BRENHAM, Texas – Offense was a struggle all day for Blinn College softball but the Buccaneers got it going in the second game against Lamar State College-Port Arthur to force a split with a 6-4 victory April 15 at Hohlt Park in Brenham.
The offense showed up in the opening game in the final inning as Blinn made a late charge but was unable to tie the game late as Lamar State secured a 3-2 victory in the first game.
“I was hoping that we had learned our lesson after Alvin and we would come out and hit the ball in that first game,” said Blinn head coach Rick Church. “We had trouble with that first game again and didn’t show up to compete until that seventh inning.”
The split moves the Blinn conference record to 15-3 and the overall record to 33-13. Blinn still sits on top of the Region XIV South Zone standings at 15-3, three games ahead of Galveston College at 14-6.
In the second game, Jaiden Rawls knocked in two runs at the plate and pitched Blinn to victory in the circle, going all seven innings and allowing four runs while striking out four. Delilah Pacheco did a good job of setting the table with four singles and she also scored twice. Jordin Wilkins earned two hits and an RBI while Courtney White also gathered two hits in the win.
It took a couple innings but Blinn got going in the third inning when Jazzmin Fritz singled and then later came around to score the first run of the game. Wilkins followed with an RBI single to score Pacheco for a 2-0 lead. Lamar State battled right back in the fourth with four runs to take a 4-2 lead.
Blinn chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the fourth when White singled and Seeley Orsak came on to run for her. Avery Mullendore followed with an RBI single to center to get the Buccaneers within 4-3 after four.
The fifth was the turning point for Blinn as Pacheco and Wilkins each reached base with a single. Then Pacheco and Wilkins each scored on an error to give Blinn a 5-4 lead. Meghann Wrinkle added an insurance run with a double to right-center for a 6-4 edge. Rawls would finish off the game by shutting down Lamar State in the final two innings for the win.
Blinn was able to out-hit Lamar State in the opening game but it was Lamar coming away with the 3-2 victory. Orsak had both RBIs for the Buccaneers in the ninth inning and Wilkins picked up a pair of singles in the loss.
One bad inning for Blinn in the fifth turned out to be the difference as Lamar State strung together a couple hits and a costly Blinn error for a 3-0 lead.
Blinn made it interesting in the seventh by loading the bases with singles by Wrinkle, Mullendore and Rawls and then Orsak was able to bring in a pair with a single to center to get within 3-2 with one out. Lamar State was able to escape without further damage to earn a victory in the opening game.
Blinn will next travel to Coastal Bend College on April 17 for a double-header scheduled to begin at 1 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.
