Cottrell and Hill each had RBI singles to give Temple a 15-1 lead.
Jaycee Tumlinson's single with one out in the fifth scored Lexi Dudeczka to complete the scoring.
Five Leopards had multi-hit games, with Cottrell having three to lead the way. Garcia had six RBI, Cottrell added three runs batted in, and Manns and Benavidez added two each.
Haley Crawford picked up the win in the circle. Crawford pitched three innings, allowed an unearned run on two hits, struck out eight and walked one. Delgado closed out the game with two innings of scoreless relief, allowed two hits, and struck out one.
Against the Wranglers, Odessa scored twice in the second, once in the third and fourth respectively to lead 4-0 heading to the top of the fifth.
With two one and two out in the fifth, DeLeon smashed a three-homer over the right field fence to draw the Leopards to within a run.
In the top of the sixth, Manns' two-run scored Hill and Paige Findley to give the Leopards the lead, 5-4.
In the seventh inning, Temple broke the game open with a six-run rally. Garcia's double scored DeLeon, Kennedy's bunt single and Odessa fielding error scored Garcia. Cottrell's two-run single Delgado and Kennedy, and Manns' single scored Cottrell and Dudeczka to give Temple a seven-run lead.
The Wranglers scored a run in the bottom of the seventh but came up short by six.
Temple crushed 13 hits in the contest, with Manns going 5-of-5 with four RBI to lead the Leopards. DeLeon had two hits, and three runs batted in, and Kennedy and Cottrell each two hits.
Hannah Calhoun started the game, pitched one inning, allowed a run on two hits, and walked one. Crawford entered the game in the second inning and picked up the win in relief. She pitched six innings, allowed four runs on ten hits, walked five, and struck out four.
Where they stand
17-4 overall, 6-2 at home. 7-2 away, 3-0 at neutral site. As of Sunday night, Temple is one of six teams with ten non-conference wins. The six teams: Temple (17-4), MCC (16-3), NCTC (16-6), Grayson (15-1), Vernon (13-5), and Weatherford (10-2).
What's next
The Leopards will start North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play with a four-game series against Hill College. They will take on the Rebels with a doubleheader on Wednesday in Hillsboro (1 pm and 3 pm) and concludes the week on Saturday with a doubleheader against the Rebels at the Danny Scott Athletic Conference (12 pm and 2 pm).