WACO, Texas — The Blinn College softball team fell to Odessa College in two extra-inning games, 4-3 and 3-2, Saturday at McLennan Community College in Waco.
“We had two well-pitched games by Renna Toomey and Nevada Dolnik, but just came up short in some clutch situations today,” head coach Rick Church said.
With the pair of losses, the Buccaneers hold a 1-3 overall record.
Odessa 4 – Blinn 3
Odessa defeated Blinn, 4-3, in an eight-inning game to open the doubleheader.
Mikaela Lopez and Chloe Woodward each went 2-for-4 to lead Blinn’s offense. Lopez led the Buccaneers with two runs, while Woodward scored one. Toomey, Samantha Rodriguez, and Skylar Shanahan all drove in one run.
Toomey was phenomenal in the circle, pitching a complete game, and only allowing three earned runs and eight hits. She struck out nine in eight innings of work.
The Wranglers landed on the board first with one run in the second inning. They took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
The Buccaneers cut Odessa’s lead in half in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lopez started things off with a single and scored on Toomey’s double.
Blinn rallied for one run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game 2-2 and send the game into extra innings. Woodward led off the inning with a single and Shanahan followed with a double for the run to score.
Odessa hurried to score two runs in the top of the eighth inning to lead 4-2. The Buccaneers rallied for one run in the bottom of the eighth when Lopez scored on a sacrifice fly.
Odessa 3 – Blinn 2
Odessa was able to slide by the Buccaneers 3-2 in eight innings to get the sweep.
Dolnik had an outstanding outing in the circle for the Buccaneers. She only surrendered one earned run and seven hits, while striking out four in 7 2/3 innings.
Woodward led Blinn on offense with two hits and a RBI, while Keely Castillo hit a solo home run to score the Buccaneers’ first run. Marley Mahoney had one hit and scored the second run for Blinn.
Odessa took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Blinn evened the score in the top of the third when Castillo led off with a solo home run.
The Wranglers took back a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, but Blinn tied the game 2-2 in the sixth. Mahoney hit a single, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and scored on Woodward’s single.
The score remained tied until the bottom of the eighth inning when Odessa scored one run for the win.
The Buccaneers will continue their stay in Waco as they take on McLennan on Sunday, Feb. 7, in a doubleheader, starting at noon.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
