The Buccaneers (20-30 overall) will now face Paris Junior College in the consolation round at 2:30 p.m. today (Saturday) in an elimination game.
Blinn led Friday’s contest 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth, but an Apaches sacrifice fly drove in the winning run to seal the win for Tyler.
The Buccaneers opened the scoring with a Chandler Talbot RBI single in the top of the third and clawed back from a 2-1 deficit in the fifth with a Madeline Stephenson RBI groundout and an error which scored Kenley Strange.
After Tyler made it 3-3 in the seventh to force extra innings, Strange gave Blinn a 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly before Kayla Wallace walked with the bases loaded to give her team a two-run edge.
The Buccaneers out-hit the Apaches 12-10.
Talbot, Strange and Teagan Whitley had three hits apiece and Wallace finished with two. Whitley doubled for Blinn.
Bucs pitcher Chloee Mason tossed 8 2/3 innings in the pitcher’s circle, where she allowed four earned runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
