BLINN RALLIES TO BEAT WHARTON 12-8

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

Broomsticks on Sunday, boomsticks on Tuesday.

Fresh off a key Region XIV South sweep, the No. 4 Blinn College baseball team kept its momentum going with a home run-fueled, 12-8 come-from-behind victory over South foe Wharton County Junior College on Tuesday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.

The Buccaneers improved to 21-6 overall and pushed their first-place record in the South to 9-2.
"I'm so proud of the way we fought tonight," Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. "We've preached to our guys that if you just turn the scoreboard off in your mind and play baseball, you're never out of it. The score shouldn't dictate how you play, whether you're ahead 8-3 or down 8-2. You have to play the game the right way, and we did that tonight."

After rallying out of an 8-1 deficit Sunday to earn a three-game sweep of Galveston College, Blinn needed a little more magic in its series opener with Wharton County.

The Pioneers led 8-3 midway through the ballgame before the Bucs brought out the big bats, hitting four home runs between the fifth and eighth innings to complete the exciting rally.

With the game tied 8-all in the eighth, a two-run homer from sophomore Caden Ferraro – his second of the night – put Blinn ahead for good.

"I'm just super happy with how we've been able to bounce back after falling behind these past couple of games," Ferraro said. "Sometimes it takes a slap to the face to wake up and realize it's time to get going. We've established the mindset that no matter the score or the situation, we're still in the game and we can still make something happen."

Tuesday's comeback was made possible with the Bucs' lineup of potent bats. Blinn pounded out 14 hits, including five home runs. Sophomore Matt Quintanar matched Ferraro with two home runs, including a solo shot that made it 7-3 in the third.

After the Pioneers added their final run of night in the fifth, the Bucs put their rally caps on.

Ferraro hit his first longball of the night – a two-run shot to left field – to make it 8-5 in the home half of the fifth. Later in the inning, with two outs, sophomore Ryan Williams hit an RBI single to pull his team within two.

Williams also had a big play in the top of the sixth when, with a Pioneer at every base, he made a sliding catch in left field and immediately popped up and threw home, where Wharton's baserunner was tagged out trying to score from third.

Blinn's offense kept rolling in the sixth as sophomore Lane Allen lined a home run to center field before Quintanar added a solo blast to right to knot the score at eight.

Then in the eighth frame, with two outs and a runner on first, Ferraro mashed the fourth pitch he saw to center field.

"Hitting the ball over the fence is a lot of fun, but it goes back to how we want to play and our approach at the plate," Ferraro explained. "You have to wait for your pitch, and when you get it you have to be ready."

Following Ferraro's heroics, the Bucs weren't finished. Quintanar and sophomore Bennett Fryman followed with back-to-back singles and freshman Trey Craig lined a two-run triple to right to close out the scoring.
Quintanar finished the game with four hits and two RBIs. Ferraro had a team-best four RBIs and two hits, and Craig and Williams also had two hits apiece. 

Backing Blinn's opportunistic offense was a stellar relief performance from its bullpen. 

After sophomore starting pitcher Reece Wagner exited with two outs in the third, freshmen Matt Taylor, Ben Polleschultz, and Bryce McCain combined for two runs across 6 1/3 innings.

McCain allowed the first two Pioneers he faced in the ninth to reach but quickly bounced back with a strikeout. During the ensuing at bat, a ball in the dirt prompted Wharton's baserunners to leave their respective bases, but Quintanar – Blinn's catcher – quickly scooped up the ball and fired to Ferraro at first, where he tagged Braelon Richardson for a successful pick off.

McCain then punched out Wharton's final hitter of the game to end it.

Polleschultz earned the win behind two scoreless innings in which he walked one and struck out three. Sophomore Reece Wagner started and settled for a no-decision.

"I'm excited about the offense and the home runs were great to see, but I don't want anything to take away from the efforts of Taylor, Polleschultz, and McCain," Hart said. "Once they started putting up zeroes for us and stopped Wharton's momentum, it gave us a chance to get back into the game."

The series continues with a nine-inning ballgame at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Wharton.