The Blinn College softball team settled for a twin bill split against Region XIV South foe Lamar State College-Port Arthur on Wednesday at Hohlt Park in Brenham, Texas.
Sophomore ย pitched the Buccaneers to a 4-1 victory over the Seahawks in game one, but Blinn fell short in the finale as Lamar State prevailed 10-8.
The Bucs are now 13-21 overall and 9-5 in the South, where they remain in second place.
In the opener, Bunting (6-9) tossed a four-hit complete game.
(Pictured: Blinn’sย Paige Buntingย delivers a pitch against Lamar State-Port Arthur on Wednesday, April 2)
She allowed an unearned run and struck out four while maneuvering around six walks.ย
“I felt pretty good today,” Bunting said. “I think my change-up helped me a ton and I used it a lot today. I faced Lamar State for seven innings earlier this season, so I wanted to mix things up and keep them off balance.”
The Seahawks tallied a run in the top of the first inning, but Blinn answered with a two-run home run from sophomoreย Bailey Boetjerย in the home half of the frame.
Boetjer’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1 in the third, and sophomore pitcher/infielderย Bella De Los Santosย added an RBI double to close out the scoring in the fifth.
Blinn finished with seven hits, including two apiece for sophomores Darian De Leon andย T’Era Garrett, as well as De Los Santos in her first stint in the lineup this season. De Los Santos served exclusively in the Bucs’ pitching rotation before assuming second base duties Wednesday.
Blinn came out firing in game two and built an early 6-4 lead, but defensive miscues hindered the Bucs and led to seven unearned runs for Lamar State.
The Seahawks took the lead for good with a five-run fourth.
(Pictured: Blinn’sย Bailey Boetjerย follows through on a base hit against Lamar State-Port Arthur on Wednesday, April 2)
The Bucs had a chance to rally with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but three consecutive singles were squandered by a pair of baserunning errors which resulted in the final two outs of the inning.
Blinn tallied 14 hits, paced by a 4-for-4, three-RBI performance for Boetjer. De Leon added three hits and freshmenย Cadence Wieseย andย Annie Beckendorfย tacked on two apiece.ย Beckendorf had two RBIs.
Freshman starting pitcherย Brynn Gallamoreย suffered the loss for the Bucs despite allowing just two earned runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts across three innings of work.
Blinn’s season continues with a South home doubleheader against Coastal Bend College at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 50 national championships since 1987.
