Furgurson’s HR keys Rangers’ won over Leps

David Furgurson smashed a three-run homer run the second inning on Saturday and helped Ranger College salvage a split of an afternoon doubleheader with rival Temple College with a 7-2 romp in Game 2.

Furgurson's first homer of the season helped Ranger snap a 4-game losing streak and, more importantly, allowed the team to inch a little closer to the leaders in the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference standings. The Rangers now trail Temple and North Central Texas for fourth in the conference standings by just two games.

Ranger jumped on Temple starter Chance Norman quickly. After battling through a scoreless first, Norman worked himself into trouble by hitting Tucker Burton and Justin Cooper. After he had retired RC second baseman Cesar Paz via a strikeout to get the second out, Furgurson gave the Rangers the offensive boost they needed by drilling a pitch over the fence in right.

Temple managed to get one of the runs back in the sixth. Leopards' catcher Hunter Torrez homered to left to lead off the frame and pulled Temple to within two runs, at 3-1.

The Leopards followed Torrez's homer with a walk and a single, bringing Reid Dalrymple to the plate as the go-ahead run.

Ranger reliever Colton Nelson ended the threat. He came on and put down the threat, however.

Cooper gave the Rangers a little breathing room in the seventh. He led off RC's half of the inning with a double to left. He scored later on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Isaiah Ortega-Jones.

Ranger put the game on ice in the eighth by plating four more runs. Ricky Rivera led off the Rangers' assault with one-out single to left. From there, Temple reliever Diego Escobedo loaded the bases by walking Burton and hitting Kaleb Thompson on a pitch that sailed inside. Cooper and Paz followed by working back-to-back walks to push the Rangers' lead to 6-1. Furgurson finished the outburst by collecting his fourth RBI of the game by getting hit with a pitch.

Jaret Granger, who dominated Temple over the first four innings of play, garnered the win for RC.

Temple escaped the Rangers' attempt to notch a win in Game 1. The Leopards staged a late rally in the top of the seventh to claim a 7-4 come-from-behind win.

Ranger took a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning before the wheels came off. The Leopards roughed up reliever Dillon Morris, turning three hits and an intentional walk into a 4-run outburst in the final at-bat of the contest.

Ranger grabbed the early lead in with a solid effort in the second inning. RC scored three times in the frame and took a 3-1 cushion. Burton, Noah Winkelman and Angel Velez all scored in the inning for RC.

Winkelman pushed the RC lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning with a solo homer – his fifth of the year.

Ranger College will make its next home appearance on March 23 when they host rival Cisco.