BLINN BASEBALL GETS A DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP OVER ALVIN

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

A pair of come-from-behind victories propelled the No. 5 Blinn College baseball team to a Region 14 South series sweep of Alvin Community College on Saturday in Alvin, Texas.

The Buccaneers completed their three-game brooming of the Dolphins with 4-3 and 12-9 wins in Saturday’s doubleheader.

“We just felt like today was going to be a battle from start to finish, and it was,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “Alvin has had a tough start to the season, but its record is not a reflection of the talent it has. They gave us a fight.”

Blinn (18-7, 8-2 South) captured the opener largely thanks to another stellar outing from redshirt freshman pitcher Luke Ekdall.

After opening the season 0-3 despite several strong performances, Ekdall earned his third consecutive victory Saturday. He limited the Dolphins to two third-inning runs (one earned) across six innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out 10. It marked his third double-digit strikeout performance of the season.

Ekdall now leads the Buccaneers with 59 punchouts in just 36 2/3 innings.

“On the road, your back is automatically against the wall, and Ekdall just shrugged that off and shoved for us,” Hart said. “He matched Alvin’s starter inning for inning and really gave us everything he had to keep us in it.”

After cutting into the deficit on sophomore infielder Jacob Bohacek’s RBI single in the fifth inning, Blinn rewarded Ekdall’s effort with a go-ahead rally in the seventh.

Walks to sophomore outfielder Caden Baker and freshman catcher AJ DePaolo set the table for sophomore infielder Hunter Smolinski, who singled home the tying run. Bohacek followed with a base hit before sophomore first baseman Drew Britton delivered an RBI infield single to put the Bucs ahead. Freshman catcher Zachary Tuxhorn capped the scoring with an RBI double to center field.

“I had a feeling in the seventh that we’d be in a good spot if we could just get a couple of guys on base,” Hart said. “Your best players have to make plays if you want to win, and those guys stepped up in a big way.”

Sophomore pitcher Hudson Melaerts secured the win with a dominant seventh inning, earning his first of two saves on the day. He retired the side on a groundout, a lineout, and a strikeout.

“We feel like if we can get a lead in the last inning, regardless of who we’re playing, it’s going to be tough to score on Melaerts,” Hart added. “We feel really good about him on the bump when we have a chance to win.”

Blinn finished with nine hits in game one, including two apiece from Bohacek and Britton.

In the nightcap, Alvin appeared poised to salvage the series after building an 8-1 lead through four innings.

The Buccaneers had other plans.

Blinn stormed back with a five-run fifth inning before taking the lead for good with three more runs in the sixth.

Britton highlighted the fifth with a two-run double, Tuxhorn added an RBI single, and freshman third baseman Ryley Leininger belted a two-run home run to make it 8-6.

In the sixth, three consecutive hit batters loaded the bases before a walk to Britton trimmed the deficit to one. Tuxhorn then grounded into a double play that allowed the tying run to score, and Bohacek later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give Blinn a 9-8 advantage.

“That honestly might have been the biggest win of the season,” Hart said. “We just stacked good at-bats on top of good at-bats and chipped and clawed our way back. These guys really showed their grit and makeup.”

Smolinski extended the lead with a two-run double in the seventh. After Alvin plated a run in the eighth, Smolinski put the finishing touch on the comeback with a solo home run in the ninth — his team-high-tying ninth of the season — to make it 12-9.

Smolinski led Blinn’s 12-hit attack with a 4-for-5 performance and three RBIs. Tuxhorn added three hits and continued his breakout freshman campaign. He is batting .500 (40-for-80) with a .612 on-base percentage in 24 games, recording at least one hit in all but three contests and reaching base in all but two. His average has not dipped below .429 all season.

Leininger finished with two hits, two walks, and two RBIs, while Britton drove in three runs.

Sophomore left-hander Ben Polleschultz earned the victory with 4 1/3 innings of effective relief. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts to improve to 3-0.

“When your starter struggles, it’s big to have someone come out of the bullpen and get you back in the game the way Polleschultz did,” Hart said. “We probably don’t win that game without him.”

Sophomore Hayden Morris received a no-decision after allowing six earned runs on three hits with five walks and three strikeouts in three innings.

Freshman Trevor Moore provided a scoreless inning of relief, recording the final two outs of the eighth and the first out of the ninth before Melaerts entered to close the game.

With runners on first and second, Melaerts struck out the first batter he faced and induced a game-ending groundout. He now has six saves in six opportunities and owns a nifty 1.74 earned run average.

“Just a heck of a way to end the day,” Hart said.

Blinn looks to stay hot in South play when it opens a four-game series against Galveston College at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham.