With the latest NJCAA D-I Softball Top 25 poll having elevated the Temple College softball team to No. 4, the Leopards hosted Hill College in a North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Danny Scott Sports Complex.
The Leopards combined for 29 hits in the two games on offense and the pitching staff allowed just two hits and two walks over ten innings as Temple swept the Rebels.
Scores of the game were 8-0 (six innings) and 17-0 (five innings)
Temple (37-5 overall, 17-1 NTJCAC) reached the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning when Kaiyah Ratu triples home Reese Cottrell.
The Leopards added two runs in the bottom of the second inning when Lexi Dudeczka singled home Marli Kennedy and Ryley Litchfield.
TC added a run in the bottom of the third on Izzy Garcia's double that scored Cottrell.
While the Leopards had begun to stack runs, Kat Kram retired the first nine straight having struck out seven. Kram allowed a leadoff single to Malayla Gabriel and a walk to Kaia Cobb in the fourth. From that point, Kram retired the final nine batters that she faced.
Dudeczka's double in the bottom of the fourth scored Brooklynn Walton and RBI groundout in the sixth inning lifted Temple's advantage to 6-0. Walton went on to score on a wild pitch, and Autumn Simmons' pinch-hit single scored Benavidez to end the game.
The Leopards collected 12 hits, which included five extra-base hits.
Dudeczka drove home four runs, Ratu added two RBI, and Garcia drove home another. Dudeczka, Ratu, Kennedy, and Walton all had two hits each.
Kram fired a complete game one-hitter, struck out 13 and walked one.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning, Temple opened the second game scoring in the bottom of the second. Kennedy singled, stole second and third base, and scored on an error. Jasmine Benavidez's double scored Dudeczka, and Cottrell's double scored Benavidez to put Temple up 3-0.
The Leopards posted seven runs in the third inning. Angie DeLeon's double scored Jessica Reyes and Litchfield, KyLeigh Cambiano stole two bases and scored on a throwing error, Dudeczka singled home Walton, Benavidez stole home, and Maddi Durnell's groundout scored Maycee Griffin to life Temple's lead to ten runs.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Temple erupted for another seven runs. Dudeczka and Benavidez scored on a passed balls, Myah Starks singed home Griffin, Durnell singled home Reyes and Starks, DeLeon's single plated Durnell, and Giselle Salazar singled home DeLeon to put the Leopards on top 17-0.
Temple crushed 17 hits, with 13 singles having dominated the hit total, several on bunts.
Benavidez led the Leopards with three hits and three runs scored. Dudeczka, Cottrell, Starks, and DeLeon each had two hits.
Garcia pitched three innings, allowed one hit, and struck out six. Dalanee Ekster pitched two innings and allowed one walk.
The Leopards extended their win streak to eight games, having outscored opponents during the streak, 89-6, with four shutouts. They have out hit teams during the run, 102-20.
Temple will travel to Hillsboro on Thursday to complete the series with a road doubleheader at Hill College.