BRENHAM, Texas – Blinn College baseball squandered two solid starting pitching performances with a lack of run support and No. 10 San Jacinto College-North took advantage and swept the Buccaneers by the score of 2-1 and 7-3 Thursday evening at Leroy Dreyer Ballpark in Brenham.
“That was the worst effort and intensity that I have ever had in 16 years of coaching,” said Blinn head coach Harvey McIntyre. “I am almost hurt that they would give us that kind of effort.”
With the pair of losses, Blinn falls to 18-14 overall and 8-10 in the Region XIV South Zone Division standings.
San Jacinto 2 – Blinn 1
Blinn couldn’t have asked for a better start from Blaine Suehs but the offense faltered as San Jacinto took the opening game 2-1 in the eighth inning.
Suehs pitched seven innings and allowed one unearned run while striking out five and giving up only five hits in the no-decision.
The Buccaneers could only manage five hits coming from three players. Colton Parrish drove in the lone run with a solo home run while Trent Murphy and Jay Anderson both had a pair of singles in the loss.
San Jacinto scored first in the sixth inning but it was Murphy answering back for Blinn in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to right to knot the game at 1-1. San Jacinto was able to get a single run in the eighth inning to take the first game 2-1.
San Jacinto 7 – Blinn 3
Nick Masarik got the start in the second game for Blinn but the Buccaneers didn’t get a hit until the sixth inning and San Jacinto took the sweep with the 7-3 victory in the nightcap.
Masarik pitched 5 2-3 innings and gave up three earned runs on six hits while striking out six in the no-decision.
Angel De La Fuente knocked in a run in the seventh inning with a single while Austen Swift also drove in a run. Sam McElreath and Walker Winders each had singles in the loss for Blinn.
San Jacinto took a 3-0 lead with a single run in the first and two runs in the third. Winders broke up the San Jacinto no-hitter in the sixth with a single and the Buccaneers attempted to cut into the lead. Winders later scored on an error for the first Blinn run and Swift brought in a run with a fielder’s choice to get within 3-2 after six innings. San Jacinto added four runs in the seventh to take a 7-2 lead.
Elijah MacNamee walked to begin the seventh inning for Blinn and later came around to score on a single by De La Fuente to left to get within 7-3 but that would be the final time Blinn would touch the plate in the loss.
Blinn will travel to face San Jacinto on Saturday, April 2 for a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.