TEMPLE, Texas – Blinn College softball closed out the Temple College Softball Tournament in fashion by beating Indian Hills Community College 8-3 and Angelina College 4-1 Saturday afternoon in Temple.
The Buccaneers closed out the tournament with a 4-1 record and improved to 12-9 with the pair of victories today.
Blinn 8 – Indian Hills 3
Blinn was able to get offense in the later innings as the Buccaneers scored four in the third and one in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie to take an 8-3 victory over Indian Hills.
Kalli Edwards was solid at the plate with three singles, a run and an RBI in four at-bats. Courtney White and Nicole Garcia each had two hits while Cheyenne Trader only had one hit but it was a three-run home run to help the Buccaneers get the win. Bobbi Berkey started the game and pitched the first four innings to get the win while Sam Junkin came to pitch three scoreless innings to finish off the game.
Blinn got going right from the start as Katie Andrie and Jordin Wilkins set the table with walks and Trader brought them home with a home run to left for a 3-0 lead. That lead disappeared after Indian Hills scored two in the bottom of the first and one in the second to knot the game at 3-3.
The game wasn’t tied for long as White nailed a double with one out and came around to score on a single by Seeley Orsak to center for a 4-3 lead. Edwards drove in the fifth run with a single to center. Orsak scored a run to make the score 6-3 and then Garcia put the finishing touches on the inning with an RBI single to left for a 7-3 lead.
The Buccaneers added an insurance run in the fifth when Meghann Wrinkle brought in a run by drawing a bases-loaded walk for an 8-3 lead that would end up being the final score.
Blinn 4 – Angelina 1
Blinn got off to a fast start with two runs in the opening inning and the Buccaneers were able to hold off Angelina for the 4-1 victory.
Andrie was a tough out as she went 3 for 4, all singles, with an RBI. Garcia and Wrinkle each had two hits in the win. Faith Genoway pitched all seven innings and allowed only one run and struck out four in picking up the win in the circle.
Garcia and Wrinkle got the first inning started with back-to-back singles as Garcia scored on a single by Andrie and then Wrinkle later came around to score for a 2-0 lead.
Wrinkle hit a one out single in the fifth and then came around to score on a ground out hit by Wilkins for a 3-0 lead. Angelina countered with a single run in the fifth to get within 3-1.
Garcia got on base with a double to lead off the seventh and then touched the plate after an RBI single by Wilkins for a 4-1 lead that would be the final score.
Blinn will play in the Region XIV Round Robin Tournament in Longview with play beginning on Friday, Feb. 26 against Angelina at 2 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
