LAREDO, Texas – Blinn College baseball was staring down a loss in the opening game but was able to score a late comeback 7-3 victory over Laredo Community College in nine innings but then lost the second game 5-1 to split the doubleheader Friday afternoon in Laredo.
By splitting the doubleheader, the Blinn record moves to 16-11 overall and 7-7 in Region XIV play.
Blinn 7 – Laredo 3
Blinn was trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh inning but was able to get an RBI single by Walker Winders to tie the game and then the Buccaneers added four runs in the ninth to win 7-3 in extra innings.
Laredo jumped out with two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Blinn didn’t trail long as Austen Swift nailed a two-run home run to left to knot the game up at 2-2. Laredo did reclaim the lead with a single run in the bottom of the second for a 3-2 advantage.
Blinn was down to its final two outs in the seventh when Swift reached base with a double and then was brought in by a single by Winders two batters later to tie the game up at 3-3.
It took a couple innings but the Buccaneers kept their momentum going in the ninth inning when Sam McElreath singled and Swift reached on an error. Trent Murphy brought in a pair with a triple to left for a 5-3 lead. Winders added an insurance run with a single to left for the eighth run and Colton Parrish hit a solo home run for a commanding 9-3 lead that would hold up until the final score.
Laredo 5 – Blinn 1
Laredo started out fast in the second game and was able to hold on in the game that was called in the fifth inning due to lightning in the area as Blinn lost 5-1 to split the doubleheader.
Laredo scored four in the second inning and one more in the fourth inning to take a 5-0 lead. The only scoring chance cashed in by Blinn was in the fifth when Angel De La Fuente tripled with one out and was brought in with a single to center by George Pappas to get within 5-1. The game was called after the fifth inning due to lightning in the area.
Blinn will play one more doubleheader at Laredo on Saturday, March 19 beginning at noon.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
