BLINN BASEBALL SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER OVER GRAYSON COLLEGE

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The second-ranked Blinn College baseball team brought out the big bats once again to finish off a series sweep of Grayson College on Wednesday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.

The Buccaneers swept a doubleheader from the Vikings 13-2 (5 inn.) and 9-3 to complete a dominant three-game set against Blinn head coach Dusty Hart’s former team.

“This was a really well-played series from top to bottom; I can’t find any negatives,” said Hart, who became the Bucs’ skipper in 2023 following 17 seasons as Grayson’s head coach. “We’ve challenged our players with a difficult schedule so far – I’d put our schedule up against any team’s in junior college baseball – but they’ve answered the call and are learning and growing from it.”

Prior to its series with the Vikings, Blinn (8-5) was in a mini funk in which it scored just two runs during a rare three-game losing streak. The Bucs broke out in a big way against Grayson, totaling 37 runs on 44 hits during the sweep.

“During this early part of the season, we’ve been trying to find our identity as an offense, and I think things are starting to roll for us,” sophomore second baseman Hunter Smolinski said.

Out of the one and two holes in the Blinn lineup, respectively, Smolinski and sophomore shortstop Jacob Bohacek played pivotal roles in the sweep, with Wednesday serving as an impressive crescendo.

Smolinksi went 5 for 8 with a double, two home runs, and five RBIs in the doubleheader and finished the series 9 of 13.

Not to be outdone, Bohacek went 7 of 13 against the Vikings with a homer in each of the three games while driving in eight runs.

Freshman catcher/designated hitter Zachary Tuxhorn was equally impressive with a 7-of-11 hitting performance with a double, two homers, and seven RBIs.

“I think the biggest thing for us is remembering that offensively, we have to work as a group,” Bohacek said. “When we're getting our hacks in and passing the bat to the next hitter, everybody is benefitting.”

Wednesday started with an offensive eruption in game one which was bolstered by an eight-run second inning.

The Bucs got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when Smolinski led off with a solo homer. Bohacek immediately followed with a triple and came home on a one-out RBI single by Tuxhorn.

A run-scoring error and an RBI double by Smolinski got the Bucs going in the second frame, and Bohacek lifted a two-run blast to left field to make it 6-0.

Freshman third baseman Ryley Leininger doubled in a run, sophomore center fielder Kason Atkins smacked an RBI single, and Leininger and sophomore left fielder Benji Barrera both scored on wild pitches to give the hosts a commanding 10-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Barrera drove in a run with a single and sophomore right fielder Reece Lunsford added a two-run base hit.

The Vikings got two back in the top of the fourth.

Blinn racked up 12 hits, including two apiece for Smolinski, Bohacek, Tuxhorn, and Barrera.

Freshman starting pitcher Trevor Moore worked four innings to improve to 3-0. He allowed two earned runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Freshman hurler Bo Collingwood made his collegiate debut in the fifth inning and struck out one as part of a perfect inning.

In game two, the Bucs continued to hound the Grayson pitching staff to the tune of 17 hits.

Blinn again struck first when Bohacek singled with one out, stole second base, and eventually crossed the plate behind two Vikings errors.

In the second, Atkins hit a solo homer with one out, Lunsford singled before Smolinski smacked a two-run shot, and Leininger added an RBI double to make it a 5-0 Blinn advantage.

Grayson broke up the shutout with one run in the fifth.

Bohacek and sophomore first baseman Drew Britton hit back-to-back homers in the sixth to make it 8-1.

The Vikings added another run in the seventh.

Tuxhorn sent a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the eighth before Grayson closed out the scoring with a solo tally in the ninth.

Smolinski, Bohacek, and Atkins finished with three hits apiece. Britton and Tuxhorn each added two.

Sophomore Jack Garza (1-0) was the pitcher of record after a second consecutive gem on the mound. He followed up six scoreless innings in a no-decision against Temple on Feb. 11 with another six-inning effort Wednesday. He limited the Vikings to one earned run on two hits while punching out seven.

Redshirt freshman Marc Barnhard worked the seventh and eighth frames and allowed two earned runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore Dylan Thompson got three outs in the ninth – including a pair of strikeouts – to end it.

“We knew coming into the season our staff would be a strength for us,” Hart said. “We have quite a bit of depth, and a guy like Jack Garza is proof of that. It’s a good feeling knowing your pitchers will give you a chance to win every time you take the field.”

Up next, Blinn travels to Temple College for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday in Temple, Texas.