After TC suffered a 4-3 loss in extra innings earlier Saturday, freshman left-hander Colon struck out 11 batters in a five-hitter and Darren Crabtree hit a two-run home run to highlight a six-run fifth inning as the Leopards responded to beat the Chaparrals 8-1.
“It was definitely important,” TC coach Craig McMurtry said. “After losing the first three games of the series, we had to find a way to salvage a win. Lee pitched very well and was pretty much in control the whole game.”
In the finale, Temple (8-4) took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning, then exploded for six runs with two outs. Kyle Zdunkewicz and Anthony Guajardo had run-scoring singles and Doug Oney hit a two-run single before Crabtree’s two-run shot, his fifth homer this year.
In the opener, Michael Haynes hit a homer and a sacrifice fly and Michael De La Rosa had an RBI single as the Leopards took a 3-0 lead. But Paul Spinn (Holland) ran into trouble in the fifth by walking Midland’s No. 8 and No. 9 batters, then allowing a two-run double.
Reliever Sam Cordero and Temple had a shot to end it in the seventh, but with two outs and a runner on second base Midland hit a soft ground ball to the right of the mound. No one covered first, and when catcher Garrett Raburn ran to back up first the runner raced in for the tie. With two outs in the ninth, Trey Whaley homered off Cordero to win it.
Temple will play a doubleheader against Blinn at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Brenham.
