A second consecutive late-game rally over Alvin Community College kept the No. 12 Blinn College baseball team in control of its own destiny in the Region XIV South.
The Buccaneers scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past the Dolphin 7-5 on Wednesday in Alvin, Texas.
Blinn (35-14, 27-6 Region XIV South) won its fourth consecutive game and second in a row over Alvin to maintain its two-game lead over San Jacinto College-North for first place in the South. A San Jacinto-North loss would have solidified the Bucs as the South champions, but the Ravens earned a 15-5 victory over Coastal Bend on Wednesday.
The Bucs walked off for a win over Alvin on Monday with a two-out, two-run infield single for sophomore Marshall Lipsey.
Blinn and Alvin conclude their four-game set with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday in Alvin, and one victory for the Bucs would seal their second South championship in as many seasons. The Bucs are also playing for home-field advantage in the Region XIV South Regional tournament.
“It’s on us to get the job done,” Bucs head coach Dusty Hart said.
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore Connor McGinnis)
Blinn got the job done against the Dolphins despite trailing 4-0 heading into the top of the seventh.
Five straight singles from Lipsey, and sophomores Coy DeFury, Brandon Bishop, Tony Vernars, and Kash Durkin – with the last two hits resulting in RBIs – got Blinn within 4-2. Sophomore Tanner Reaves then drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and sophomore Connor McGinnis tied the game with an RBI single.
Sophomore Cade Climie doubled to plate McGinnis, and freshman Caden Ferraro scored Climie with a single.
“We got the first two runners on in the sixth and then Bishop lays down a beautiful bunt single to load the bags,” Hart said. “That pretty much set off a chain reaction and we got going. Hitting is contagious … once one guy hits a barrel, it seems like another guy finds a barrel and then another guy.”
In the ninth, McGinnis hit a one-out solo home run – his 14th of the season – to close out the scoring. McGinnis’ longball tied him with Climie for the Bucs’ team-high.
(Pictured: Blinn College sophomore Cody Pfeffer)
Sophomore pitcher Cody Pfeffer was credited with his third win of the season following three innings of one-run relief. He allowed four hits, one walk, and struck out two. Bryson Dudley worked around a base hit in the ninth and recorded two outs to earn his fourth save.
“Pfeffer gave us three good innings of relief, and Dudley came in to shut the door; that’s kind of how you draw it up,” Hart added.
Freshman pitcher Caden Marcum started for the Bucs and allowed four earned runs on three hits with a pair of walks and five punchouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 47 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
