The Temple College Baseball team traveled to Gainesville to wrap up its Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference series with North Central Texas College on Saturday as they played a doubleheader at Darwin Field.
The solid pitching continued for the Leopards, as they allowed five earned runs (eight total) over 19 innings. However, NCTC held the Leopards' offense in check with six runs over the same span of play, as the Lions edged the Leopards in a pair of 4-3 games. Game one was in 12 innings and game two went seven frames.
In the opener, the Leopards grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third. NCTC scored three runs in the fourth, which was answered by Leopard run in the top of the fifth.
The game remained 3-3 until the Lions picked up the winning runs in the bottom of the 12th.
Kade Davis had two hits and two runs batted in, Kash Millar added two hits and two runs scored, and Hunter Baros scored a run. The Leopards drew ten walks in the first game.
Tobin Eschief pitched six innings, but did not factor in the decision. He allowed three runs on six hits, struck out seven, walked two, hit a batter, and gave up one homer. Micah Melott took the loss in relief, despite pitching 5 2/3 of solid relief. He allowed one run on four hits, struck out seven and walked two.
In the second game, the Lions scored three unearned runs in the first inning off TC starting pitcher Kade Shaw. NCTC upped their lead to four runs with a run in the fourth.
Temple (14-19 overall, 7-9 NTJCAC) got on the scoreboard with single tallies in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, but could not find the equalizer.
Davis and Ryder Rutledge each had two hits, and Lance Cantrell walked twice and had a run batted in.
Shaw took the loss, pitching 1/3 inning, allowed three unearned runs and walked three. Gavin Oliver pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowed one run on two hits, struck out four and walked three. Mason Gerrard pitched two innings, allowed two hits and struck out one.
The Leopards will play a three-game non-conference series this week against the Navarro College Bulldogs. Temple will host the opener at the Danny Scott Sports Complex on Tuesday at 1 pm. The scene shifts to Corsicana on Friday for a doubleheader at Perry D. Graham Field at 1 pm and 3:30 pm.