GALVESTON, Texas โ Impressive offense and solid pitching helped Blinn College softball sweep all three games to open the season in Galveston Jan. 30.
The Buccaneers beat Kilgore College 8-1 to open the day then followed that up with an 8-0 beating of Ranger College. In the final game of the day against Navarro College, Blinn trailed 1-0 for the only time all day but came back to win 10-1 to cap the 3-0 day.
It took a couple of innings to score in the opener over Kilgore but once the Buccaneers got going they poured it on. Jaiden Rawls drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and then Alli Spivey, who singled earlier in the inning, scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 advantage.
The Buccaneers kept pouring it on in the fourth as Delilah Pacheco got everything going with an RBI single to center. Avery Mullendore, who singled earlier in the inning was able to score the fourth run and then Pacheco came around for a 5-0 advantage in the fourth. Mullendore added an RBI triple in the fifth for a 6-0 lead.
Blinn did give up a run in the fifth but got right back to offense as Courtney White walked with the bases loaded for a run in the sixth. Katie Andrie was able to hit a sacrifice fly for an 8-1 lead to cap the scoring.
Blinn made short work of Ranger by coming away with an 8-0 victory in only five innings. Gibson picked up two hits, including a home run, to supply the offense while Rawls earned the win by pitching five scoreless innings.
The bulk of the scoring for Blinn against Ranger came in the opening inning. Jordan Wilkins drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly and then Gibson later blasted a two-run home run for a 3-0 lead. Lara Cecchetti added to the score with an RBI single and then Meghann Wrinkle later scored to give Blinn a 5-0 lead.
The Buccaneers bunched their scoring into two innings as Pecheco started up the scoring in the third with an RBI single. Cecchetti later scored in the inning and then Spivey hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 8-0 to cap the scoring in a game that ended in the mercy rule in Blinnโs favor.
The final game against Navarro was the only game that Blinn trailed in but it wasnโt for long. Gibson and Kayla Lahrmann each hit home runs as Blinn was able to blow past Navarro. Gibson also picked up the win without an earned run and five strikeouts.
Trailing 1-0, Blinn got the offense going in the third inning. Wilkins tied the game with a double and then Pacheco and Wilkins were later able to come around to score for a 3-1 lead.
Lahrmann blew the game open in the fourth with a three-run home run to give Blinn a 6-1 lead. Gibson added a home run of her own in the fifth inning with a two-run shot for an 8-1 lead. Blinn added a couple more runs in the sixth as Pecheco and Wilkins scored for a 10-1 cushion that stayed that way, giving the Buccaneers a 3-0 record after one day.
Blinn will play two more games in Galveston Jan. 31 as it will face off against Angelina College at 11 a.m. and then University of Houston-Victoria at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 30 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
