LAREDO, Texas – Pitching did its job for Blinn College baseball in only allowing three runs in a pair of wins over Laredo Community College Saturday afternoon by the score of 6-3 and 3-0 in Laredo.
The pair of victories gave Blinn a 15-19 conference record and are now 25-21 overall. Blinn now holds steady to the fourth spot in the Region XIV South Zone and the Buccaneers now have won five consecutive games.
Blinn broke the game open in extra innings with three runs in the ninth to come away with the opening victory. Nick Masarik came on to pitch in the sixth inning and finished the game off to pick up the win.
Jager Toffan picked up two doubles and also knocked in a pair of runs while Jose Reyes hit a double and a single while batting in one. Patrick King and Cullen Jozwiak each had an RBI in the win.
Blinn struck first in the second inning when Toffan reached on an error and then later scored on an error for a 1-0 lead. Laredo was able to tie it up at 1-1 in the fourth and then take a 2-1 lead with a single run in the fifth.
The Buccaneers were able to strike back in the sixth when Stephen Stuart and Christian Thames each singled. Toffan brought in both teammates with a double to center to give Blinn a 3-2 lead. Laredo would tie the game back up in the sixth at 3-3 that would eventually force extra innings.
It took a couple of innings but Blinn was able to get something going in the ninth inning with the help of four doubles. Toffan started it with a double to right and then scored the go-ahead run after a double by Reyes to left. Blinn padded its lead with RBI doubles by King and Jozwiak for a 6-3 lead that would hold up after Masarik shut Laredo down in the bottom of the ninth.
Justin Penney came through on the mound for Blinn in the second game by pitching all seven innings and only allowing two hits in the 3-0 shutout victory. Blinn didn’t get many hits either with six but King was able to gather a single and triple while scoring twice. Thames and Toffan each had an RBI in the win.
Blinn did all the scoring with Penney posting zeros on the mound. The Buccaneers started the scoring in the third when King singled to start up and Jozwiak singled while Ben Upton walked to load the bases. Toffan used his patience to push across a run with a bases loaded walk for a 1-0 lead.
King started a rally in the fourth inning with a two-out triple and then was able to cross the plate for a 2-0 lead. Blinn added an insurance run with two outs as Stuart singled and then scored after a double by Thames to center for a 3-0 advantage that would hold up until the final out.
Blinn will host San Jacinto College-North for its final home games of the season Thursday, April 30 with the double-header beginning at 4 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 30 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
