Blinn College baseball’s road back to the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series hit a speed bump Friday.
A ninth-inning rally fell just short as the eighth-ranked Buccaneers dropped the opener of the Region XIV Super Regional to San Jacinto College-North 6-5 at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn and San Jacinto-North resume the best-of-three series at 6 p.m. on Saturday in Brenham with the Buccaneers needing a victory to force a decisive game three on Sunday. Blinn is attempting to return to the World Series following a fourth-place finish in 2023.
The Ravens took a 3-0 lead over Blinn (40-16) and starting pitcher Brendan Sweeney in the top of the first, but the sophomore right-hander responded by tossing six consecutive scoreless frames to keep his team in the ballgame.
Sweeney tossed 103 pitches while giving up three earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Brendan Sweeney delivers a pitch against San Jacinto-North on May 17, 2024)
Four base hits and an error led to San Jacinto’s first-inning success, but Blinn head coach Dusty Hart praised Sweeney for his response.
“We got sped up in the first inning when we had some opportunities to make plays, and we didn’t make them. San Jacinto took advantage and got a couple of big hits,” Hart said. “Sweeney did a really good job of overcoming that and gave us seven strong innings. That’s what good players do.”
The Bucs drew seven walks against San Jacinto starter Brandon Arvidson, but were held hitless until a seventh-inning, game-tying rally. After Arvidson exited following six innings of work, Blinn immediately touched up the Ravens’ bullpen.
Sophomore Tanner Reaves led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to right field, and sophomores Connor McGinnis and Cade Climie followed with back-to-back singles. After freshman Caden Ferraro moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt, sophomore Marshall Lipsey plated a run with an RBI groundout before Climie scored on a passed ball.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman Caden Ferraro runs out of the batter’s box after laying down a bunt against San Jacinto-North on May 17, 2024)
Blinn sophomore Jake Kolkhorst replaced Sweeney in the top of the eighth but was chased after permitting three earned runs. Sophomore Cody Pfeffer came on to record the final five outs (all strikeouts) for the Bucs.
Blinn got back to work in the ninth, starting with a leadoff homer for Climie followed by a triple from Ferraro, but sophomore Brandon Bishop’s sacrifice fly proved to be the final run of the night for the Bucs.
Reaves and Climie each had two hits to pace Blinn’s eight-hit night.
“We had a couple of moments throughout the game to scratch across a couple more runs but that didn’t happen for us tonight,” Hart added. “That’s just baseball. The team that plays the best on any given day is going to win – period. There are certain things that ring true about this game no matter what the situation is. You have to play well, make plays, and make pitches.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 47 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
