The Blinn College softball team kept its hopes of a Region XIV South title intact with a much-needed doubleheader sweep of Coastal Bend College on Saturday at the Blinn Softball Field in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers won both ends of the twin bill in five innings, claiming game one 12-2 before picking up a 10-0 shutout in the finale.
Blinn is now 27-15-1 overall and 12-6 in the South, where they are in third place but sit just two games behind first-place San Jacinto College-South (11-3). The Bucs have 10 regular-season contests remaining.
“We put ourselves in a good position to control our own destiny in the South for seeding in the Region XIV Tournament,” Bucs head coach Rick Church said. “We had a great offensive performance in both games by taking advantage of runners in scoring position. Also proud of our pitchers, Peyton Welker and Bella De Los Santos. Peyton got her 15th win and Bella faced one over the minimum. Really happy with our effort today.”
The Bucs have won seven of their last eight ballgames.
In the opener, Blinn grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning but put the ballgame out of reach with a nine-run second inning outburst.
The Cougars scored two unearned runs in the third game but made no further headway against Welker.
The second-year Buc tossed a complete game and allowed two hits and three walks while striking out six hitters.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Peyton Welker)
Welker, who improved to 15-5 on the year, was backed by a 15-hit attack from the Blinn offense.
Each of the Bucs’ hits went for a single except a double from freshman Grace Bracket.
Sophomore Ripley Welker had a team-high three hits, while sophomores Alayna Calvillo and Erynne Castillo and freshman Haley Hughes added two apiece. Bracken drove in three runs, while Ripley Welker and freshmen Bailey Boetjer and Darian DeLeon each drove in a pair.
In game two, Blinn used a pair of five-run innings to complete the sweep.
The Bucs got an RBI single from Calvillo to open the scoring in the first, and four more runs crossed the plate in the frame thanks to a two-run double from freshman Kayden Harms, and RBI singles from DeLeon and sophomore Alyssa Boozy.
In the third inning, DeLeon singled in a run, Boozy plated a pair with a double, and sophomore Erynne Castillo tripled in Boozy before scoring on a double from Calvillo.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Alyssa Boozy)
Calvillo, Ripley Welker, Harms, DeLeon, and Boozy led the Bucs’ 14-hit effort with two hits apiece. Boozy had a team-high three RBIs.
De Los Santos earned her seventh pitching victory of the season with a one-hit outing. She allowed a lead-off single in the top of the first inning before recording 15 consecutive outs. She allowed one walk and punched out seven Cougars.
Blinn gets back to work with a doubleheader against Region XIV North member Tyler Junior College beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, April 15, in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
