BEEVILLE, Texas — Although Blinn College baseball’s Brandon Ashy led off the non-conference doubleheader against the Coastal Bend College Cougars with a home run in the first at-bat, the Buccaneers fell in both games by the scores of 12-3 and 4-1 on Tuesday night.
With the pair of losses Blinn’s overall record falls to 7-5 while its Region XIV record stays solid at 3-0.
Coastal Bend 12 – Blinn 3
Although the Buccaneers held a 4-1 lead in the third quarter, Coastal Bend College managed to come back and steal a 12-3 victory to open the doubleheader.
Zach Cherry, Gray Rodgers and Ashy led Blinn’s offense after each recording one run and one RBI, while Alec Sanchez chipped in by scoring one run.
Blinn’s offense quickly ignited during the Buccaneers’ first plate appearance when Ashy hit a solo home run for Blinn to lead 1-0.
Coastal Bend College quickly answered back with a solo shot in the bottom of the opening inning to even the score 1-1.
The Buccaneers took back the lead as Blinn’s offense continued to produce in the second and third innings. After Rodgers and Jacob Miller walked, and Ashy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Rodgers scored on a fielder’s choice for Blinn to lead 2-1 in the second inning. Sanchez kept the offense rolling in the third inning with a leadoff triple and Cherry followed with a double for Blinn’s third run of the game. The Buccaneers extended their lead to 4-1 after a groundout allowed Cherry to score.
The momentum shifted in the fourth inning after Coastal Bend took the lead for the first time after scoring five runs. The Cougars continued to lead by one run until the sixth inning when they separated with six runs.
Coastal Bend 4 – Blinn 1
Coastal Bend carried the momentum from the first game into the second game for a 4-1 victory to conclude the doubleheader.
Sanchez went 2-for-3 to lead Blinn’s offense, while Reggie McAlister, Hunter Trinidad and Marshall Skinner each managed one hit and Rodgers scored Blinn’s only run in the game.
After Coastal Bend quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of play, the Buccaneers answered back in the second inning. After Rodgers led off the inning with a walk he later scored Blinn’s only run in the game on a passed ball for Blinn to cut its deficit in half, 2-1.
Coastal Bend extended its lead to 3-1 in the third inning and tacked on its final run of the game in the sixth inning to ensure the win.
Blinn will resume Region XIV play on Thursday, March 1 against Galveston College at 6:30 p.m. on the road. The three-game series will continue on Saturday, March 3 at Leroy Dreyer Field in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.