By the time Connor McGinnis’ first home run landed, he was busy hitting his second.
The sophomore infielder launched two towering homers, including a walk-off shot in extra innings of game one, to help the fourth-ranked Blinn College baseball team earn a twin bill split against No. 11 McLennan Community College on Sunday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
McGinnis hit two solo homers during a 3-2 Blinn victory in game one while the Highlanders salvaged game two with a 6-5 triumph.
(Pictured: Blinn’s Connor McGinnis watches his second-inning home run against McLennan on Feb. 18, 2024)
“It was great to see Connor come through and help us win that first game,” Buccaneers head coach Dusty Hart said, “but it’s starting to feel like we’re stuck in this trend where we take two steps forward and one step back. We have to have better at bats in key moments and limit self-inflicted wounds on the mound; if we had done that I think we would have been in position to win that second game.”
Though the day ended with a bit of disappointment for Blinn (5-6), McGinnis made sure it started with a bang.
He helped the Bucs strike first in the opener with a solo shot in the second inning that made its home in the trees behind the right-field wall. Blinn later went ahead 2-0 on a bases loaded walk in the fifth, but McLennan tied the ballgame in the top of the seventh with a two-run homer.
Freshman relief pitcher Caden Ferraro surrendered the longball, but rebounded to toss a scoreless eighth inning to send the Bucs back to the plate with a chance to walk it off.
McGinnis did just that, leading the home half of the frame off with another no-doubter into the right-field woods.
“I was just looking for a fastball I could hit to just get on base,” McGinnis said. “The pitcher gave it to me and you saw what happened. You have to stay prepared and locked in the entire game for a moment like that, and when it comes you just can’t try to do too much.”
McGinnis finished the game 3 for 3, adding a single and three runs scored to his line. Sophomore infielder Tanner Reaves had a pair of singles and an RBI.
Freshman pitcher Lucas Davenport took a tough-luck no-decision despite five sparkling innings on the mound. He gave up just two hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Ferraro ended the game with three innings of work in which he allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk while fanning four Highlanders.
“I thought Davenport threw extremely well, and then Ferraro came in and despite giving up that homer, he buckled down and got us back into the dugout for a chance to win it,” Hart added. “I was really impressed with both guys today.”
(Pictured: Blinn’s Caden Ferraro throws a pitch during a game against McLennan on Feb. 18, 2024)
Blinn was unable to replicate its late-game heroics in game two as they settled for a split of the day’s matchups.
Sophomore Cade Climie mashed a two-run blast to left field in the bottom of the first frame to give the Bucs their only lead of the game at 2-1.
That advantage was short-lived, however, as McLennan got to Blinn starter Caden Marcum for four runs in the top of the third.
Ferraro pulled the hosts within 5-4 on a two-run double in the bottom of the third, but Blinn would come no closer than a run the rest of the way. With Ferraro on second and Climie on third with just one out in the third, back-to-back strikeouts ended the Bucs’ rally, an unwelcome theme for the game.
(Pictured: Blinn’s Cade Climie rounds third base after hitting a home run against McLennan on Feb. 18, 2024)
“At one point we had the bases loaded with no outs, and then the second and third situation with one out and we struck out twice,” Hart said. “We’re having too many bad at bats in key moments and I think that cost us big in the second game. We have to be able to put the ball in play in any way in those situations.”
McLennan added a run in the top of the sixth and Blinn answered in the bottom of the inning when sophomore outfielder Brandon Bishop crossed the plate on a balk.
The Bucs finished with seven hits, including two for Climie.
Marcum was charged with five earned runs on four hits with three strikes and a pair of walks in a 3-inning stint. Freshman reliever Patrick Terveen worked 3 innings of two-hit ball. He gave up an earned run on two hits with three punchouts and one free pass. Sophomore Jake Kolkhorst worked a scoreless seventh inning.
Next up for Blinn is a three-game home series against Grayson College beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. The series will mark the first time Hart faces his former team following 16 seasons as the Vikings’ head coach in which he helped the program capture the 2008 NJCAA Division Baseball World Series championship. Hart took over the Blinn program prior to last season.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
