LAREDO, Texas – Defense and pitching helped Blinn College softball close out the regular season with a sweep of Laredo Community College Saturday afternoon by the score of 9-0 and 4-0 in Laredo.
The pair of victories gives Blinn its seventh victory in a row as its conference record improves to 21-3 and 39-13 overall for the regular season.
Jaiden Rawls pitched the shutout in the first game going five innings and only allowing one hit while striking out five. Delilah Pacheco led the offense with three singles while scoring twice. Meghann Wrinkle, Seeley Orsak and Avery Mullendore each had two hits in the win.
Blinn got going in the second inning when Jordin Wilkins doubled to begin the inning and then scored after Mullendore singled to center for the first run. Mullendore later scored for a 2-0 lead.
The scoring continued in the third inning when Kayla Lahrmann walked and then Pacheco singled to get two on. Wrinkle brought in two runs with a single to center for a 4-0 lead. Rawls helped her pitching cause with a single to left to score Wrinkle for a 5-0 edge.
Blinn scored a run with two outs in the fourth when Pacheco singled and then was followed by an RBI single to left by Wrinkle for a 6-0 lead.
The Buccaneers tacked on four more runs in the fifth inning. Rawls and Orsak were able to score on a Mullendore single to center and then Mullendore was able to score later in the inning for a 9-0 advantage that would hold up for the mercy-rule victory.
Mariah Gibson didn’t get as much run support in the second game but was still able to get a victory in the circle by going seven innings and only allowing three hits while striking out six. Gibson also hit a solo home run and a single in the nightcap.
Wrinkle and Courtney White each had two hits in the victory that helped Blinn sweep Laredo.
Blinn got going in the opening inning when White doubled with two outs and then scored after an RBI double by Wilkins for a 1-0 lead. Blinn added another run in the second inning when Lara Cecchetti walked to begin the inning and then scored after a single by Jazzmin Fritz for a 2-0 advantage.
All it took was one swing for Blinn to add another run as Gibson knocked a solo home run over the fence in center for a 3-0 lead. Tori Gleason reached on an error in the fourth inning and then was able to score after a single by Wrinkle to left to give Blinn a 4-0 lead. That would be more than enough run support for Blinn in the sweep.
Blinn will next play in the Region XIV tournament that is scheduled to begin May 2 in Lufkin.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
