BUCS BASEBALL TAKES 3-OF-4 FROM WHARTON

Bucs sweep Saturday -- split pair on Sunday.

SATURDAY

BRENHAM, Texas – Blinn College baseball took full advantage of an opportunity to move up in the standings by beating Wharton County Junior College twice by the score of 6-1 and 6-5 Saturday evening at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham.

The pair of victories gives the Buccaneers a four-game winning streak and improves their overall record to 13-9 and 5-5 in Region XIV play. Wharton sits in fourth place after tonight’s games with a 4-6 record in conference.

“We were really looking to get two wins today and then roll over to Wharton and have the momentum with us,” said Blinn assistant coach Jordan Kopycinski. “If we win the first game tomorrow then we win the series and that is what it’s all about.”

Blinn 6 – Wharton 1

Blinn got a quality effort on the mound from Blaine Suehs and all the run support it needed in the first two innings to take the opening game 6-1 over Wharton.

Suehs started and pitched five innings of four-hit ball while striking out seven. Beau O’Hara came on in the sixth and gave up only one run in two innings to preserve the win for Suehs.

Angel De La Fuente delivered the bulk of the offense with two home runs and three runs batted in for the Buccaneers. Sam McElreath had an RBI double and Patrick King also hit a double in the win.

Blinn jumped on Wharton in the first inning when Jay Anderson led off with a walk and then came around to score on a double hit by McElreath to right-center for a 1-0 lead. De La Fuente doubled the lead in the second with a solo home run to left for a 2-0 edge.

The Buccaneers were able to take advantage of a couple Wharton errors to increase its lead as King and Elijah MacNamee both scored after an error for a 4-0 lead. King reached base with a double and MacNamee reached on an error. Wharton did get one run in the sixth to pull within 4-1 of Blinn.

After Wharton hit Hillin Warren with a pitch to begin the sixth, De La Fuente made Wharton pay for the mistake by blasting his second home run to left for a commanding 6-1 lead that would hold up as the final score.

Blinn 6 – Wharton 5

Blinn was able to overcome giving up a grand slam and trailing 4-1 in the fourth to come from behind and secure a 6-5 victory to seal the sweep over Wharton.

The Buccaneers blasted three home runs in the second game as George Pappas knocked two in with his while Anderson and Walker Winders both blasted solo shots. Anderson also added a double for a two-hit nightcap while Austen Swift added a single and double in the win.

“Pitching did well for us today and we were able to supply enough runs,” Anderson said. “Hopefully we can carry over this momentum into tomorrow when we face Wharton again.”

Nick Masarik overcame giving up a grand slam to pitch 5 1-3 innings to get the win while striking out five. Nathan Alexander picked up the extended save after sealing the victory with 3 2-3 innings pitched and allowing only one run while punching out five.

Anderson helped Blinn strike first with a solo home run to right for a 1-0 lead in the third. That lead didn’t last long as Wharton scored four runs in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.

The Buccaneers would fight back in the fifth when De La Fuente led off with a walk and Pappas followed with a home run just below the scoreboard in left to get within 4-3 of Wharton. Winders tied the game with a solo home run the following at bat to make the score 4-4. MacNamee capped the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to center to give Blinn a 5-4 lead.

“I think I am starting to settle down at the plate,” Pappas said, who is a transfer from the University of Houston. “I think coming to a new school it took some getting used to but now I am getting comfortable with my teammates and coaches.”

Swift helped to tack on a much-needed insurance run in the sixth as he started the inning off with a double and then eventually scored on a balk for a 6-4 edge. That run proved vital as Wharton added a run in the seventh to get within 6-5 but that would be as close as Alexander would let the game get as the Buccaneers held on for the sweep.

SUNDAY

WHARTON, Texas – Blinn College baseball was able to recover after falling behind 5-3 to come back and beat Wharton County Junior College 7-5 in the opening game of a doubleheader to earn the series win Sunday afternoon in Wharton.

Wharton did edge the Buccaneers in the nightcap 11-8 to split the doubleheader but Blinn was able to win three of four during the weekend to improve to 14-10 overall and 6-6 in Region XIV play.

Blinn 7 – Wharton 5

Blinn trailed 5-3 after two innings in Wharton but the Buccaneers were able to fight back and earn the 7-5 victory to open the doubleheader and win the weekend series.

Blinn blasted four home runs in the win led by Elijah MacNamee with a home run, double and a single with three runs batted in and only needed a triple for the cycle. Jay Anderson hit a solo home run and a single while Trent Murphy and Angel De La Fuente each hit a home run in the run.

Justin Penney was able to recover from a bumpy start to go five innings allowing five runs while striking out six in the victory on the mound. Beau O’Hara came in the game in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save.

Blinn got started in the first inning when Anderson led off with a single and then trotted home after a home run by MacNamee for a 2-0 lead. The lead was short-lived as Wharton countered with four in the bottom of the first for a 4-2 advantage.

Murphy helped to get Blinn within a run with a solo home run to left to make the score 4-3 in the top of the second. Again Wharton countered with a single run in the bottom half to increase its lead to 5-3.

The rest of the game belonged to Blinn as Penney and O’Hara stopped Wharton from touching the plate again for the rest of the game and the offense helped with a comeback victory. Anderson belted a solo home run in the fifth to left to get the Buccaneers with 5-4.

Blinn went for the lead in the sixth when Austen Swift started the inning with a double and then trotted around the bases after a two-run home run by De La Fuente for a 6-5 lead. The Buccaneers went after an insurance run in the seventh when Anderson walked and MacNamee brought him in with a double to right for a 7-5 lead that would hold up for the final score.

Wharton 11 – Blinn 8

Blinn had a chance for the four-game sweep of Wharton as the Buccaneers led 7-5 in the eighth inning but Wharton warded off the sweep with a late rally for an 11-8 victory in the nightcap.

Wharton struck first with a single run in the first inning but Blinn would counter in the third. Walker Winders started the inning with a single and was knocked in with a double by Anderson to center to knot the game at 1-1. Anderson later scored on an error for a 2-1 Blinn advantage. Wharton scored two runs in the bottom of the third to regain a 3-2 lead.

Murphy helped to tie the game up again with a solo home run in the fourth to left to make the score 3-3 and then Colton Parrish followed with a solo home run of his own in the fifth inning to left for a 4-3 lead. Wharton countered with a single run in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4-4.

The back and forth game continued when Swift nailed a solo home run in the sixth to retake the lead at 5-4. Wharton countered with a single run in the bottom half to knot the game up at 5-5.

Blinn looked to take the lead for good in the seventh with Anderson started it with a single and was brought in by a single through the infield by Sam McElreath for a 6-5 lead. Parrish added his second home run of the game in the eighth for a 7-5 Blinn advantage. Wharton took control of the game with four runs in the eighth to take an 11-7 lead. MacNamee hit a solo home run in the ninth but that would be the final run scored by Blinn in the 11-8 loss.

Blinn will be back home on Wednesday, March 16 against South Suburban College for a game at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(Story & photos courtesy, Jake Gordon, Blinn Information)