The Temple College Leopards baseball team hosted North Central Texas College at the Danny Scott Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon in hopes they could win their second series of the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference season.

Timely hitting and solid pitching was the order of the day, as Temple never trailed throughout the twin-bill on their way to the doubleheader sweep and series win.

The scores of the day were 4-1 and 11-3 in eight innings.

Temple (15-11 overall, 6-2 NTJCAC) scored four runs in the first inning. Wade Stallones doubled and Kash Millar singled Stallones to third to start the rally. The pair executed a double steal as Kash Millar took second and Stallones stole home. With two outs, Hunter Baros doubled down the left line to score Kash Millar and Kanyon Millar. Elias Leon-Padilla's single scored Baros to put Temple out front, 4-0.

It was all that Joseph McMurtry needed as he scattered five hits over six innings, allowed an unearned run in the third inning, and struck out eight in the win. Quentin Medrano pitched an inning and allowed one walk.

Stallones went 2-for-3, Baros had two RBI, and Leon-Padilla added an RBI.

Temple set the tone early in game two. Chase Fricke's fielder's choice scored Kash Millar and Baros' sacrifice fly scored Kade Davis as the Leopards took a 2-0 lead.

NCTC scored an unearned run in the second inning as an errant throw scored Austin Myers.

The Leopards broke the game open in the bottom of the second. Davis' triple cleared the bases and scored on Fricke's ground to put Temple up 6-1.

Following a sacrifice fly by the Lions in the top of third, Kash Millar's sacrifice fly scored Yarel Delgado to re-establish the five-run lead, 7-2.

The Leopards hung three runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Peanut Brazzle's sacrifice fly scored Fricke, Stallones' single scored Bars, and a bases-loaded walk to Kash Millar forced home Ryan Hunter.

NCTC (13-10 overall, 1-3 NTJCAC) added a run on an RBI groundout by Colson Wood in the top of the sixth.

Temple ended the game in run-rule fashion in the eighth inning on Kanyon Millar's sacrifice fly that scored Davis.

Although the Leopards mustered five hits in eight innings, Temple took advantage of 11 walks, three hit-by-pitches, and a pair of NCTC errors to post 11 runs.

Stallones had two hits, Davis scored three runs, and Kash Millar scored twice. Four different Leopards had two walks in the contest.

Davis picked up in the win on the hill. He pitched five innings, allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits, walked two and struck out two. Bralen Veazey pitched three innings in relief, allowed a run on three hits and struck out one.

The Leopards have the conference bye next week. Temple will host Dallas College North Lake on Wednesday at the Danny Scott Sports Complex.

McMurtry garners NTJCAC Pitcher of the Week honors

Joseph McMurtry earned his first North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honor this past week.

The Troy, Texas, freshman fired a no-hitter against Vernon College last Saturday. McMurtry struck out nine batters and walked one.