The Whitecaps rallied for a 6-4 victory in game one before closing the day with a 7-2 win.
“It was a pretty disappointing day,” Buccaneers head coach Rick Church said. “You come into today thinking you’ve got a chance where if you split or sweep, you’re back in the mix for a first or second seed in the region tournament. Now we’re looking at hanging on to the third seed.”
A sweep would have pushed Blinn (22-14, 8-6 South Zone) into a first-place tie with the White Caps.
“We let them off the hook in the first game and that carried over into the second game,” Church added. “I’m pretty disappointed in our competitive outcome today.”
Galveston built a 2-0 lead with runs in the first and fourth innings, but the Bucs responded when freshman Ripley Welker singled in sophomore Madeline Stephenson and freshman Haley Rust in the home half of the fourth. Freshman Alyssa Boozy gave Blinn a 3-2 lead with an RBI double in the fifth.
The Whitecaps went ahead 4-3 in the sixth, but a sacrifice fly off the bat of Buccaneer freshman Erynne Castillo scored fellow freshman Alayna Calvillo tied the game in the home half of the frame.
Galveston would grab the lead for good on a two-run home run in the seventh.
Back-to-back singles from sophomores Emily Kristynik and Caitlyn Stevens had the Bucs threatening with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Whitecaps got three straight outs to end it.
Castillo had three of the Bucs’ 10 total hits, and Calvillo finished with two.
Sophomore pitcher Chloee Mason (8-5) pitched a complete game for Blinn. She allowed five earned runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
(Pictured: Bllinn sophomore Chloee Mason delivers a pitch during a game against Galveston on April 15)
In game two, Blinn struck first with a solo homer from Kristynik, but Galveston tied the game in the top of the third and grabbed the lead for good with a solo shot in the fourth. Five runs in the fourth put the game away for the Whitecaps.
The Bucs added a run in the sixth when Stevens scored on an error.
Stephenson had two hits.
Freshman Peyton Welker worked 3 2/3 innings as the pitcher of record. She allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits with three punchouts and a pair of walks. Sophomore Kailey Eldridge tossed the final 3 1/3 innings of play. She allowed one hit, one earned run, fanned two, and walked three.
The Buccaneers return to play with a South Zone twin bill against Lamar State College-Port Arthur beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, April 17, in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 43 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
