The top-ranked McLennan Highlanders pushed their winning streak to 38 games with a pair of wins over the #4 Temple Leopards this afternoon in Temple.
Game one of the day was a pitcher's duel with McLennan getting the 3-2 win in nine innings. Taryn Batterton picked up the win in the circle in relief of Katia Reyes.
Temple began the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. Breayna Jackson drew a lead-off walk, and Adelyn Becerra doubles. Jackson then scored on a ground out by Kennan Nunamaker.
McLennan tied the game with Reyes' home run to lead off the bottom of the second.
The Leopards took the lead with Becerra's home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
The Highlanders scored one in the top of the seventh to tie the game again. Trinity Allen doubled and Kyla Heine reached on an error, bringing Allen in to score.
McLennan scored one in the top of the eighth to take the lead. Reyes led off with a triple and Madison Hornback walked. Reyes then scored on a sacrifice fly by Madison Garcia.
Temple went three up and three down in the bottom of the eighth to give the Highlanders the win.
McLennan came from a five-run deficit to defeat the Leopards 11-7 in the second game.
The Leopards scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Maveryck Lightfoot hit a solo home run, and Kendall Gross was safe on a dropped third strike. Channing Lipe replaced Gross as the runner at first. Breayna Jackson singled, and Becerra singled to score Lipe, and Nunamaker singled to score Jackson. Lily Garcia then doubled to score Becerra and Nunamaker.
The Highlanders scored two runs in the third. Taylor Meier singled and Mickayla Tosch doubled. Meier scored on a ground out by Allen, and Tosch scored on a sacrifice fly by Reyes.
McLennan exploded for seven runs in the fourth. Lilly Rocha led off with a triple and Aynsli Lawson followed with a two-run homer. Garcia and Meier both singled, and Tosch walked to load the bases. Allen singled to score Garcia, and Reyes doubled to score Tosch, Meier and Allen. Rocha and Chesnee Faile, both walked. Lawson then singled to score Reyes.
Temple scored two in the fifth. Garcia led off with a home run. Lightfoot walked and Gross singled. Allie Cruz was hit by the pitch, loading the bases. Lightfoot then scored on a passed ball.
The Highlanders added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Rocha was hit by the pitch and scored on a triple by Faile. Lawson then singled to score Faile.
McLennan 3, Temple 2 (8 innings)
McLennan 010 000 11 – 3 9 1
Temple 100 001 001 00 – 2 2 3
Katia Reyes, Taryn Batterton (8) and Kyla Heine. Haley Crawford and Adelyn Becerra. WP: Batterton; LP: Crawford. Leading hitters – McLennan: Trinity Allen (3-4, 3 2B), Katia Reyes (3-4, 3B, HR, RBI) and Madison Garcia (0-1, RBI); Temple: Adelyn Becerra (2-3, 2B, HR, RBI) and Kennan Nunamaker (0-2, RBI). McLennan 37-0 (15-0).
McLennan 11, Temple 7
McLennan 002 702 0 – 11 17 0
Temple 050 020 0 – 7 10 0
Makenzi Jenkins, Brinly Maples (2), Taryn Batterton (5) and Chesnee Faile. Emily Delgado, Audrie Sayas (4), Hannah Calhoun (5), Haley Crawford (6) and Adelyn Becerra. WP: Maples; LP: Delgado. Leading hitters – McLennan: Taylor Meier (3-5), Mickayla Tosch (2-3, 2B), Trinity Allen (2-4, 2 RBI), Katia Reyes (1-3, 2B, 4 RBI), Lilly Rocha (1-2, 2B), Chesnee Faile (2-4, 3B, RBI), Ainsley Lawson (3-3, HR, 4 RBI) and Madison Garcia (2-4); Temple: Adelyn Becerra (1-4, RBI), Kennan Nunamaker (2-4, RBI), Lily Garcia (3-4, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI), and Maveryck Lightfoot (1-3, HR, RBI). McLennan 38-0 (16-0).
