The Buccaneers earned the win in eight innings and improved to 6-2 overall.
Blinn did a chunk of its damage early with a four-run first inning followed by a two-r spot in the second. A solo run in the fourth and three more in the eighth concluded the ballgame.
“We really jumped on them early,” Buccaneers head coach Dusty Hart said. “It’s always nice to get a lead that allows your pitcher to set in and take some pressure off himself. Even the guys who didn’t have hits were on base. We did a great job of keeping at bats going and getting good pitches to hit.”
Blinn cranked out 14 hits, including three apiece for freshmen Brandon Bishop and Tanner Reaves. Sophomores Ian Collier and Ryan Scott each had two hits, including a double apiece, and both drove in two RBI. Freshman Marshall Lipsey doubled, tripled, and scored three runs to go with an RBI.
The Bucs also drew eight walks.
A Collier single in the home half of the first plated Lipsey, who walked to open the frame, to make it 1-0. After Brandon Bishop scored on a passed ball, freshman Kash Durkin singled in Collier. Scott then doubled to push Durkin across.
After Paris tallied one in the top of the second, the Bucs added a pair in the bottom of the inning with a Lipsey RBI double and a Reaves single to make it 6-1.
Bishop smacked an RBI single in the fourth, and Blinn capped the scoring in the eighth with a Collier RBI double, a bases loaded walk for Scott, and an RBI single for freshman Coy DeFury.
“The hits we got were timely,” added Hart. “You can only get lucky if you put yourself in the right spots to get lucky. Having good at bats and passing it down the lineup is the key.”
Paris added a run in the top of the eighth.
On the mound, freshman Bryson Dudley dazzled in his second start of the season. He allowed one earned run on four hits with one walk while striking out nine across five innings. It was a terrific bounce back for Dudley, who lasted just one inning in his first start against Weatherford College on Jan. 28.
“It was good to see him get over his freshman nerves,” Hart said. “We know what he’s capable of. He had some nerves in first start, but he’s definitely one of our quality starters with an ability to throw strikes. He attacked Paris, he filled up the zone, and used all of his pitches.”
Freshman Cody Pfeffer tossed three innings of relief. He allowed an unearned run on three hits with two strikeouts.
The Bucs continue tournament play Friday with a 10 a.m. tilt against Odessa College followed by a 4 p.m. ballgame against Tyler Junior College.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
