The Temple College Leopards baseball team traveled to Lufkin on Friday as they opened the 2026 season with a doubleheader at Angelina College.
The teams split the twin-bill, as both games ended in nailbiters. The Roadrunners won in walk-off fashion in the opener, 6-5. Temple took matters into an extra inning in the second game with a 6-5 win in eight innings.
Down 2-0 in game one, Elias Leon-Padilla singled home Chase Fricke and Kash Millar drove home Hunter Baros to tie the score at 2-2.
Kanyon Millar's sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth scored Fricke to give TC their first lead, 3-2, with two outs.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Diesel Gonzalez's grounder found a way into right field to score Stefano Ramos and Marco Bandiero to put Angelina up 4-3.
Kade Davis walked and Peanut Brazzle singled Davis to third to start the fifth inning. Sage Sanders' grounder to shortstop plated Davis to tie the score 4-4.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Kanyon Millar and Fricke walked. With two outs, Wade Stallones came on to run for Millar and stole third base on the second pitch to Leon-Padilla. On the next pitch, Leon-Padilla blistered a fastball to left field that scored Stallones to put Temple up 5-4.
Angelina rallied in the bottom of the seven, as Seth Sloan walked. Daigan Venable's sacrifice bunt and Connor Ficara's ground out moved Sloan to third base. Cole Standley was intentionally walked to put the force at second base. Bandiero singled home Sloan and Ramos singled across Standley to give the Roadrunners the opening win.
Angelina had just four hits against Leopards and two of the six runs were earned.
Ramos led the way for Angelina with two hits and three runs batted in.
Ayden Mooring started for the Roadrunners on a hill as he pitched four innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits, struck out three and walked two. David Wilson pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked five, and struck out two. Harrison Hankins picked up the win and struck out the only batter he faced in relief.
Leon-Padilla and Brazzle each had two hits in Temple's seven-hit output. Sanders and Kash Millar each had two runs batted in.
Tobin Eschief pitched four innings in his first start of 2026. He allowed four unearned runs on two hits, struck out six and walked two. Carson Henderson pitched an inning of relief and struck out one. Thomas Perez took the loss for TC, as he allowed two runs on one hit, struck out two and walked two. Bralen Veazey allowed a hit to the lone batter faced.
Temple had faced a 2-0 deficit when they broke into the run column in game two. Kash Millar reached on a single and Stallones walked with one out in the third. Kade Davis walked with two outs to load the bases. On the third pitch to Brazzle, the ball got past the catcher and Millar scored to snap the deficit in half, 2-1.
The Leopards plated four runs in the fourth inning. Bryton Bertrand walked, Fricke singled, and Baros was hit by a pitch to start the frame. Ryan Hunter's walk forced home Bertrand to tie the game. A balk by Angelina pitcher Landon Richards scored Fricke to give TC the lead. Brody Cole walked to reload the bases. Davis' singled home Hunter and Baros to give Temple a 5-2 lead.
A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch drawn by Sloan with the based loaded in bottom of the fourth scored Ramos to draw Angelina to within two runs. A bases-loaded walk to Ficarra scored Trenton Pemberton, and bases-loaded hit-by-pitch scored Sloan tied the game 5-5.
Temple dodged an Angelina scoring opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. Ramos was hit by a pitch with one out. With two outs, Pemberton singles and Sloan walked to load the bases. Landon Miller struck out Gonzalez to end the threat to send the game into the eighth inning.
Fricke reached first on an error, and Cameron Bartz came on to run for him to begin the extra frame. Bartz stole second and third base and scored on an error by third baseman Jackson Todd to give TC a 6-5 lead.
Miller pitched the eighth inning and kept Angelina from scoring the tying run, as the Leopards picked up their first win of the season.
Fricke, Davis, and Kash Millar combined for Temple's five hits in the game.
Peyton Reynolds pitched 3 1/3 innings in the start, allowed five runs on five hits, hit two batters, struck out two, and walked one. Jack Perotti pitched 2/3 inning of relief, walked a batter, hit one, and struck out one. Quentin Medrano pitched two innings of hitless relief. Miller picked up the win as he pitched two innings, allowed one hit, hit a batter, struck out two, and walked one.
Todd led Angelina with two of their six hits.
Richards pitched 3 2/3 innings for the Roadrunners, allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits, hit a batter, struck out seven, and walked five. Avery Baber pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief, allowed two hits, and struck out four.
Trey Nott took the loss, as he pitched one inning, allowed an unearned run, and struck out one.
The Leopards and Roadrunners will complete their four-game series on Sunday afternoon at the Danny Scott Sports Complex in Temple with a doubleheader that starts at 1 pm.