The Buccaneers earned a pair of wins over College of Southern Idaho (CSI), 10-2 in five innings in game one and 7-0 in game two.
Blinn improved to 9-1 on the season.
Blinn will continue tournament play with bouts against CSI at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, and No. 2 McLennan at 2 p.m., also Saturday.
The Bucs began the tournament in dominant fashion, beginning with a run-rule victory over CSI.
(Pictured: From left are Blinn College’s Alyssa Boozy, Chloee Mason, and Peyton Welker)
After the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and second frames, Blinn answered with an eight-run bottom of the second.
An error and a bases loaded walk to sophomore Michyla Saenz tied the game at 2-all before freshman Madison Darrow drew another walk to make it 3-2.
Three more walks with the bags loaded made it 6-2 before a fielder’s choice off the bat of sophomore Skylar Shanahan followed by an error on the play pushed home two more runs.
In the home half of the fifth, freshman Ripley Welker smacked an RBI single that scored sophomore Madeline Stephenson, and freshman Alyssa Boozy doubled home Saenz to enforce the mercy rule.
The Bucs finished with six hits and nine walks.
In the pitcher’s circle, sophomore Chloee Mason earned the victory with a five-inning effort. She allowed one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
In game two, freshman Peyton Welker dazzled the Eagles for seven innings as she tossed a three-hit shutout. She fanned eight with just one walk.
“We had two well-pitched games by Mason and Welker,” Blinn head coach Rick Church said. “We had good intensity from our team today.”
The Bucs grabbed the lead in the top of the third inning when Boozy sent a three-run home run over the wall in left field.
Shanahan made it 4-0 in the fifth when she singled home Ripley Welker. Shanahan later blasted a three-run homer of her own to left to cap the scoring in the seventh.
Boozy paced the Bucs with four hits, including a pair of doubles, to lead Blinn’s 11-hit attack. Shanahan finished with three hits, and sophomore Emily Kristynik had two. Sophomore Caitlyn Stevens doubled.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
