In the Leopards’ season-opening doubleheader Friday, it took them about four hours.
In a sharp all-around performance, TC got strong starts from pitchers Paul Spinn and Brandon Kimbrel, scored in the first nine innings it batted and got a huge offensive game from Darren Crabtree in the finale to defeat Galveston 9-2 and 5-1 at Danny Scott Sports Complex.
“I was very pleased with how we played with it being the first day,” TC coach Craig McMurtry said. “I was pleased with our effort and our execution. We got bunts down, moved runners, got some base hits when we needed to, got good pitching and played pretty solid defense.
“Obviously Galveston’s had a rough time after the hurricane (Ike) and they’re behind, but I thought they looked good.”
McMurtry also praised his six pitchers who saw action on a clear, cool day - sophomore right-handers Spinn (Holland) and Kimbrel (Cameron Yoe) and relievers Justin Williams (Temple), Chad McLin, Korey Wacker (Harker Heights) and Sam Cordero.
Overall, they allowed 12 hits in 14 innings, struck out 13 batters, walked only three and hit three.
The Leopards scored all six times they batted in the first seven-inning game, keyed by Michael Haynes’ two-run single and a pair of run-scoring singles by Thad Zentek.
Crabtree, a lanky 6-7 sophomore who’s been moved from catcher to a designated hitter/utility role, made his presence felt Friday. He contributed an RBI flyout and a single in the opener, then put on a show in the second game.
Batting in the No. 7 slot, the left-handed Crabtree ripped a double off the wall in left-center field in the second inning, doubled to the base of the wall in center in the third and launched a laser-like home run to right in the sixth.
“Darren knew he struggled last year, and he came to me in the fall and said he wanted a chance to DH and prove that last year was a fluke,” McMurtry said. “He had a good day and we hope he’s going to have a good week, month and three months.”
Spinn actually got off to a rough start, allowing two singles, walking a batter and hitting one in the first inning. But a successful pickoff move and an inning-ending strikeout helped him limit the Whitecaps to just one run. Aside from Tyler Fiebrich’s solo homer in the third, Spinn was around the plate and effective.
Williams worked out of a jam in the sixth and fellow lefty McLin struck out two in a perfect sixth to seal the win.
Meanwhile, Temple’s offense pounded out 11 hits - all singles - and took advantage of walks, hit batters, an error, wild pitches and passed balls.
Doug Oney was hit with the bases loaded in the first to force in Haynes with the tying run, and Zentek’s two-out hit to right in the second drove in Travis Trial to make it 2-1.
The Leopards then sent nine men to the plate in the third and seized control by scoring four runs, highlighted by Haynes’ two-run single to left. Ryan Meade scored on a passed ball and Payton Wisener came in on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead.
Temple controlled the second game all the way, taking a 2-0 advantage in the first inning on sacrifice flies by Zentek and Garrett Raburn and adding single runs in the second and third frames on Kyle Zdunkewicz’s line-drive RBI single to left and Crabtree’s second double, respectively.
Kimbrel worked around leadoff hits in the first two innings and, after forcing in a third-inning run by hitting a man, sent the Whitecaps down in order in the fourth and fifth.
Said McMurtry: “Brandon made good pitches with his fastball, changeup and slider and he was able to locate well at different times.”
It was an encouraging, satisfying game for Kimbrel, a relief ace in 2007 who was injured in TC’s final game that season and used a medical redshirt in 2008 while dealing with arm problems.
“I felt pretty good today,” he said. “I’ve been throwing all fall and I’m getting pretty close to all the way back with my arm strength. It was really frustrating (missing last season) but I knew eventually I’d be back.”
And Kimbrel wasn’t about to complain about the offensive and defensive support he and his fellow pitchers received on a great opening day for TC.
“I was really impressed with the way we played,” he said.
The Leopards will play a Monday doubleheader at Wharton County, then host Angelina on Wednesday.
