The Blinn College softball team was just two outs from a monumental doubleheader sweep of No. 1-ranked McLennan Community College on Wednesday, but ultimately settled for an inspiring split at the Blinn Softball Field at Hohlt Park in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers picked up a 4-1 victory over the Highlanders in the opener before dropping an 11-2, nine-inning decision in the finale.
Blinn’s triumph in game one was just the second setback of the spring for McLennan, which entered the non-conference twin bill with a 53-1 record.
The Bucs then had the Highlanders on the ropes for a majority of game two, allowing the game-tying run to cross the plate with one out in the seventh inning before the visitors finally pulled away with a big ninth frame.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Peyton Welker fires a pitch during a game against McLennan on April 24, 2024)
McLennan had already defeated Blinn three times this season while outscoring the Bucs 18-0 in those contests.
It was a much different story Wednesday.
Aside from the Bucs’ rough ninth frame in the finale, they were otherwise spectacular against the mighty Highlanders.
“We played 16 innings against the number-one team in the country and competed at a high level,” Blinn head coach Rick Church said. “and in 12 of those innings, we kept McLennan scoreless. I’m proud of our effort today, it was just one inning where we lost our composure defensively that allowed them to break that second game open.”
In game one, sophomore pitcher Peyton Welker came within one out of a complete-game shutout, allowing an RBI single in the top of the seventh before inducing a pop out in the infield to close out the game.
Welker allowed an earned run on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts and improved to 18-5 on the season.
She was also assisted by a pair of outfield assists from sophomore center fielder Alayna Castillo, both of which led to rally-killing double plays.
“We just came into the day looking to have fun,” Welker said. “We wanted to use these games to prepare for San Jacinto College-South on Saturday and the upcoming Region XIV Tournament, that was our goal. This was the last home doubleheader for our sophomores and we just wanted to have fun. It was definitely a lot more than that.”
McLennan came to the plate for the first time Wednesday averaging almost 11 runs per game while allowing an average of two to opposing lineups.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman Darian DeLeon hits a sacrifice fly during a game against McLennan on April 24, 2024)
Church opted to use a small-ball strategy against the stingy Highlanders, and that move paid dividends in the middle innings of game one.
After freshman Bailey Boetjer reached on an error to begin the fourth frame, sophomore Ripley Welker followed with a bunt single before freshman Kayden Harms moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Darian DeLeon then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 1-0. Ripley Welker came home on a passed ball one pitch later.
Calvillo ended the top of the fifth frame when she hauled in a line drive in center and quickly fired home to nab a McLennan baserunner trying to score from third base.
The Bucs got back to work in the fifth when three consecutive one-out singles set up a two-run error that made it 4-0.
The Highlanders threatened again in the fifth, putting two runners on with no outs, but Calvillo stepped up again when she hauled in a fly ball and fired to third base for a tag on an advancing runner.
“We pride ourselves on making plays in the outfield,” Calvillo said. “We tell each other out there that the pitchers have our backs and we have their backs, so nothing drops and nothing hits the ground. At the end of the day our pitchers are out here working hard so we have to back them up.”
Blinn finished with eight hits, including three for freshman Haley Hughes and two for Calvillo.
In game two, the Bucs scored a run in the first on an RBI single from Boetjer, and Boetjer later made it 2-0 on an RBI in the third.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman Bailey Boetjer makes contact with a pitch during a game against McLennan on April 24, 2024)
The Highlanders answered with a run in the fifth before tying the game on a fielder’s choice in the seventh.
The Bucs had the winning run on second base with one out in the home half of the eighth but were unable to cash in.
Blinn finished with five hits.
Freshman pitcher Paige Bunting gave the Bucs a second consecutive pitching gem after she allowed two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks across 6 1/3 innings. She settled for a no-decision after being lifted for freshman Bella DeLos Santos in the seventh inning. DeLos Santos took the loss.
“Again, it boiled down to that ninth inning,” added Church. “One bad inning when you’re playing a team like that can allow things to fall apart and that’s what happened.”
The Bucs now turn their sights to a regular-season-ending twin bill against Region XIV South rival San Jacinto-South. Blinn still has a shot at first place in the South, but will need at least one win over the Ravens and some favorable outcomes from San Jacinto’s doubleheader against Galveston College. The Bucs are currently in second in the South but would win a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Ravens should the teams end up deadlocked at the end of the season.
San Jacinto-South hosts Blinn at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, in Houston, Texas.
