BLINN BASEBALL OPENS SERIES AGAINST WHARTON WITH A WIN
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
Control of the Region 14 South was on the line Thursday as the division’s top two baseball teams squared off in Wharton, Texas.
Following a 7-3 victory over Wharton County Junior College, the South is now No. 3 Blinn College and everybody else.
The Buccaneers’ fourth consecutive win snapped a first-place tie with the Pioneers and put the Bucs (23-8, 12-3 South) in control of the division with two games remaining in the series.
“Going on the road against the team you’re tied with for first place, we knew we were going to have to bring our A game,” Blinn skipper Dusty Hart said. “You know what’s at stake, but the goal is still to play good baseball and we did that tonight.”
The Bucs got a solid start from sophomore pitcher Dylan Thompson, who tossed seven sparkling innings while improving to 3-0. He allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits and tied his season-high with eight strikeouts without issuing a walk.
“Dylan is definitely a guy that we want on the mound every week,” Hart said. “We feel confident that he matches up well against anybody. He has so many pitches he can throw for strikes and it can be hard to get a good swing off of him. Even when Wharton did get to him tonight, he came right back and threw strikes and got outs.”
Sophomore pitchers Ben Polleschultz and Hudson Melaerts followed with scoreless outings in the eighth and ninth innings.
Blinn scored in each of the first five innings and never trailed.
Freshman third baseman Ryley Leininger roped an RBI single and sophomore utility man Beni Barrera added an RBI groundout in the first frame to make it 2-0.
Sophomore infielder Hunter Smolinski made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the second, and after the Pioneers got two back in their half of the frame, Blinn tacked on again in the third.
A wild pitch brought Leininger home to make it 4-2.
With the bases loaded in the fourth, freshman catcher/designated hitter Zachary Tuxhorn was hit by a pitch to drive in another run.
The Pioneers got one back in the bottom of the fourth.
In the fifth, sophomore outfielder Reece Lunsford scored on a wild pitch. Sophomore infielder Jacob Bohacek added a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring in the seventh inning.
Blinn finished with nine hits – all singles – including a 2-for-3 day for freshman catcher AJ DePaolo.
The two teams will conclude the series with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.