Wrangler Baseball Sweeps Temple College

ARTICLE BY: LEE SCHEIDE | OA SPORTS

It was a very good weekend for the Odessa College baseball team.

Building on a victory in the first game of a three-game series against Temple College on Friday, the Wranglers swept the Leopards in a nonconference doubleheader Saturday at Wrangler Field.

Odessa College won, 5-2, in Game 1 and then ended Game 10 in five innings, 10-0, on the mercy rule.

"I was pleased with our effort pretty much all weekend," Odessa College coach Kurtis Lay said. "I thought our pitchers threw the ball well and we played defense and yesterday (Friday) we came up with the big hit when we needed it.

"And today we managed to do the same."

Lenin Ashby was 1 for 3 with a home run in the first game to lead Odessa College and then added a 2-for-3 performance, with two runs scored and a double in the second game.

Myles Jefferson was 2 for 2 with two triples, two runs scored and two RBIs in the second game. Odessa College had seven extra-base hits in Game 2.

Tyler Wade earned the victory in Game 1, pitching four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out three.

Jordan Seay went the distance in Game 2, allowing two hits and striking out three.

Seay was the benefactor when the Wranglers scored three times in the second inning and four more times in the third to break the game open.

Leopards' Game 1 starter Jack Brinley struggled with his control early and the Wranglers took advantage, manufacturing a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning.

With one out, TJ Tomlinson was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch and then moved to third on a passed ball.

Ivan Melendez struck out, but the ball eluded catcher Andruw Gonzales, with Tomlinson scoring as Melendez reached first on the error.

Melendez moved to second on a balk and then to third on the second wild pitch of the inning by Brinley, finally scoring on Giulio Monello's two-out double to left-center field.

"They started a freshman in Game 1 and I think it was just his second start," Lay said. "Every time you start a freshman, they tend to be a little nervous.

"And the good part is that we were able to establish the running game enough yesterday to make him conscious of it. So we didn't allow the starter to ever truly get comfortable."

The Wranglers (12-1) added to their lead in the second inning, Jefferson leading off the inning with a single and then scoring the eventual game-winning run on Sean Stephens' triple off the wall in center field. Stephens was thrown out at the plate on the play trying to stretch the hit into an inside-the-park home run.

Ashby extended the lead to 4-0 with a solo home run in the bottom of the third, with the Leopards answering with solo runs in the fifth and seventh innings.

Raul Aragon and Clay Bradford each were 2 for 3 in Game 1 for the Leopards.