POLLESCHULTZ TOSSES GEM, FRYMAN HOMERS TWICE AT NO. 4 BLINN BASEBALL OUTLASTS ALVIN

The Buccaneers are one victory away from clinching the Region XIV South for a third consecutive season

The fourth-ranked Blinn College baseball team battled past Alvin Community College for a 4-1 Region XIV South road win Wednesday in Alvin, Texas.

The Buccaneers have won the first two games of the regular-season-ending four-game set with the Dolphins as they look to clinch first place in the South with two games remaining. Blinn leads second-place San Jacinto College-North by 2 1/2 games and needs one more win to wrap up the South and host the Region XIV South Regional for a third consecutive year.

With a sharp wind funneling in from left field Wednesday, freshman pitcher Ben Polleschultz handcuffed Alvin across seven sharp innings, and sophomore Bennett Fryman hit two home runs to lift the Bucs to victory.

Polleschultz, who began the season in the Bucs’ bullpen, began featuring regularly in the starting rotation on April 16 and has since excelled. He improved to 5-0 on the season after limiting the Dolphins to an unearned run on three hits. He struck out seven and didn’t issue a walk.

Alvin starter Justan Autry was equally as effective as he tossed six innings of three-run ball. He gave up five hits and fanned seven.

“You knew after watching the first inning today that both pitchers were locked in,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “Their guy threw the ball really well and Polleschultz was pretty much lights out, so guys were going to have to grind out at bats and find the right pitches to hit. We did just enough of that to come out on top.”

Freshman Kason Atkins, who recently shed his redshirt status to become an official part of the Bucs’ roster, hit his first collegiate home run in the top of the third frame to make it a 1-0 ballgame. 

Then in the sixth, Fryman launched a two-run shot to right field before adding his second homer – a solo shot to right-center – in the eighth. Fryman has gone deep three times in his past two games after blasting a solo shot in the series opener Monday.

Fryman’s two homers highlighted Blinn’s seven-hit attack. Sophomores Lane Allen and Ryder McDaniel each doubled for the Bucs.

Freshman pitcher Hudson Melaerts came on in relief in the eighth inning and allowed one hit with one punchout while recording two outs, and sophomore Hunter Bond struck out two across 1 1/3 frames for his fourth save.

Blinn and Alvin conclude their series with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Friday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.

Story Courtesy of:
Joe Alberico   
Blinn Sports Information Specialist