NO. 5 BLINN BASEBALL DROPS REGION XIV SOUTH REGIONAL OPENER TO PARIS

The Buccaneers take on Northeast Texas in a must-win consolation game at 2 p.m. Friday

The fifth-ranked Blinn College baseball team is suddenly on the ropes following a tough 4-3 loss to Paris Junior College in the Region XIV South Regional opener Thursday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.

The first-seeded Buccaneers (40-13) will need to win three consecutive games to win the regional, while one more loss will bring their season to an end. 

Blinn faces Northeast Texas Community College in a consolation matchup at 2 p.m. on Friday in Brenham. The winner will advance to face the loser of the Paris-Wharton County Junior College matchup, which takes place at 6 p.m. Friday. Northeast fell to Wharton County 4-2 on Thursday. 

The fourth-seeded Dragons led Blinn from start to finish Thursday, grabbing a 3-0 lead against Bucs freshman starting pitcher Ben Polleschultz in the top of the second inning before getting a solo home run against freshman relief pitcher Cadyn Shaw in the third.

Blinn staged a three-run rally in the sixth frame but stranded the tying run on second in the eighth and lined into a double play with a runner on first to end the game.

“It was a good, close game, but we made too many little mistakes,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “We didn't pitch or play great defense early and it cost us. Paris got the big hits and made the big plays they needed to. We had our opportunities and just didn't take advantage of them.”

Paris out-hit Blinn 9-8. 

Leading the way offensively for the Bucs was freshman Kason Atkins with two hits. Freshmen Drew Britton and Reece Lunsford each had a hit and drove in a run, and sophomore Ryder McDaniel drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Polleschultz fell to 5-1 on the season after working two innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout. After giving up the homer in the third, Shaw was fantastic across 6 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed an earned run on four hits with six punchouts and a walk. Sophomore Hunter Bond got two outs in the ninth, including a strikeout.

Story Courtesy of:
Joe Alberico   
Blinn Sports Information Specialist