The Blinn College softball team started the National Preview Tournament with a bang on Friday as they earned a pair of impressive victories in Oxford, Ala.
The Buccaneers rallied for a 6-5 victory over John A. Logan College to start the day and ended it with an 8-4 triumph over Central Alabama Community College.
Blinn is now 9-5-1 on the season.
“We had a good comeback win in game one after being down 5-0,” Bucs head coach Rick Church said. “In game two, we scored more than enough runs to have comfortable leads, but nine walks allowed Central Alabama to hang a little too close. It was still great to come out and get two wins.”
In game one, the Volunteers built a 5-0 lead through the first four innings before Blinn’s offense came alive in the fifth.
A two-out double off the bat of sophomore Madyson Henley brought the Bucs within 5-2, and the Bucs’ rally continued in the sixth.
Sophomore Alyssa Boozy smashed a two-run home run to center field, and sophomore Ripley Welker plated a run on a ground out to tie the game at 5-all. Freshman Darian DeLeon gave Blinn the lead when she scored freshman Kaden Harms with a sacrifice fly.
Henley led the Bucs’ seven-hit attack with two hits.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman pitcher Bella De Los Santos)
Sophomore pitcher Peyton Welker settled for a four-inning no-decision after she allowed five earned runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking three. Freshman Bella De Los Santos earned the victory in relief with three scoreless innings. She allowed two hits and struck out three Volunteers.
In game two, De Los Santos again proved vital in relief as she earned the victory with 3 2/3 frames of relief against Central Alabama. She allowed two earned runs on two hits with five punchouts and four free passes.
“Just a great job overall by Bella picking up two wins in relief today,” Church said.
Freshman starter Paige Bunting tossed 3 1/3 innings in which she gave up two earned runs on two hits with six strikeouts and five walks.
A big game at the plate for the Blinn offense helped push the Bucs to victory.
Freshman Haley Hughes got the scoring started in exciting fashion when she stole home in the top of the third frame. Boozy later followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
In the fourth frame, Henley singled on a ground ball to center to make it 3-0.
Central Alabama scored twice in the home half of the fourth, but Harms got Blinn going again when she reached on an error in the fifth. The miscue allowed sophomore Alayna Calvillo to score for a 4-2 Bucs edge.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Madyson Henley)
Central Alabama tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth.
Calvillo would give Blinn the lead for good when she hit a two-run inside-the-park homer to left field in the top of the sixth. Hughes also scored on the play.
Ripley Welker hit an RBI triple in the seventh and Henely reached on an error that brought Welker to the plate to close out the scoring.
Hughes finished with three hits, while Calvillo and Welker each had two.
Blinn’s run in Oxford continues with two more games Saturday, Feb. 24. The Bucs battle Marion Military Institute at 10 a.m. before finishing their day with a battle against No. 2 Northwest Florida State College at 2 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
