The Temple College Leopards, ranked No. 4 in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Top 25 poll, hosted Vernon College in doubleheader action on Tuesday afternoon at the Danny Scott Sports Complex.

Izzy Garcia and Kat Kram combined to pitch 16 innings of shutout softball, Garcia added a solo homer, and Marli Kennedy added solo homer in opening game and walk-off, ninth-inning double in the second game to sweep the Chaparrals.

The scores were 4-0 and 1-0 (nine innings).

The Leopards are three games up in the win column over MCC. The Highlanders begin a four-game series with a double against Grayson on Wednesday afternoon at Bosque River Ballpark.

Garcia opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a homer over the right centerfield wall to give Temple a 1-0. A bases-loaded was to Jasmine Benavidez forced home KyLeigh Cambiano doubled the Temple advantage to 2-0.

Brooklyn Walton turned in a defensive game to start the third inning. Taylor Phillips hit a deep, screaming liner into left-centerfield. Walton sprinted into the gap, dove and snagged the ball for the first out of the inning.

The score held until the Leopards struck again in the bottom of the fourth. Kennedy drilled a belt-high fastball over the left field wall for TC's second solo shot of the game. Benavidez followed up with an RBI single that score Brooklyn Walton to give Temple a 4-0 lead.

Garcia retired the first ten Chaparrals she faced. Singles by Marissa Valdez and Cadence Verona went by the boards in the fourth, as Kram struck out Victoria Cano looking to end the inning. Garcia hit Cami Laney to lead off the sixth. However, a liner by Valdez was snagged at shortstop by Benavidez and fired a throw to Reese Cottrell at first to double up Laney at first.

The Leopards retired the Chaparrals in order in the seventh to lock down the victory.

Temple collected 11 hits in the opener, as each batter reached base. Kennedy had three hits and Walton had two to lead the Leopards.

Garcia collected the win in the circle, having pitched seven innings, allowed two hits, hit a batter, and struck out nine.

Irella Bautista took the loss for Vernon. She pitched 3 1/3 innings allowed four runs on eight hits and walked two. Giovanca Frias pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief, allowed three hits and struck out three.

As the clouds burned off and provided sunshine and heat, the second game started off as a pitcher's duel between Kat and Peyton Johnson.

The Leopards had their first scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first as Benavidez hit a towering fly ball hit off the top of the left-centerfield wall and pulled in with a standup double with one out. Johnson induced two flyouts to end the threat.

Walton's double with one out in the bottom of the second gave TC a brief scoring chance. Walton was caught stealing at third by Cadence Verona to eliminate the threat.

Vernon's first serious threat came in the top of the fourth. Valdez walked and Anita Gonzalez sacrifice bunted Valdez to second. On a 1-1 count, Kaiyah Ratu threw down to Ryley Litchfield at third base to catch Valdez stealing.

While Kram's steadfast pitching kept Vernon on its heels, the Leopards left runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Chaparrals did not another runner into scoring position until the eighth inning. Madison Maxfield singled and advanced to third on Megan Paull's one-out sacrifice bunt. After Jules Martinez walked, Kram struck out Riley Wright to retire the side.

With two outs in the bottom of the eight, Lexi Dudeczka reached on an infield single, Benavidez singled to left field, and Cottrell was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ratu hit a deep drive to left field that Victoria Cano fielded a step away from the wall to end the inning.

The Chaparrals threatened again in the top of the ninth. Valdez walked and was sacrificed to second by Gonzalez. Kram got Verona to fly out and Cano to ground out, both to Benavidez at short to strand Valdez at second.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Litchfield singled and stole second. With two outs, Kennedy hit a deep liner to the left centerfield gap for a double, that brought Litchfield in for the winning run.

Benavidez had three of Temple's seven hits in the second game.

Kram was brilliant in the circle, having earned the nine-inning complete game. She allowed three hits, walked three, and struck out six.

Johnson pitched six innings and earned a no decision. She pitched six innings, allowed three hits, hit a batter, walked one, and struck out three. Frias took the loss, pitched 2 2/3 inning allowed one run on four hits.

The Leopards are 28-2 in conference and 48-6 overall. Temple has an opportunity at a 50-win regular season and 30-win conference season with two games to play, which will be at Vernon College on Saturday.