The Leopards entered Saturday needing one win over last-place Vernon to clinch their seventh consecutive berth in the NJCAA Region V Tournament and two wins to seize the NTJCAC’s No. 2 regional seed.
And TC came up with the goods, racking up 29 hits and getting solid pitching from starters Tristan Gaines and Hunter Scott to beat Vernon 11-6 and 14-10 to post a 19-13 conference record for their third straight runner-up finish in the NTJCAC.
“It’s good to get two wins and get it over with,” said Temple coach Craig McMurtry, whose 31-22 team wasn’t guaranteed one of the NTJCAC’s four regional berths when Saturday began. “This has been a tough year with a lot of things going on and a lot of ups and downs. I’m proud of the way our guys handled it.
“We battled to win 19 games and we finished second for the third year in a row. I think we’ve represented ourselves well.”
Temple likely will play third-place Clarendon of the Western Junior College Athletic Conference in the first round of the eight-team, double-elimination Region V Tournament next Sunday at Lubbock Christian. TC, which took third place last year, will seek its second trip to the Junior College World Series in three seasons.
In Saturday’s first game, the Leopards used RBI singles by Nick Anders and Tabor Smith and Travis Trial’s two-run single to lead 4-0 in the first inning. Trial, Payton Wisener and Will Sandifer had RBI hits in the fifth, and former Temple Wildcat Gaines (7-3) and reliever Sam Cordero kept Vernon (13-41, 5-27) in check.
The Leopards jumped out to a huge lead in the nine-inning finale, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings to give normal relief ace Scott (7-2) plenty of support. TC made five errors and Vernon pulled to within 11-9 after seven, but the Leopards scored three insurance runs in the ninth and Cordero closed out the Chaparrals.
Mike Lowery and Anders each had four hits and four RBI in Game 2, and Lowery and Smith each hit a home run.
TC will complete its regular season by hosting non-conference opponent Blinn at 2 p.m. today.
