BRENHAM, Texas — The Blinn College softball team swept Galveston College to earn two conference wins at Hohlt Park Wednesday.
The Buccaneers defeated Galveston, 7-5, to open the doubleheader. Then shutout the Whitecaps for a 2-0 victory to finish the day.
With the pair of wins, the Buccaneers are now 14-14 overall and 8-4 in conference play.
“We came out in the first game and scored in the first three innings, and then we hung in there and finished it out,” head coach Rick Church said. “In the second game, we found a way to score a couple of runs after five scoreless innings and Nevada Dolnik pitched really well, so I am really proud of her. We are finding a way to compete better and win now.”
Blinn 7 – Galveston 5
Keely Castillo and Shaelyn Sanders combined for six hits and four RBIs to help lead the Buccaneers to a 7-5 win to open the doubleheader.
Castillo and Sanders each recorded three hits and two RBIs, while Sanders scored two runs and Castillo scored one. Chloe Woodward jumped in with two runs and one RBI.
“It feels really good to get out of our slump and play the game we know how to play,” Castillo said. “I knew my team had my back and that no matter what I did they are still going to cheer me on. We are seeing the ball really well now, and also took what we did against San Jacinto and used it as momentum to jump on Galveston first.”
In the circle, Toomey recorded the win after only allowing four earned runs and striking out three in seven innings.
Blinn jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in three innings and held on to it for the remainder of the game. Sanders and Castillo drove in the first two runs with a one-run double and one-run single, respectively, in the first inning. Blinn added three more runs in the second inning as Woodward hit a one-run double, Sanders hit a one-run single, and Woodward scored during a double play. Castillo scored Blinn’s sixth run on a fielder’s choice in the third inning.
In the fourth inning, Galveston landed on the board with two runs, but the Buccaneers answered back with one run in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of Castillo’s double.
The Whitecaps rallied for one run in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh inning, but fell short.
Blinn 2 – Galveston 0
Behind a solid pitching performance by Dolnik, the Buccaneers were able to shutout Galveston 2-0 in the second game of the doubleheader.
Dolnik threw her second shutout of the year and only allowed three hits in seven innings for the win.
“Together as a team we have become more confident, and I know that my team has my back even if I miss a pitch, so that helps a lot,” Dolnik said. “We are finally playing together and learning to trust each other. It feels good to throw a shutout and I wanted it really bad.”
Sanders and Castillo each knocked in one run, while Woodward and Bailey Barrile each scored one run in the win.
Following five scoreless innings, the Buccaneers got on the board with two runs in the sixth inning. Barrile scored Blinn’s first run on a fielder’s choice, and Castillo hit a one-run single for Woodward to score the Buccaneers’ final run.
Dolnik closed out the game by retiring the first three batters she faced in the seventh inning for the win.
Next, the Buccaneers will travel to take on Lamar State College-Port Arthur in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 17, starting at 1 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
