But after what happened on a sunny Monday afternoon at Danny Scott Sports Complex, the Leopards might look back on their sweep of perennial power San Jacinto as being a very important moment this season.

Nick Anders’ go-ahead double and reliever Hunter Scott’s three scoreless innings led TC to a 4-3 win in the first game, and the Leopards used Anders’ two-run double and pinch hitter Chase Cline’s two-run home run to overcome a 6-2 deficit and defeat the eighth-ranked Gators 9-6 in the finale.

Temple (7-9), No. 26 in the NJCAA Division I preseason poll, extended its winning streak to six games following a 1-9 start that included 9-7 and 4-3 losses at San Jacinto on Feb. 2 in Houston.

The Gators won their first 12 games and entered Monday at 15-1.

Temple coach Craig McMurtry and sophomore second baseman Anders said beating San Jac - and the way in which TC did it - could pay big dividends for the Leopards.

“These are the types of games that you can build on,” McMurtry said. “We had been competing at a good level but were not able to close some games out. The biggest thing is that even with some of the mistakes we had today, we kept our heads about us and competed and battled.”

Added Anders: “It’s a boost to our confidence. I’m proud of our great team effort today. We had great pitching and great defense most of the time.”

As productive as the day ended up being for the Leopards, they didn’t get off to a very good start in the seven-inning opener.

Four of the first five Gators singled against freshman right-hander Zach Butler, with Devin Shines’ hit through the left side driving in Tanner Hines and Kris Miller for a 2-0 lead. But after a walk, Butler got a popout and a groundout to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam.

Anders got the Leopards started in the bottom of the first. He blooped a double down the right-field line, went to third base on Johnathon Moore’s single and scored on a wild pitch by lefty Tyler Dyer to make it 2-1.

Temple seized its first lead in the second. Tabor Smith led off with a single, advanced on a Marshall Coots bunt, went to third on a Matt Loughrey single and scored when right fielder Jeremy Barfield’s throw skipped past the catcher. Pedro Maldonado then dropped a two-out double inside the line in right for a 3-2 Leopards advantage.

TC’s lead was short-lived, though. In the third, Killan Kinart roped a two-out double to left and a wild relay throw allowed Zeke Zikeli to score easily for a 3-3 tie.

After Butler’s scoreless fourth, the Leopards made him a winner - aided by a crucial San Jac miscue.

Payton Wisener struck out on a pitch in the dirt for the apparent second out, but catcher Kinart overthrew first for one of the Gators’ three errors. Anders later doubled into the corner in right to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Scott allowed the leadoff batter to reach base in all three of his innings but permitted nothing more, getting two strikeouts and double plays keyed by right fielder Maldonado and Anders to earn the save.

The nine-inning second game was packed with twists and momentum swings.

San Jac took a 1-0 lead in the second when a Tim Laine pitch hit freshman shortstop and former Temple Wildcat Danny Hernandez with the bases loaded. Hernandez, who had a large cheering section, was hitless for the day but played error-free defense.

TC responded with Garrett Bivone’s run-scoring groundout in the second and Maldonado’s RBI single to center in the fourth to take a 2-1 edge.

But the Gators grabbed the lead back in the fifth. Center fielder Loughrey - who in the third inning threw from deep right-center to third to cut down Ryan Still for a double play - and left fielder Wisener dropped Still’s fly ball when they converged on it, allowing a run to score. Miller’s RBI single off reliever Courtney Behrend then made it 3-2.

San Jacinto seemed to seize total control in the sixth when Braeden DeFrees put two runners on before Gregg Alcazar greeted Sam Cordero - the eventual winner - with a three-run homer to left for a 6-2 lead.

Later, Anders said TC had no thoughts about giving up at that point.

“Coach always says, ‘Don’t stop playing until the final out,’” Anders said. “It’s hard to beat someone who doesn’t quit.”

The Leopards chipped away at starter Devan Alaniz in the sixth, using Maldonado’s RBI single and a throwing error to make it 6-4. In the seventh they got to relievers Chris Dickerson and Logan Coker, as Anders’ double to left-center scored Wisener and Mike Lowery to tie it before Hunter Bell’s flyout put TC up 7-6.

After Temple High School graduate Tristan Gaines worked around a leadoff single in the eighth, pinch hitter Cline gave him breathing room by blasting a two-run homer to right to make it 9-6.

Gaines gave the Gators no chance in the ninth, striking out the last two batters swinging with sharp sliders to seal a sweep of one of junior college baseball’s premier programs.

“Now we’re 7-9 after getting two wins against obviously a very good San Jac team, and this gives us a chance to get back to .500 this weekend,” said McMurtry, whose Leopards have three games in Bossier Parish, La., before they begin Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play next Wednesday at home with a noon doubleheader against North Central Texas.