The No. 5 Blinn College Buccaneers baseball wrapped up the regular season in commanding fashion, sweeping Wharton County Junior College Pioneers in a high-scoring doubleheader Thursday in Wharton.
Blinn rolled to a 15-0 victory in game one before battling back for a 15-10 win in the finale, extending its winning streak to eight games and securing its fourth straight 40-win season. The Buccaneers finish the regular season at 40-12 overall and 28-7 in Region 14 South play.
The Bucs had already clinched the South regular-season title earlier in the week, but showed no signs of slowing down. After opening the series with a title-clinching win Monday and following with an 18-11 victory Tuesday, Blinn capped the series with another dominant showing Thursday.
In the opener, the Buccaneers wasted no time taking control. An eight-run second inning set the tone, followed by five more runs in the third and two in the fourth to end the game early.
Blinn’s offense piled up 14 hits, led by Brady Sullivan, who delivered a four-hit performance that included three doubles. Jacob Bohacek drove in a team-high four runs, while Drew Britton added two hits and three RBIs. Benji Barrera and Dane Perry each contributed two hits and two RBIs, and Ryley Leininger chipped in with a pair of runs driven in.
On the mound, left-hander Ben Polleschultz was sharp, allowing just two hits over four innings while striking out three to earn the win. Hudson Melaerts closed things out with a perfect fifth inning.
The second game proved more dramatic, as Blinn erased deficits of 6-1 and 8-5 by scoring 10 runs over the final four innings.
The Buccaneers surged ahead in the sixth inning with a four-run rally, highlighted by RBI contributions from Bohacek, Austin Glasscock, and Kason Atkins. After Wharton briefly regained the lead, Blinn tied the game in the seventh before taking control for good in the eighth on a go-ahead play from Brody Mattox.
Blinn added insurance in the ninth with RBIs from Glasscock, Barrera, and Perry to seal the comeback.
The Bucs finished with 17 hits in the finale, led by Reece Lunsford’s 4-for-5 performance that included a triple and four runs scored. Britton added three hits, including his eighth home run of the season, and drove in three runs. Bohacek had two hits and two RBIs, while Barrera and Sullivan each recorded two hits. Perry and Atkins also drove in two runs apiece.
On the mound, Trevor Moore started and allowed six earned runs over 4 2/3 innings. Matt Taylor provided relief before Landon Bowden earned the win with 2 1/3 strong innings. Leininger closed out the game in the ninth.
Blinn now turns its attention to postseason play. The Buccaneers will host the Region 14 South Regional Tournament beginning Thursday, May 7, at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham. As the top seed, Blinn will headline a four-team bracket, with the remainder of the field to be determined.
