NO. 4 BLINN BASEBALL MISSES OUT ON SOUTH CLINCHER IN GAME ONE OF TWIN BILL WITH ALVIN, BEFORE RAINS SUSPENDS FINALE

The Buccaneers were leading the Dolphins 6-0 in game two, which will resume at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Brenham, Texas

The No. 4 Blinn College baseball team’s season-ending quest for a Region XIV South crown was delayed Friday – twice.

The Buccaneers fell to South foe Alvin Community College 11-3 in the opener of a doubleheader at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas, before rain washed out the finale in the fourth inning.

Game two, which is the regular-season finale for both teams, was suspended with Blinn leading the Dolphins 6-0. The contest will resume at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Brenham.

The Bucs are currently 39-12 overall and 27-7 in the South, and will capture the South title for a third consecutive season with a victory. Second-place San Jacinto College-North swept Coastal Bend College on Friday and finished 27-8 in the South standings. The Ravens hold a tiebreaking 4-3, head-to-head record over the Bucs and would overtake Blinn in the standings should Alvin rally for the sweep Saturday.

The winner of the South will host the Region XIV South Regional Tournament, which has been played at Leroy Dreyer Field the past two seasons.

Alvin got the best of Blinn in game one Friday, as the Bucs were unable to build on an early 2-0 lead.

The Dolphins struck back with solo tallies in the second and fourth frames before taking the lead for good with a three-run fifth. Alvin then blew the game open with a five spot in the sixth and capped the outburst with a run in the seventh.

The Bucs finished with seven hits, including two apiece for sophomores Caden Ferraro and Matt Quintanar. Ferraro hit a solo home run – his 15th of the year – to cut the Dolphins’ lead to 5-3 in the fifth.

Sophomore starting pitcher Brok Eddy was charged with the loss and fell to 9-3 on the year. A pair of defensive errors led to two unearned runs on Eddy’s docket. He worked four innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts. 

Freshman Matt Taylor and sophomore Ryan Hanks appeared in relief.

In game two, the Bucs came storming out of the gate with two runs in the first and four more in the third.

After sophomore Bennett Fryman reached on an error to open the first, Ferraro smacked a double to right field to open the scoring. Quintanar followed with a walk and sophomore Lane Allen laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both baserunners. Freshman Trey Craig then grounded an RBI single to left field.

In the third, Craig made it 3-0 on an RBI single before freshman Reece Lunsford tripled to drive him in. Freshman Kason Atkins – who was activated Monday after spending most of the season as a redshirt – stepped to the plate and hit his second home run in as many games to make it 6-0.

Blinn was out-hitting Alvin 9-1 before a storm overtook Brenham. Freshman starting pitcher Hayden Morris was cruising before the delay. He was working on a one-hitter with three strikeouts and no walks.

Story Courtesy of:
Joe Alberico   
Blinn Sports Information Specialist