The Blinn College softball team’s chances of a Region XIV South regular-season championship came to an unfortunate end following a doubleheader split with San Jacinto College-South on Saturday in Houston, Texas.
The Buccaneers earned a 9-6 victory over the Ravens in game one but fell 11-10 in the finale.
Blinn concluded its regular season with a 34-18-1 record and a 17-7 mark in the South but needed two wins over San Jacinto-South to have a shot at first place in the division. The Ravens remained in first with two games remaining, while the Bucs dropped to third. Blinn can still finish as high as second place depending on the results of San Jacinto-South’s twin bill with Galveston on April 29. Galveston is currently in second place.
Blinn’s finish in the South standings will determine its seeding for the upcoming Region XIV Tournament.
In game one of Saturday’s twin bill, the Buccaneers overcame the Ravens’ six-run second inning with a big rally of their own to earn the win.
Blinn had a two-run lead heading into the second frame before San Jacinto-South rallied ahead for a 6-2 cushion.
The Bucs jumped back on top for good in the fourth starting with an RBI single from sophomore Alayna Calvillo. After freshman Bailey Boetjer followed Calvillo with a single, sophomore Ripley Welker drove in Calvillo with an RBI base hit of her own. Freshman Darian DeLeon pulled Blinn within one with an RBI single and sophomore Alyssa Boozy then drove in two more runs with a single to give her team the lead.
Freshman Kayden Harms scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and Welker singled in Calvillo to close out the scoring in the seventh.
The Bucs racked up 14 hits, including two apiece for Calvillo, Welker, Boetjer, Boozy, DeLeon, and freshman Haley Hughes.
Sophomore pitcher Peyton Welker (19-6) hurled 5 1/3 innings. She allowed five earned runs on four hits with five walks and one strikeout. Sophomore Camdyn Shugart earned the save after recording the final five outs.
In game two, the Bucs built an 8-3 advantage before the Ravens stormed back with a run in the fifth and six more in the bottom of the sixth. Blinn answered with two runs in the seventh frame to tie the game at 10-all, but San Jacinto-South walked off with the win in the home half of the inning.
The Bucs tallied 12 hits, led by a three-hit, three-RBI showing for Harms. Hughes, Calvillo, and Ripley Welker each had two.
Freshman starting pitcher Paige Bunting and reliever Bella De Los Santos worked a combined 5 2/3 frames and allowed seven earned runs before making way for a returning Peyton Welker with two outs in the sixth. Peyton Welker was charged with the loss after giving up four runs (earned) in an inning of relief.
The Region XIV Tournament will take place on the campus of San Jacinto-South. Dates, times, and pairings have yet to be determined.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 47 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
