BLINN SOFTBALL SPLITS WITH LAMAR STATE

The Blinn College softball team began Region XIV play with a doubleheader split at Lamar State College-Port Arthur on Thursday in Port Arthur, Texas.

The Buccaneers held on for a 6-3 victory in game one but dropped a 6-2 decision in game two.

Blinn moved to 16-10-1 on the season and started its region slate with a 1-1 mark.

The Bucs built a 6-0 lead over the Seahawks in the opener, but the hosts rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh to end the shutout. 

“We got that first win, but the three runs scored in the bottom of seventh gave Lamar State some huge momentum for game two,” Church said.

Blinn did all of its game-one damage through the first five innings of play.

Sophomore Alayna Calvillo’s RBI single made it 1-0 in the first, and a run-scoring single from sophomore Alyssa Boozy gave the Bucs a 2-0 edge in the third.

In the fourth frame, freshman Grace Bracken drove in a run on a ground out before fellow freshman Darian DeLeon doubled in another run for a 4-0 cushion. Sophomore Erynne Castillo later drilled a double to make it 5-0.

In the fifth, freshman Kayden Harms doubled to make it 6-0.

The Bucs finished with 12 hits, led by a 3-for-4 ballgame for freshman Haley Hughes, and two hits apiece for Harms and DeLeon.

The Seahawks took advantage of some Blinn defensive errors in the seventh inning to generate some offense, but Bucs sophomore pitcher Peyton Welker weathered the storm to earn the complete-game victory. Welker allowed three unearned runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks.

Game two was almost a complete flip-flop of the opener, as Port Arthur scored six runs by the end of the fifth frame before the Bucs went into rally mode in the seventh.

Blinn tallied seven hits, with Castillo and sophomore Ripley Welker picking up two apiece. Welker hit a solo home run in the seventh while Castillo doubled and also drove in a run.

Freshman pitcher Paige Bunting took the loss for the Bucs following 4 2/3 innings of work. She allowed six runs (four earned) on six hits with three walks and one strikeout.

Blinn continues its season with a region twin bill at Coastal Bend College beginning at 1 p.m. this (Friday) in Beeville, Texas.