BRENHAM, Texas — Blinn College softball earned a sweep against San Jacinto College-South by the scores of 7-3 and 11-0 on Friday afternoon at Hohlt Park.
Alivia Villarreal helped lead the Buccaneers to a 7-3 victory with four hits to open the doubleheader, while Kassidy Rhoudes threw a shutout for Blinn to defeat San Jacinto 11-0 in five innings to close the day out.
With the pair of wins, Blinn’s record increases to 21-11 overall and 10-2 in Region XIV play. Blinn extended its win streak to four games with the doubleheader sweep.
Blinn 7 – San Jacinto 3
The Buccaneers took off with an early lead and held onto it to defeat San Jacinto, 7-3, in the doubleheader opener.
Meghan Morris claimed the win after throwing her 14th complete game of the season. She earned her 12th win of the season after surrendering three runs on six hits, while striking out four in seven innings.
Villarreal was perfect at the plate after going 4-for-4 and driving in one run while scoring two. Morgan Gray was next with two hits and one run scored in the win.
Blinn leaped out to an early lead after scoring three runs in the third inning. Amber Langston scored the first run for the Buccaneers after a one-run single by Villarreal. Sydney Gutierrez was the next to score on an error, while Villarreal scored the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Calli Birch.
San Jacinto made its first appearance on the board in the fifth inning with one run to gain on Blinn, 3-1.
The Buccaneers answered back in the bottom half of the inning with four runs to extend their lead to 7-1. Gutierrez scored the first run of the inning on a ground out, while Villarreal followed by scoring on a sacrifice fly. Gray kept the offense rolling with a bunt-single for Abby Olejniczak to come across the plate and Chelsea Armendariz followed with a single for Gray to score Blinn’s final run of the game.
San Jacinto scored its final two runs of the game in the sixth inning before falling 7-3.
Blinn 11 – San Jacinto 0
A solid performance by Rhoudes in the circle and an explosive offense allowed Blinn to run-rule San Jacinto by the score of 11-0 in five innings to close out the doubleheader.
Rhoudes picked up her ninth win of the season after tossing five scoreless innings and only surrendering four hits, while striking out one.
Gutierrez was perfect at the plate after she went 3-for-3, while recording two runs and one RBI. Amy Alexander and Courtney Ogle led Blinn with three RBIs each after they both recorded two hits.
Blinn opened the game with a 4-0 lead in the first inning after Alexander started things off with a two-run single for Langston and Gutierrez to score. Ogle put down a two-run single for Alexander and Olejniczak to come home.
Blinn added one run in the second inning after Tori Alvarez-Lopez drew a walk and later scored off a single by Gutierrez.
After a scoreless third inning, the Blinn offense tallied six runs in the fourth inning. Alexander drove in the first run with a single for Langston to score, while Gabriela Gomez followed with a one-run single for Gutierrez to score and Blinn to lead 7-0. After the Buccaneers loaded the bases, Ogle walked, and Sarah Cedillo and Alvarez-Lopez each singled for Blinn to score three more runs for a 10-0 lead.
Rhoudes kept San Jacinto off the board in the fifth inning for Blinn to seal the run-rule victory.
Blinn will return to the diamond on Saturday, March 7 for a conference doubleheader against Coastal Bend College starting at 1 p.m. at Hohlt Park. The game will feature Sophomore Night as well as the Adam’s Angels Ministry Fundraiser game.
The Adam’s Angels Ministry fundraiser game is where Blinn raises money and awareness for Adam’s Angels. Adam’s Angels Ministry jis called to provide care and comfort for families that are in a battle against childhood cancer. The fundraising effort is part of Blinn’s annual Adopt-a-Charity program in which all Blinn athletic programs dedicate a portion of their gate proceeds towards a charity. For more information on Adam’s Angels Ministry visit www.adamsangelsministry.org.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.