TEMPLE, Texas — The Blinn College softball team split a doubleheader with Temple College on the road Monday.
Blinn fell to Temple in the doubleheader opener, 8-2, but bounced back with a 6-4 win in the second game.
With the split, the Buccaneers are now 21-17 overall.
“We were very sluggish in the first game, but found a way to get something going in the second game,” head coach Rick Church said. “Nevada Dolnik pitched well to pick up a save and preserve the win for Skylar Shanahan. We got some key hits that we couldn’t produce in Game 1, and all in all, it is good to leave here today with a split.”
Temple 8 – Blinn 2
The Buccaneers fell to Temple in the doubleheader opener, 8-2.
Shaelyn Sanders led the offense with two hits and two RBIs, while Chloe Woodward and Italie Speziale-Potter each scored one run.
Renna Toomey pitched the final three innings of the game and only allowed one run on four hits, while striking out three.
Temple scored five runs in the third inning and tacked on two more in the fourth inning to lead 7-0.
Blinn scored its only two runs of the game in the fifth inning. With two outs, Speziale-Potter and Woodward each hit singles and Sanders followed with a two-run double for the Buccaneers to trail 7-2.
Temple scored its final run in the sixth inning to take an 8-2 lead for good.
Blinn 6 – Temple 4
Blinn finished the day with a 6-4 win over Temple for the split.
Mikaela Lopez led Blinn with two RBIs and scored one run, while Chandler Talbot scored a team-high two runs. Woodward scored one run and drove in one run, and Shanahan and Reagan Majewski each drove in one run. Keely Castillo and Speziale-Potter each scored one run in the win.
Shanahan recorded the win in the circle after surrendering three runs and striking out seven in four innings. Dolnik came in to record the save and only surrendered one run on three hits in three innings.
Temple took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but Blinn cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth when Castillo and Shanahan hit back-to-back doubles for one run to score.
Temple scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to pull ahead 3-1. However, the Buccaneers scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. Lopez hit a two-run single to tie the game, then scored on an error for Blinn to lead 4-3.
Blinn added two runs in the sixth inning to lead 6-3. After Acie Prince singled, Majewski hit a one-run double. Woodward followed with a one-run single for Blinn’s final run.
Temple scored its final run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Next, the Buccaneers will travel to compete against No. 11 San Jacinto College-South in a doubleheader on Thursday, May 6, starting at 3 p.m. to conclude the regular season.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
