The Buccaneers are now 9-4 overall, and their latest victory came against the 2022 Division III Baseball World Series runner-up. East Field is also currently the top-ranked team in the NJCAA DIII Top 15.
“That was a good team we beat today,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “We played about as well as we could for the score not to show it, but I was proud of how we competed and held on there at the end.”
Both teams were subjected to a fierce and cold wind blowing in from center field. The conditions limited the effectiveness of fly balls and forced each offense to resort to small ball.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman Tanner Reaves attempts to lay down a but during a game against Dallas College-Eastfield on Feb. 16)
Freshman Tanner Reaves helped the Bucs to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when he lined a triple to center field. Freshmen Marshall Lipsey, who singled, and Brandon Bishop, who walked, both scored on the triple. Later in the inning, freshman Kash Durkin singled on a ground ball to plate Reaves.
“It was a tough day for the offense because you had to change your entire approach,” Reaves said. “You had to keep the ball down because hitting it in the air was trouble. So, you just had to go to the plate with a plan to hit line drives and ground balls and I think we succeeded at that.”
In the bottom of the second, freshmen Matt Whitting and Lipsey walked consecutively before Bishop advanced them with a sacrifice bunt. Reaves then reached on a dropped third strike that scored Whitting, and Lipsey took home on a heads up play when the Harvester Bees attempted to catch Reaves stealing second. Reaves was tagged out, but Lipsey raced home for a 5-0 edge.
Eastfield chased Blinn starting pitcher and freshman Jake Kolkhorst with a four-run fifth inning, but freshman reliever Blane Zeplin got out of the inning.
Zeplin tossed 2 1/3 innings of relief before giving way to freshman Hunter Bond. Bond continued his early-season dominance with 3 1/3 frames of two-hit ball. He fanned three and walked one.
Kolkhorst was the pitcher of record and improved to 2-0 on the season. Bond earned his second save.
Bond gave up a leadoff single to Eastfield’s River Curs, but after Curs stole second, Bond induced a double play on a line drive. Freshman second baseman Luke Smith snagged the liner and quickly fired over to the shortstop Reaves, who doubled up Curs.
“That was big time,” Bond said. “I love coming out of the bullpen and helping my team out in big moments like today, and it’s even better when I’ve got my teammates backing me up like they did today.”
Blinn finished with seven hits, including two each for Whitting and Durkin. Whiting doubled for the Bucs.
The Buccaneers travel to take on third-ranked McLennan Community College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, in Waco, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
