The Buccaneers used a solo home run from freshman Tavion Vaughnsย to force extra innings in game one before prevailing 5-4, and later staged a five-run rally in the sixth frame of game two to secure an 8-6 victory.
The pair of wins helped Blinn split the four-game series with the Vikings and improve to 7-8 overall.
“We just fought today,” Bucs head coachย Dusty Hartย said. “We didn’t play as well as we’d like to play, but at the end of the day it’s a matter of getting out there and fighting. Every game we play is going to be a dogfight regardless of who is in the other dugout, and we proved to ourselves that we know how to come out on top.”
Vaughns, sophomoreย Tony Vernars, and sophomore pitcherย Bryson Dudleyย served as game-one heroes after Grayson grabbed a 4-0 lead in the opener.
Vaughns tied the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh with a towering homer to right field that sent a lively crowd at Leroy Dreyer Field into a frenzy.
“We were playing catchup, so in that situation I was just taking pitches until I got a strike,” Vaughns said. “I was just hunting for something I liked that I could put in play and I got it.”
(Pictured: Blinn’sย Tavion Vaughnsย beats his chest after hitting a home run against Grayson College on Feb. 24, 2024)
After Vaughns helped extend the game to an eighth inning, Dudley completed an impressive relief stint when he set down the Vikings in order in the top of the frame. He earned the win with three innings of two-hit ball in which he struck out five and walked one, earning high praise from Hart as the one who “made everything that happened at the end possible.”
“I was just playing for my team,” Dudley said. “They have my back and I wanted to go out and have theirs, too, and I just wanted this win for us. We got it done at the end of the day.”
Vernars, whose leadoff single in the sixth inning ignited a three-run rally, provided the game-winning heroics in the home half of the eighth when he came to the plate with the bases loaded and took a pitch to the torso.
“If I reach first base in that situation, we win the game,” Vernars said. “Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get the job done and you have to be willing to do whatever your team needs at that moment.”
Blinn finished with nine hits, including two apiece for sophomoresย Jake Kolkhorstย andย Cade Climie. Sophomoreย Brandon Bishopย had a two-run single in the sixth, and sophomoreย Connor McGinnisย added an RBI single during the rally as well.ย
Freshmanย Lucas Davenportย settled for a no-decision after five strong innings of work. He allowed four unearned runs on four hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
Game two also went the way of the Bucs thanks to a five-run sixth inning.
Grayson led 6-3 entering the home half of the frame, but three straight singles by McGinnis, freshmanย Lane Allen, and sophomoreย Marshall Lipseyย had Blinn threatening. Sophomoreย Coy DeFuryย made it 6-4 on a sacrifice fly before Kolkhorst doubled to left field to score Allen. A balk by the Vikings relief pitcher brought Lipsey to the plate and Bishop followed with an RBI single to give the Bucs a 7-6 edge.ย
“Once again, it was just good to see us fight,” Hart added. “At the end of the day, that’s all you really want to see. So to see the grit and fight, that’s kind of what we’ve been missing with us lately.”
(Pictured: Blinn’sย Bryson Dudleyย delivers a pitch during a game against Grayson College on Feb. 24, 2024)
Freshmanย Caden Ferraroย added a bit of insurance with an RBI double, though the inning ended with a pair of baserunning mistakes by the Bucs as two baserunners were picked off the basepaths during the play.
Sophomoreย Ben Bosseย came on in the top of the seventh and allowed a single, but collected two strikeouts and a fly out to earn the save.
Freshmanย Landon Bowdenย was the pitcher of record for Blinn after he recorded two outs in the sixth inning.ย
Climie hit an RBI single and Ferraro scored on a wild pitch to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Grayson scored twice in the second and three times in the fifth. Sophomoreย Brayden Sprencelย hit an RBI single to make it 5-3 in the fifth.
Ferraro, McGinnis, and Lipsey each had two hits for Blinn.ย
Up next for the Bucs is the start of Region XIV play. Blinn begins a three-game series with Coastal Bend College at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29, in Brenham. The series will then shift to Beeville, Texas, for a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, March 2.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45ย NJCAA national championships since 1987.
