Twenty-four hours after a forgettable performance in the pitcher’s circle, Peyton Welker put forth one she’ll likely never forget.
The sophomore right-hander mowed down the Kilgore College Rangers across five dazzling innings and needed just 79 pitches to throw her first collegiate no-hitter to kick off Blinn College’s doubleheader sweep Wednesday at the Blinn Softball Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers captured a 10-5 victory (5 innings) in game one before rallying to top Kilgore 9-6 in the finale.
Welker — a model of stoicism — barely cracked a smile after recording the final out of her masterpiece, exchanging high fives with teammates before quietly taking a seat on the Blinn bench ahead of game two.
“I just attempted to work ahead in counts today by using the corners of the plate and the bottom of the strike zone,” Welker said. “I just tried to pitch to their weaknesses and used my riseball when they were showing some aggressiveness at the plate.”
Welker’s second start in as many days served as a substantial rebound after she was tagged with the loss in the Bucs’ 12-5 setback to Temple College on Tuesday.
Welker walked just two Rangers and struck out eight to improve to 2-1 on the season.
“It was important for her to come back today after we had a rough outing yesterday against Temple and regain some of her confidence,” Blinn head coach Rick Church said. “She pitched extremely well today.”
Blinn (3-2-1 overall) backed Welker at the plate with 10 hits while scoring in all four of its at bats.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore Peyton Welker delivers a pitch during a game against Kilgore College on Feb. 7, 2024)
An RBI groundout from freshman Bailey Boetjer in the home half of the first inning scored sophomore Erynne Castillo to make it 1-0, and sophomore Alayna Calvillo later scored on an error after reaching on a single. Freshman Kayden Harms made it 3-0 when she singled in sophomore Alyssa Boozy.
The Bucs added a single run in the second, four in the third, and a pair in the fourth.
Harms went 3 for 3 and finished with two RBIs. Calvillo had a pair of hits, and Boetjer and freshman Darian DeLeon drove in two runs apiece.
“It was nice to bust out for some runs after we stranded so many runners on Tuesday,” Church said.
In game two, Kilgore took an early 4-1 lead before Blinn began a game-winning rally that stretched across the fourth, fifth, and sixth frames.
Sophomore Madyson Henley singled on a fly ball to center field to plate freshman T’Era Garrett in the fourth. Then in the fifth, the Bucs briefly pulled ahead when freshman Haley Hughes scored on a passed ball and Harmes singled in Calvillo and Boozy for a 5-4 edge.
After the Rangers regained the lead with a two-run sixth inning, Blinn got back to work in the home half of the inning.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman infielder Kayden Harms catches a line drive during a game against Kilgore College on Feb. 7, 2024)
Castillo drew a leadoff walk, Hughes singled, and Calvillo tripled on a line drive to center to make it 7-6. Calvillo later scored on an error and pinch runner Zaniah Coleman came home on a Boetjer double to close out the scoring.
“It was an interesting game as far as the shifting momentum going back and forth,” Church added. “It was nice that offensively we stayed level headed and competed to come back for the third time.”
Blinn’s offense tallied 13 hits, led by a 3-for-4 showing for Hughes. Harms and Garrett each had two hits.
Freshman pitcher Paige Bunting earned the victory in relief with five innings of two-run ball. She struck out five and walked one. Bunting escaped a jam in the seventh inning after Kilgore loaded the bases with one out, getting the next Ranger to pop out before striking out the final hitter of the game.
Freshman Bella De Los Santos started the game in the circle for Blinn and worked two innings.
Next up for the Bucs is a home doubleheader against Navarro College beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9 in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
