BRENHAM, Texas Blinn College baseball (22-14, 15-10) displayed a strong offense and defense in its sweeping of Alvin Community College, 10-0 (5 inn.) and 9-2, Thursday at Leroy Dreyer Field for the Buccaneers sixth straight conference win.
Blinn 10 – Alvin 0
The Buccaneers were strong enough on offense and defense to run-rule Alvin, 10-0, in five innings to open the doubleheader.
Jackson Leath was solid on the mound, tossing all five innings and only surrendering one hit, while striking out five.
Alec Sanchez and Brett Minninch led Blinn’s offense with two RBIs and two runs each.
Blinn jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening inning. Sanchez was the first to come across the plate on an error, while Blake Faecher drove in the next two runs with a single for Jake Miller and Cameron Gibbons to score. Minninch jumped in with a two-run double to plate Rodgers and Faecher, while Preston Hoffart drove in the final run of the inning with a double for Minninch to score.
Sanchez hit a two-run homer in the third inning to extend Blinn’s lead to 8-0.
The Buccaneers grew their lead by tacking on one run in the fourth inning when Nick Wolff singled for Gibbons to score.
In the fifth inning, Minninch scored the final run needed for the run-rule victory on a wild pitch.
Blinn 9 – Alvin 2
Faecher recorded five RBIS in Blinn’s 9-2 win over Alvin to finish the doubleheader.
Gibbons also chipped in on offense with two RBIs, while Rodgers led Blinn with two runs.
Ryan Day recorded the win after only allowing one earned run, while striking out eight in 5 1/3 innings.
Faecher helped Blinn jump to a 3-0 lead in the first inning with a double that allowed Miller, Gibbons and Wolff to score.
Alvin cut Blinn’s lead down to 3-2 by scoring one run in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Buccaneers got the momentum back when Rodgers hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the sixth.
Blinn’s biggest inning was in the eighth when the Buccaneers scored five runs. Faecher kicked things off with a two-run homer, while Miller walked the bases loaded for Hoffart to score. Gibbons drove in the final two runs with a single that scored Westley Schields and Sanchez.
Blinn will travel to conclude the four-game series against Alvin Community College in a doubleheader on Monday, April 15, starting at noon.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987.