CONROE, Texas — Blinn College softball (6-3) recorded a 9-8 extra-inning victory over Ranger College to kick off the final day of the 2019 San Jacinto Round Robin on Saturday.
The Buccaneers lost a close matchup against No. 1 Temple College, 7-5, despite outhitting the Leopards, to conclude the tournament.
Blinn 9 – Ranger 8
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Amber Langston allowed Mackenzi Crews to score the winning run in Blinn’s 9-8 victory over Ranger in the eighth inning.
Meghan Morris recorded the win after stepping into the circle in the fifth inning and not allowing a hit in 3 2/3 innings.
Langston led Blinn with two RBIs, while Tori Alvarez-Lopez led the Buccaneers with two runs. Kimber Cortemelia went 2-for-2 in the victory, while drawing three walks, and recording one run and one RBI.
Blinn opened the game with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Following two walks, Langston drove in the first run with a double for Alvarez-Lopez to score. Cortemelia drove in the next run with a single to score Sarah Cedillo, while Langston scored on a dropped third strike.
Ranger answered back with three runs of its own in the bottom of the opening inning to even the score. Ranger then scored one run to take a 4-3 lead in the third inning.
Blinn immediately took back the lead in the top of the fourth inning, scoring two runs. Anna Pisaro led off the inning with a triple and later scored on a groundout. Cedillo singled to score Bailey Zibelin for Blinn to lead 5-4.
Ranger scored two runs to get back a one-run advantage in the bottom of the inning, but the Buccaneers added two runs in the top of the fifth inning to lead 7-6. Courtney Ogle drove in her first run of the game with a single for Cortemelia, who walked to open the inning, to score. Crews batted in Blinn’s seventh run with a single to score Kindle Gault.
Ranger took the lead for the final time with two runs in the fifth inning.
Alvarez-Lopez scored on an error in the sixth inning for Blinn to even the score 8-8 before the Buccaneers scored the winning run in the eighth inning.
Temple 7 – Blinn 5
The Buccaneers fell to No. 1 Temple, 7-5, despite outhitting the Leopards by one hit (11-10).
Langston and Cortemelia each drove in two runs, while Alvarez-Lopez drove in one run and scored two runs. Cedillo scored two runs, while Langston scored one.
Temple took off with an early 4-0 lead, but the Buccaneers came back with three runs in the first inning and two runs in the second inning to lead 5-4.
Alvarez-Lopez led off Blinn’s offense with a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. Cortemelia drove in the next two runs with a double for Cedillo and Langston to score.
Langston drove in both runs in the second inning with a single for Alvarez-Lopez and Cedillo to score, and Blinn to take a one-run lead.
Temple took back the lead for good with two runs in the third inning and scored its final run in the sixth.
Blinn will get another shot at No. 1 Temple in a doubleheader in its home opener on Wednesday, Feb. 13, starting at 2 p.m. at Hohlt Park.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987.