Sylacauga High alum Jesse Sharbutt hit two home runs to lead the Talladega College Tornadoes to back-to-back wins over Tennessee Temple on Saturday.

The Tornadoes hit early and often against Temple on Saturday, ending the first game in five innings and the second in six. TC won the first game 12-2 after leading 6-1 through three innings of play.

Sharbutt led off the fourth inning with a solo shot over the right field fence to give the Tornadoes a 7-1 advantage. Sharbutt's run would be the first of four in the frame. Jose Marin hit a double to right field to score Nicolas Figueroa. Sebastia Denton came in as a pinch runner for Marin and scored on a passed ball to give TC a 9-1 lead. Chase Benfield's ground ball to third base was mishandled, allowing Anthony Mavray to score and give the Tornadoes a 10-1 advantage at the end of four innings.

TC gave up one run in the fifth, but Cochran Richard's ground ball to left field scored Sharbutt and Figueroa in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

The Tornadoes continued their strong hitting in the second game of the doubleheader, defeating Temple 15-5 in six innings.

TC picked up six runs in the first two innings, but Temple didn't go away quietly. The visiting team put up four runs in the third before the Tornadoes went back to work at the plate.

TC scored five runs in the third. Sharbutt had a two-RBI double in the inning and later scored on a passed ball. Fellow Sylacauga alum Chase Benfield had an RBI-single in the inning to help the Tornadoes extend their lead.

TC left the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, but came back strong in the sixth. Victor Vasquez hit a ball to deep center field for a double to start the inning. Sharbutt came to the plate with one out and sent another ball over the right field fence for his second home run of the day. With two outs, Richard knocked the ball over the left field fence to give the Tornadoes their 15th and final run of the game.

"We started swinging the bats pretty good," TC head coach Will Ramos said. "We've started playing pretty good overall. The last two weeks we've been playing pretty good. I've been proud of the kids."

Ramos said the team started playing better about the same time the spring-like temperatures arrived.

"As soon as it started getting above 60 (degrees) we started winning," he said. "We never could get rolling because we play one game and then cancel for one week because it's raining. I think we cancelled about 15 games this season. Now that we've been playing (regularly) the team is getting better and playing together as a team."

Ramos said Sharbutt's performance on Saturday is normal for the second baseman.

"That's what Jesse is going to give you," Ramos said. "He's a leader, a quiet leader. He's a very, very good hitter, one of the best I've seen in a long time."

He's one of a few local players who performed well on Saturday. Talladega native Rodrekius Wright and Lincoln grad Nathan Williams both pitched in the second game. Ramos said in addition to the local players performing well this season, having more neighborhood athletes has improved attendance at the games.

"Wright threw an excellent game," Ramos said. "They're all getting better. It's helped because you see so many people coming to see the games."

The Tornadoes return to action on Tuesday when they travel to Georgia to face Southern Polytechnic for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Ramos said Southern Polytechnic is ranked second in the nation, but he's optimistic about TC's chances on Tuesday.