BUCS SPLIT WITH ALVIN; MURPHY BLASTS FOUR HOMERS

Blinn ends a 10-game losing streak by beating Alvin in opening game

ALVIN, Texas – Trent Murphy was determined to help Blinn College baseball snap a losing streak as he blasted three home runs, including the eventual game-winning solo shot in extra innings to give the Buccaneers a 10-9 victory over Alvin Community College Friday afternoon in Alvin.

Alvin did get a little revenge in the second game with a 10-9 extra innings victory of its own to split the doubleheader on the day. With the split, Blinn’s overall record moves to 19-23 and 9-19 in the Region XIV South Zone standings.

Blinn 10 – Alvin 9

Once Blinn started hitting it became contagious as the Buccaneers put up eight runs in the fourth but needed a late home run from Murphy in the ninth to pull off a 10-9 victory in extra inning over Alvin.

Murphy had himself a great game to help Blinn to the victory as he nailed three home runs and brought in five, including the winning run in the ninth with a solo home run. Angel De La Fuente added a two-run home run. Austen Swift, Colton Parrish and Walker Winders each drove in a run.

Cody Moos entered the game in the sixth inning and pitched four innings and allowed only one run on one hit while striking out four to pick up the win on the bump.

Alvin did all the scoring in the first three innings with four runs in the second and a single run in the third to take a 5-0 lead.

After getting shutout in the two previous games, Blinn wasn’t about to let another game pass by without getting on the scoreboard. Murphy started the scoring with one swing and a solo shot to left to get Blinn within 5-1 in the fourth. De La Fuente followed two batters later with a two-run shot to left to get within 5-3.

Parrish inched the Buccaneers within one run with an RBI single in the infield for the fourth run and Winders tied the game with an RBI single to center to make the score 5-5. Murphy started the fourth the same way that he ended it with by sending a ball over the wall. The latter home run for Murphy was a three-run homer that gave Blinn an 8-5 lead.

Alvin would crawl back into the game with a single run in the bottom of the fourth and then took the lead with three runs in the sixth for a 9-8 advantage.

Down to its final three outs, Blinn started the seventh with a double from Jay Anderson and then Swift came through with an RBI single to center to tie the game at 9-9 and force extra innings. Murphy sent his third home run over the fence to begin the ninth inning and that run eventually turned into the game winner for the Buccaneers in the 10-9 victory.

Alvin 10 – Blinn 9

Blinn nearly pulled off a sweep in Alvin but could not hold onto a 9-4 heading into the final inning as Alvin came back to score five in the seventh and win the game in the eighth with a single run to make the final 10-9.

Elijah MacNamee sent a couple of balls over the fence in the second game and drove in four runs. Winders picked up a pair of RBIs while De La Fuente and Swift each drove in one run. After a game with three home runs to begin the day, Murphy added another solo home run in the second game to send four balls over the fence in one day.

Murphy blasted his solo home run to lead off the game for the first run and then MacNamee followed with a solo blast of his own for a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Alvin countered with two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game up at 2-2.

MacNamee singled with two outs in the third inning to get something going for Blinn and Swift was able to drive him in to give Blinn a 3-2 lead. The Buccaneers added to their lead in the fourth when Winders brought in two runs with a single to left for a 5-2 lead. MacNamee helped to cushion the lead with a three-run home run to center for an 8-2 lead for Blinn. Alvin would score two in the fourth to get within 8-4 of Blinn.

De La Fuente added an insurance run for Blinn with a solo home run to right for a 9-4 lead but that wouldn’t be enough insurance as Alvin scored five runs in the seventh to avoid the loss and added the winning run in the eighth to take the 10-9 victory.

Blinn will travel to face Temple College on Monday, April 18 at 4 p.m.

For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

(Story courtesy, Jake Gordon, Blinn Information)