HOUSTON, Texas – Seth Ballew threw a game to remember for Blinn College baseball and earned the Buccaneers a 7-0 victory over Louisiana State University-Eunice Feb. 7 in the San Jacinto Tournament in Houston.
Ballew only gave up two hits all game while striking out seven to get the win on the mound and his run support didn’t show up until the sixth inning. Hunter Lehman picked up a pair of singles in the win while Reed Robinson, Cullen Jozwiak, Conner Smith and Ben Upton each hit a double in the victory.
With Ballew cruising on the mound, the Buccaneers finally got him some run support in the sixth. Smith drove in the first run with a double to center to score Robbie Rojas. Lehman, who singled earlier in the inning, was able to come around and score for a 2-0 lead.
Even thought Ballew didn’t need the extra help, Blinn went after additional insurance runs in the seventh. Patrick King reached on an error and later came around to score for the fourth Blinn run.
Jozwiak doubled in the inning and then came in to score for a 5-0 lead. Rojas drove in Christian Thames with an RBI ground out and then Upton scored on a passed ball to give Blinn a commanding 7-0 lead that ended up being the final score.
In the second game of the day, Blinn was able to tie the game against Grayson County College after trailing by five runs but Grayson was able to score a run in the 12th inning to hand the Buccaneers their first loss by a 6-5 score.
Robinson hit the ball well with three singles against Grayson while Smith and Upton each had a pair of hits in the loss. Six errors hurt the chances of Blinn during this tight game. After three innings, Blinn found itself trailing 5-0 and the score stayed that way until the eighth inning.
In the eighth, Upton drove in the first run with a double to center to score Lehman. Smith drove in a run with line drive in the infield to score Upton to make the score 5-2. Jager Toffan, who reached on a fielder’s choice, later came around to score to get within two runs. Smith and Robinson each scored in the inning to knot the game up at 5-5.
The game eventually went into extra innings as Grayson went ahead on a passed ball and Blinn couldn’t score in the bottom of the 12th for the first loss of the season for the Buccaneers.
Blinn will wrap up the San Jacinto Tournament with a game Feb. 8 against Navarro College at 3 p.m. in Houston.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 30 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
