The Buccaneers rallied for an 8-7, eight-inning victory in game one, while the Cougars earned a 5-2 win to end the day.
Blinn (14-32 overall, 10-22 Region XIV South) was ahead 4-0 early in the opener of the twin bill, and after Coastal Bend rallied for five runs in the bottom of the fourth, the Bucs answered with a single run in the seventh to force extra innings. Blinn then scored three more in the eighth, and Evan Aschenbeck and Eric Oakes finished the Cougars off in the seventh after a two-run rally.
The Buccaneers totaled 12 hits, led by two apiece for Trevor Roper, Dave Wilson, Luke Nail, and Bo Rodgers. Blinn piled on with extra-base hits, including a solo home run from Wilson, a pair of doubles from Rodgers, and doubles for Nail, Jett Garcia, and Cole Smajstrla. Wilson drove in a pair of runs, and Roper, Rodgers, Garcia, Jaxon Daigre, and Garrison Weiss also had an RBI for the Bucs.
Aschenbeck relieved starting pitcher Gage Boehm in the fifth and worked 3 1/3 innings for the win. He allowed two earned runs on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Oakes issued a pair of walks in the eighth but fanned the last batter he faced to preserve the win.
In game two, Coastal Bend led 4-0 through four innings before Blinn scored twice in the top of the fifth. The Cougars added an insurance run in the home half of the sixth.
Blinn finished with five hits. Weiss doubled and Smajstrla drove in a run.
Justin Barnes started for the Bucs and was the pitcher of record following a two-inning stint.
Blinn begins its final regular-season series of the year when it hosts Galveston College for a Region XIV South tilt at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 28. The two teams will finish their series with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 in Galveston, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
