The day opened with the resumption of Saturday’s suspended ballgame, which was paused in the sixth inning in Alvin, Texas, and ended when Alvin hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th to pick up an 11-9 win. In the nightcap, Alvin rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning before earning a 10-8 in nine innings.
Blinn split a four-game set with Alvin and is now 5-10 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
“It was kind of a goofy series with the resumption game, and it was awkward dealing with it,” Blinn head coach Harvey McIntyre said. “We just haven’t been really good in the middle innings of games all year long, and that’s what got us beat today.”
In the first action of the day, Alvin trailed 8-4 but the Dolphins scored three runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh before Martin Vasquez hit a two-run homer off Buccaneer reliever Colson Geisler to give Alvin the victory.
Blinn scored eight runs in the first three innings Saturday, but its lone run during resumed play came in the ninth frame.
Dave Wilson had two hits for the Buccaneers, including a double and a home run, and drove in three runs. Garrison Weiss also drove in three for Blinn.
In the series finale, Blinn built a 7-3 cushion heading into the seventh inning, but Alvin scored five runs to take the lead. The Buccaneers’ Luke Nail tied the contest with a solo homer to lead off the home half of the seventh, but the Dolphins scored two runs in the top of the ninth to secure the win. Blinn’s Eric Oaks was the pitcher of record for the Bucs.
(Pictured: Blinn College’s Isaac Ponce)
McIntyre said he was pleased with a four-inning effort from reliever Isaac Ponce, who held Alvin scoreless while allowing just two hits with five strikeouts.
Liam Koleci smacked a three-run homer and finished with two hits and four RBIs for Blinn. Bo Rodgers added two hits – including a double – and plated two runs.
McIntyre said he was happy with the way his offense scored in bunches early on Saturday and again on Monday, but said a mid-game lull hurt the Bucs.
“We’re up 7-3 and we have a lot of opportunities there in the late innings and we didn’t have productive at-bats,” stated McIntyre. “That kept Alvin in the game, and it got us beat.”
Blinn opens a three-game series against Region XIV South foe San Jacinto College-North at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, in Houston. The two teams will then play a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Nutrabolt Stadium in Bryan, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
