WHARTON, Texas – Offense was hard to come by for Blinn College baseball as the Buccaneers suffered a sweep at Wharton County Junior College by the scores 10-4 and 3-1 Saturday afternoon.
The pair of losses breaks a seven-game winning streak for Blinn as the Buccaneers fall to 20-15 overall and 11-8 in Region XIV play. Blinn was able to win the season series with Wharton 5-2 after winning the first five games against the Pioneers.
Wharton 10 – Blinn 4
A five-run fifth inning by Wharton turned out to be too much to come back from as Blinn lost the opening game of the doubleheader 10-4.
Anthony Jones was solid at the plate with a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Marshall Skinner had the other RBI and added a single.
Wharton jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings with a single run in the first and two more in the second. Blinn was able to get on the scoreboard in the fourth as Sam McElreath started it with a one-out single and then scored on a RBI ground out from Skinner to get within 3-1.
The Buccaneers inched a bit closer in the fifth inning as Jay Anderson started it with a one-out single and then came around to score on a RBI double by Jones to left to get within 3-2. The bottom half of the inning is where Wharton broke the game open with five runs to take an 8-2 lead. Wharton added two more runs in the sixth for a 10-2 lead.
Blinn put up a fight in its final at-bats as Tyler Fowler and Anderson both singled to get on base and both were brought in by a two-run double by Jones to center to get within 10-4 but that would be as close as the Buccaneers would get in the loss.
Wharton 3 – Blinn 1
Blinn’s offense went quiet in the nightcap as it could only muster five hits and one run in a 3-1 loss to Wharton to suffer a sweep.
The Buccaneers left nine on base in the nine-inning game. McElreath had the lone RBI for Blinn on a single.
Evan Mata pitched well enough to win most games on the mound as he went 6 1-3 innings and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits while striking out six in the loss. Will Floyd came on the get the final five outs without allowing a hit and striking out one.
Blinn scored its lone run in the opening inning as Anderson singled to start off the game and then came in to score after an RBI single by McElreath to center for a 1-0 lead. Wharton battled right back with a single run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1-1.
Wharton scored the game winning runs in the fourth inning with two runs to take a 3-1 lead that would hold up until the final out.
Blinn will next play on Monday, April 3 against Baton Rouge Community College in Beaumont for a non-conference game beginning at 6 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 34 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.