BROWN’S GRAND SLAM LEADS TO BUC/GALVESTON SPLIT

Blinn splits Saturday’s doubleheader against Galveston

Nolan Brown Grand Slam HR
Nolan Brown
Grand Slam HR

Trailing Galveston College 2-0 Saturday, sophomore Nolan Brown launched a shot that sent the Blinn baseball team soaring past the Whitecaps at Leroy Dreyer Field.

With the bases loaded, Brown hit an opposite field grand slam as the Buccaneers responded from a 2-1 loss in Game 1 with a 9-4 win in the second game. The teams split the four-game Region XIV Conference series.

“We had a couple close losses this series that could have gone either way,” Blinn (19-13, 12-8) coach Harvey McIntyre said. “You get a split, which isn’t the worst. The thing is we responded really well in Game 2 today.”

Brown’s shot ignited a Blinn offense that also got strong performances out of freshmen Caden Williams and James Duval.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh and Blinn clinging to a 5-4 lead, Williams hit a two-run single to left field that scored Cullen Jozwiak and Brown. The next at-bat, Duval laced a single to right that scored Stephen Stuart and Williams to make it a 9-4 game.

“We scored four runs with two outs, that’s the kind of offense we’ve been needing,” McIntyre said. “We’ve been playing two of three phases of the game really well lately: pitching and defense. Now we just need the offense to pick it up some and in Game 2 I thought they did.”

The Bucs scored nine runs on 10 hits.

Brown was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Williams was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a walk, and Duval was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

With the lead, relief pitcher Seth Ballew threw 6 2-3 innings of four-hit, one-run ball to keep Galveston off the scoreboard.

Elizabeth Chapdelaine throws out the first pitch on behalf of Adams Angels
Elizabeth Chapdelaine throws out the first pitch on behalf of Adams Angels

Blinn dropped the first game after Galveston rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh. Sophomore Shane McCarley took the tough-luck loss on the mound after tossing six innings and allowing two runs on five hits.

Stuart gave the Bucs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

“We’ve closed out the first half of conference and we’re about in the middle of the pack,” McIntyre said. “But our pitching and defense has been phenomenal lately. And through 20 games we’ve gotten a good look at our conference opponents. I like the direction we’re headed.”

The Bucs hosted Adam’s Angels Night Saturday. Proceeds from the day benefitted Adam’s Angels Ministry, a local non-profit organization founded by Donna and Tim Culliver of Brenham as a way to reach out to families that have been affected by childhood cancer. The Cullivers lost their 4-year-old son, Adam Christian Culliver, to acute myelogenous leukemia.

“This was a very special day for us,” McIntyre said. “To help out Adams Angels, which is helping out so many families in need, is very special for our team.”

For more information on Blinn baseball, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(Story & photos courtesy: Matt Keyser, Blinn Information)

 

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