BRENHAM, Texas – A walk-off double by Brandon Ashy allowed the Buccaneers to complete the day with a doubleheader sweep of Temple College by the scores of 8-1 and 3-2 on Friday afternoon at Leroy Dreyer Field.
“It starts on the mound and Kyle Gray and Kasey Kalich gave us a chance to win,” said Harvey McIntyre, Blinn head coach said. “It was good to see us piece it together and play well in every phase of the game today.”
With the pair of wins, the Buccaneers increase their overall record to 4-3.
Blinn 8 – Temple 1
Alec Sanchez was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle as he recorded five RBIs and scored one run in the opening game to help Blinn defeat Temple, 8-1.
“We had a long week in the cages and were able to get a lot of swings in, so I was just seeing the ball like a beach ball today,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez went 3-for-4 with a single, double and home run to lead the Blinn offense. Ashy went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs, while Drew Ardoin went 2-for-4 and scored two runs in the victory. Koby Collins brought in two runs and Marshall Skinner brought in one. In addition, Gray Rodgers and Jacob Miller each scored one run.
Gray posted the win on the mound for the Buccaneers after throwing 4 2/3 innings and surrendering one run on three hits with seven strikeouts. Jacob Millender closed out the game and only surrendered one hit in 2 1/3 innings.
Temple scored its only run of the game in the opening inning. In the third inning the Buccaneers evened the score 1-1. Ashy, Sanchez and Zach Cherry each singled in order to load the bases and Ashy scored the first run for Blinn on a fielder’s choice.
The Buccaneers took the lead in the fourth inning after tacking on three runs. Sanchez hit a two-run double to bring home Miller and Ardoin. A sacrifice fly allowed Ashy to score the final run of the inning for Blinn to lead 4-1.
Blinn scored four more runs in the sixth inning starting with a three-run homer off the bat of Sanchez. Rodgers kept things going for the Buccaneers with a double and Skinner followed with a RBI single for Blinn to lead 8-1.
Blinn 4 – Temple 3
Ashy made his only hit in the final game of the doubleheader count as he sealed a 4-3 victory for the Buccaneers with a walk-off double.
Sanchez went 2-for-3 with one RBI to lead the offense, while Rodgers went 1-for-2 with a RBI. Ashy, Skinner, Miller and Hunter Trinidad all scored one run in the victory.
“Our team is a bunch of grinders and being down in the score doesn’t affect us,” Sanchez said. “We always know we still have a shot to win the game.”
Bryce Miller sealed the win in the circle for the Buccaneers after coming out of the bullpen in the seventh inning and not allowing a hit or a run, while striking out one. Kalich started the game for the Buccaneers and only surrendered one run on four hits, while striking out two in 5 1/3 innings.
Blinn took a 2-0 lead in the third inning after Miller led off with a single and later scored on an error. Sanchez followed with a one-run triple for Ashy to score.
Temple led off the fifth inning with a solo home run to cut its deficit in half 2-1. In the sixth inning, Temple took a 3-2 lead following a two-run shot over the fence.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Blinn answered back to even the score 3-3. Skinner led off the inning with a single and landed on third due to a wild pitch for Rodgers to bat him in with a single.
In the seventh inning, Trinidad led off with a double and Ashy followed with a double to score the winning run for the walk-off victory.
Blinn will open the conference season against Wharton County Junior College on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.