HOUSTON, Texas — The Blinn College baseball team (13-7, 4-3) fell to No. 15 San Jacinto College-North, 5-1, Thursday night in the first game of a three-game conference series against the Gators.
Four pitchers took the mound for the Buccaneers as Patrick Hail tossed one scoreless inning to start the game. Gavin LaBruyere received the loss after pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs and five hits, while striking out four.
Dylan Theut and Mason Muras came out of the bullpen and didn’t allow one hit in 2 2/3 innings and one inning, respectively.
Caden Homniok led Blinn’s offense with a one-run single, while Cole Brown and Brandon Williams also each had one hit. Kam Kelton scored Blinn’s lone run.
Blinn scored its only run in the game in the second inning when Kelton landed on base due to an erro and scored on Homniok’s single for the Buccaneers to lead.
San Jacinto leveled the score 1-1 in the bottom half of the second inning when the Gators scored on an error.
San Jacinto took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the third inning. The Gators led off with a home run, then later scored on a double.
The Gators scored the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when they loaded the bases on a single and two errors, then walked in both runs.
Next, the Buccaneers will wrap up the series against San Jacinto with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 7, starting at 2 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.