The victory pushed the Buccaneers’ record to 8-4 overall and was Blinn’s second win over the Apaches in five days.
“Any time you get a win on the road against a really good team, you’re pleased,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “I’m pretty sure we’ll see Tyler again come Region XIV Tournament time.”
After topping Tyler 7-5 in the Brazos Valley Tournament on Feb. 10, the Bucs picked up where they left off with a strong start against the Apaches on Wednesday.
A three-run first inning put the visitors ahead to stay, and two runs in the eighth gave Blinn a bit of insurance.
The Bucs drew two walks to open the game before sophomore Ian Collier smacked a one-out, two-run single that scored freshmen Marshall Lipsey and Brandon Bishop. Collier later came around to score when sophomore Cam Wheeler drew a bases loaded walk.
The Apaches tallied one run in the seventh, but Blinn answered with a Lipsey RBI single in the top of the eighth. Lipsey scored on the base hit following a defensive error in center field.
The Buccaneer offense continued to do damage with both their bats and discipline, as they finished with nine hits and 11 walks.
“The walks were huge and something that I think will still improve as the season progresses,” said Hart. “The guys are forcing the opposing pitcher to put the ball in the strike zone and are seeing the fruits of their labor because of it. They’re really putting what we’re preaching into the game.”
Collier and sophomore Ryan Scott, as well as freshman Shane Martin finished with two hits apiece. Scott doubled. Lipsey, Bishop, Scott, and Martin had two walks apiece.
On the mound, Blinn was the beneficiary of three solid pitching performances.
Winning pitcher and sophomore Victor Loa worked three innings of two-hit ball in which he struck out three and walked two. Freshman Tyler Bogusz tossed four innings of relief and allowed an earned run on three hits with three punchouts and a pair of walks, while freshman Shane Connell turned in two innings in which he fanned three and walked one while allowing one hit.
“Pitching was huge for us today,” Hart stated. “We got a huge start from Loa, and it was good to see him go out there and throw well. Then Bogusz went out there and got back on the horse in a big way before Connell came in and didn’t even give Tyler a chance to breathe.”
Blinn will have a short turnaround as it gets back to work with a home tilt against Dallas College-Eastfield at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
