BUC BASEBALL SPLITS WITH SAN JAC

Blinn stays in the race for first place in the Region XIV conference standings with win

HOUSTON, Texas – Blinn College baseball managed to end No. 1 San Jacinto College-North’s 15-game win streak by closing out Thursday’s doubleheader with a 4-2 win.

San Jacinto recorded a 4-2 win in the first game to split the pair. With the split, the Buccaneers move to 31-14 overall and 22-7 in Region XIV play.

San Jacinto 4 – Blinn 2

San Jacinto College came into the conference series with 14 straight wins and was able to manage a comeback win against Blinn by the score of 4-2 to open the doubleheader.

Reggie McCalister led Blinn’s offense with one RBI and one run scored, while Koby Collins also scored a run and Brandon Ashy led the Buccaneers with two hits.

Blinn was the first team on the board with one run in the third inning after the Buccaneers led off the inning with the bases loaded. McCalister scored on a balk that enabled Blinn to take a 1-0 lead.

McCalister extended Blinn’s lead to 2-0 after hitting a single for Collins to score in the fourth inning.

San Jacinto made its first impression on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs, but it was enough to take a 3-2 lead from Blinn for good. The Gators added one last run in the sixth inning for a 4-2 victory.

Blinn 4 – San Jacinto 2

A phenomenal outing on the mound from Jacob Millender and two RBIs from McCalister helped lead the Buccaneers to a 4-2 victory over San Jacinto to conclude the doubleheader.

Millender, a freshman right-hander, recorded the win after throwing 7 2/3 innings and only surrendering two runs on four hits, while striking out 12 for a season high. Bryce Miller recorded his fourth save of the year after not allowing a hit in one inning, while striking out two.

McCalister led Blinn’s offense with two hits, while knocking in two runs, and Sammy Blair drove in one run. Drew Ardoin led Blinn with two runs scored, while Cameron Gibbons and Collins each scored one in the victory.

Only one run was scored in the first six innings of an intense pitching duel between two teams with a conference title on the line. The Buccaneers managed to get the first run across the plate in the third inning after Ardoin hit a single and stole second base for McCalister to bat him in with a single.

Blinn added two more runs in the seventh inning after McCalister was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for Gibbons to score followed by Blair walking the bases loaded for Collins to score.

San Jacinto managed its only two runs in the eighth inning to close in on Blinn 3-2.

In the ninth inning, Ardoin scored on a passed ball to give Blinn a 4-2 cushion and Miller shut down the Gators on defense for the win.

Blinn and San Jacinto will continue the conference series on Saturday, April 28 in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field. The games will feature the Blinn College Alumni & Friends and Lettermen.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(COURTESY: Tara Dreyer, Blinn Information)