Last week's competition was fierce between Temple College and our Waco neighbors to the north, McLennan Community College.

Of the 11 games in Temple College Athletics last week, ten of the contests were against the Highlanders. The lone non TC-MCC battle was the women's basketball game against Cisco College to end the regular season.

In addition to the 11 games, TC Softball's Emily Delgado took home NTJCAC Position Player of the Week, the second consecutive week a Leopard has won the award joining Marleigh Manns.

Here is a look back at last week's action, where each team is in their respective conference standings, and a quick look at the week ahead in Leopards' Athletics.

Baseball takes three out of four from No. 5 MCC

The Temple College baseball squad opened NTJCAC play against No. 5 McLennan Community College at Bosque River Ballpark.

The Leopards rallied from two down in the first game, and staved off a huge MCC rally in the second game to lock up a key doubleheader win over the Highlanders, 5-4 and 6-5.

After the Highlanders scored runs in the first and second innings, Temple found the run column in the third. Kolvin Davis singled home Kash Millar to pull Temple to within one run.

The Leopards tied the game in the fifth inning when Lance Cantrell doubled home Kolvin Davis to tie the game at 2-2.

Following an Andrew Ermis single, Kade Davis crushed a three-homer to right field to give the Leopards their first lead of the game, 5-2.

Spencer Butt's two-run single scored Sherman Johnson and Marcus Smith to pull within a run. The Leopards were able to shut down the Highlanders offense to capture game one.

Eight different players combined to give Temple nine hits, led by Kolvin Davis' 2-of-4 contest. Kade Davis had three RBI.

Patrick Collopy pitched 5 1/3 innings for the victory, having allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits, struck out seven and walked three. Micah Melott picked up the save, allowed one run on three hits and struck out three.

Temple paced themselves offensively in game two with single runs in the first three innings. Cantrell stole home in the first, Kolvin Davis had an RBI walk in the second, and Kade Davis homered to right field.

The Leopards scored three times in the top of the sixth. Kolvin Davis' bases-clearing double scored Millar, Jackson Todd, and Sage Sanders to double TC's lead to 6-0.

The Highlanders scored five times in the bottom of the seventh, by way of a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, two bases-loaded walks, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI single. Temple escaped the inning with a one-run lead.

TC pitching held MCC off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

The Leopards collected eight hits, with Todd and Kade Davis each with two. Kolvin Davis led the Leopards with four RBI.

Eric Tenery picked up the win, having thrown 5 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, walked six and struck out four. Four other pitchers combined for 3 2/3 innings, allowed five runs on three hits, walked four and struck out three.

AJ Goytia had two RBI to lead the Highlanders.

On Saturday, the teams wrapped the series at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex amid steady 20-mile-per hour winds that picked up throughout the day, making fly ball fielding a challenge.

The Leopards won the opening game of the twin-bill with a 3-1 win to secure the series win. The Highlanders smashed six home runs with a 30-miles-per-hour tailwind blowing out to take the finale in five innings, 23-10.

In the opener, Tobin Eschief held the Highlanders offense to one run on two hits, struck out three and walked one for the seven-inning, complete game victory.

The lone MCC tally came on a solo homer by Cage McCloud in the second that put MCC up 1-0.

Kade Davis' RBI single in the bottom of the third scored Lance Cantrell to tie the game at 1-1.

Temple took the lead in the fifth inning, as Andrew Ermis' RBI single scored Kolvin Davis to give the Leopards the lead, and Peanut Brazzle's RBI double scored Ermis for the insurance run that gave Temple a 3-1 lead.

Ryder Rutledge had two of TC's five hits.

In the second game, the Highlanders' bats woke up in a huge way. MCC hit back-to-back homers in the first, as Deiten LaChance hit a three-run homer over the left-field wall, and Ty Waid clocked a solo homer over the center field batter's eye wall to give the Highlanders a 4-0 lead just four batters in.

LaChance's RBI single to left scored Spencer Butt to increase the Highlanders' lead to five.

MCC's nine-run third was highlighted by a solo homer to start the inning by AJ Goytia, two-run homer by Marcus Smith, and three-run homer by Waid to increase MCC's advantage to 14-0.

The Highlanders added four more runs in the fourth, with Waid's three-run homer and LaChance's RBI single having accounted for the runs.

Kadyn Martinez collected his first college hit having drilled a 2-1 fastball over the left-centerfield wall to get the Leopards on the board.

The Highlanders put five more runs on the board in the top of the fifth to push their advantage out to 22 runs.

Temple battled at the bottom of the fifth to attempt to fish the game out of run-rule territory. Martinez's two-run double and Rutledge's two-run single highlighted a nine-run fifth inning.

The Highlanders had 16 hits and 11 walks. Waid went 3-of-4 with three home runs and seven RBI, LaChance was 5-of-5 with a home run and eight RBI, and Smith went 3-of-4 with four RBI. LaChance, Waid, Butt, and Daniel Harden each scored four times.

Martinez was 2-of-2 with a homer, three RBI, and two runs scored, Kade Davis was 3-of-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, and Rutledge went 2-of-4 with two RBI for the Leopards, who collected 11 hits and five walks.

Where are they now?

10-11 overall, 3-1 NTJCAC play.

What is next?

A NTJCAC series battle with another ranked team: No. 1 Weatherford College (17-2 overall, 2-0 NTJCAC). The series will start on Wednesday at 12 and 3 pm at Roger Williams Ballpark in Weatherford and conclude with games at 12 pm and 3 pm at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex.

Men's Basketball loses at MCC, clinches playoff spot

The Temple College men's basketball team traveled to Waco on Wednesday as they took on the McLennan Community College Highlanders.

While TC trailed by four at halftime, the Highlanders outscored the Leopards by 21 points in the second half to down the Leopards, 85-60.

Jaymes Brown-Peterson led the Leopards with 15 points, and Logan Myers scored 14 off the bench.

Temple shot 39.3% from the field, which included 32.1% from behind the arc, and was 7-of-12 from the foul line.

Ari Gooch led the Highlanders with 22 points, and Evan Chatman, Joe Burgess, and Frederick Rogers, III, each scored 12 points.

The Leopards were forced to watch the tournament seeding unfold on Saturday, with Grayson having locked up the fourth seed and Ranger and Southwestern Christian College having their seasons ended out of the top four.

Where are they now?

18-12 overall, 7-7 NTJCAC, tied for third, qualified for Region V playoffs North No. 3 seed.

What is next?

NJCAA Region V Tournament at McLennan Community College vs. West No. 2 Frank Phillips College, Wednesday, 5 pm.

Women's Basketball

The Temple College women's basketball team played a pair of games, both pivotal to their Region V Tournament hopes.

On Wednesday, the Leopards traveled to Waco to take on MCC.

The Leopards played the Highlanders close throughout the game. However, the Highlanders' 29-18 fourth quarter was the difference as they defeated the Leopards, 84-73.

Temple took an 18-14 lead into the second quarter, and led at halftime, 40-33.

MCC adjusted in the locker room, outscored the Leopards in the third quarter 22-15, and tied the game at 55-55.

Jaylice Rosario led Temple with 22 points and six rebounds. Imani McCray scored 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Biva Bird scored 11 points and four rebounds off the bench.

Jalayah Ingram led all scorers with 28 points for MCC.

Faced with a must-win situation on Saturday, the Leopards hosted Cisco College.

TC dominated the game from the tip to the final horn as they defeated the Wranglers, 97-39.

The Leopards held Cisco to five points in the first quarter, a defensive low on the year, as TC led the Wranglers 20-5 heading into the second period.

Temple continued to dominate in the second period, as they outscored Cisco 29-10, and took a 34-point lead into the locker room.

The Leopards outscored Cisco in the third quarter 30-9 and led by 55 points going into the fourth quarter.

Five Leopards scored in double figures, with two having logged a double-double.

Jaylice Rosario led the Leopards with 22 points and ten rebounds. Mychal White scored 17 points, had nine assists and five rebounds. Aniyah Lewis had 12 points and 11 rebounds, Imani McCray logged 12 points and two rebounds, and Biva Byrd had ten points and seven rebounds.

Where are they now?

20-10 overall, 10-6 NTJCAC, tied for fourth with Weatherford College.

What is next?

Temple will play Weatherford at Hill College on Monday at 5 pm in Hillsboro. The winner earns the North No. 4 seed and will play West No. 1 New Mexico Junior College at the NJCAA Region V Tournament at MCC Thursday at 7pm.

No. 12 TC Softball swept by No. 4 McLennan

The Temple College Softball team hosted McLennan Community College to start their four-game NTJCAC series on Wednesday.

In a closely played twin-bill, the Highlanders picked up the sweep by scores of 4-3 (eight innings) and 6-2.

McLennan scored on a Madison Garcia single in the second inning, Trinity Allen steal of home in the third inning, and Aynsli Lawson RBI fielder's choice in the fifth inning to put the Highlanders up by three runs.

Lily Garcia tripled home Angie DeLeon and scored on the errant throw from the outfield to clip the deficit to one in the bottom of the fifth.

The Leopards loaded the bases in the sixth inning but could not push a run across.

Garcia scored on a two-out, two-strike single by Ma'Rya Quarles to tie the game at three all and forced extra innings.

MCC broke the tie when Trinity Allen's single scored courtesy runner Delanie Roeder to give the Highlanders a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth.

DeLeon drew a two-out walk at the bottom of the eighth, but a groundout ended the Leopards' final threat in game one.

MCC picked up nine hits in the opener, with Allen having collected two of the nine hits.

Kynli Chapman pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out six and walked. Cydney Whitacre picked up the win in relief having yielded one walk.

Garcia and Reese Cottrell each had two hits in Temple's seven-hit output.

Haley Crawford matched her career-high in strikeouts with ten in eight innings despite having allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits and four walks.

Teyah Pitts singled to start game two and scored on a throwing error to give MCC a 1-0 lead.

Pitts doubled home Ellie Loveless and Mickayla Tosch homered over the left fence to increase MCC's lead to four in the third inning.

Temple scored twice in the bottom of the fourth. DeLeon scored on a sacrifice fly and Lexi Dudeczka's ground out scored Paige Findley.

The Highlanders plated a run on a sacrifice fly and an RBI to reestablish a four-run lead.

MCC had seven hits in game two, with Pitts having led the way with two.

Natalie Klenda went the distance in the circle, pitched seven innings, allowed two runs on five hits, and walked one.

Five different Leopards had hits in the game.

Hannah Calhoun picked up the loss in the circle, having pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowed four runs (three earned) on four hits. Cottrell pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, and struck out two. Delgado pitched an inning and struck out one.

Because of weather issues, the Waco portion of the series was moved up to Thursday.

McLennan scored seven runs in the third inning and kept the seven-run lead until the top of the fifth when TC scored four times. Marli Kennedy hit a solo home run to opening inning and Lily Garcia hit a three-run blast to pull the Leopards within three.

MCC added two in the sixth, with Reese Cottrell having answered with an RBI single at the top of the seventh.

Temple outhit MCC 12-9. Delgado had three hits, Garcia added two hits and three RBI, and Manns, Cottrell, and Kennedy added two hits apiece.

Haley Crawford picked the loss in the circle.

MCC scored a run in the first and two in the second to jump out to a 3-0 lead in game two.

Ma'Rya Quarles drove in Temple's first run in the top of the fourth inning on a single that plated Angie DeLeon.

After MCC pushed two across in the bottom of the fourth, Cottrell's RBI single in the fifth made the score 5-2.

DeLeon's single scored Abby Drabek in the seventh to cap the scoring.

Temple outhit MCC in the second game, 9-7. Cottrell, DeLeon, and Quarles each had two hits.

Where are they now?

21-8 overall, 4-4 NTJCAC, tied for fourth place with Cisco College

What is next?

The Leopards will take on No. 19 Weatherford College in an NTJCAC four-game series. The series starts with a doubleheader at the Danny Scott Athletic Complex on Wednesday at 1 pm and 3 pm and will wrap up with a Saturday doubleheader at Stuart Field in Weatherford at 12 pm and 2 pm.