The Buccaneers (15-32 overall, 11-22 Region XIV South) pounded the Whitecaps’ pitching staff to the tune of 14 hits, including two home runs and two doubles, while five players finished with at least two hits as the Bucs remained in sole possession of fourth place in the South zone.
The Buccaneers lead both Galveston and Coastal Bend College by one game for the South’s final playoff spot in the eight-team Region XIV Tournament (four teams will represent the North zone).
Blinn starting pitcher Will Gross tossed 3 2/3 innings of four-run ball and Colson Geisler earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of one-run relief.
The Bucs got going first with a four-run second inning. Sean Monsour doubled to drive in Cole Smajstrla, Jett Garcia plated Monsour with an RBI ground-out, and Trevor Roper blasted a two-run home run to score Jaxon Daigre (who singled).
Blinn made it 6-0 in the second after Smajstrla followed a Bo Rogers walk with a two-run shot of his own.
The Whitecaps scored four runs in the fourth, and the Bucs responded in the home half of the frame when Garcia scored on a Luke Nail sacrifice fly.
Galveston added another run in the seventh, but Blinn answered with a Rodgers sacrifice fly which scored Dave Wilson, and a Garrison Weiss RBI single, which scored Nail for a 9-5 advantage.
The Whitecaps made one last push, scoring once in the eighth and two in the ninth, but Blinn reliever Eric Oakes struck out Galveston’s Gavin Machado and induced a flyout from Jason Armas to end the ballgame.
Smajstrla finished 3 for 4, while Daigre, Roper, Wilson, and Nail had two hits apiece.
Blinn ends its regular season this weekend when it visits Galveston on Saturday for a twin bill loaded with region playoff implications.
Game one of the doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. in Galveston, and the Buccaneers can seal their playoff push with a clean sweep of the Whitecaps. Should Blinn split the two contests, it will need Coastal Bend to lose at least one of its games in a twin bill against Wharton County Junior College, also Saturday. Coastal Bend currently owns a tiebreaker over the Bucs.
“Saturday is basically for all the marbles,” Blinn head coach Harvey McIntyre said. “Win both and you’re in; win one and you’ve got to hope for a little help. Hopefully, we take care of business ourselves.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
