BLINN BASEBALL OPENS SERIES IN COASTAL BEND WITH AN 8-3 WIN
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
A big day at the plate from Dane Perry and a strong start from Hayden Morris propelled the No. 5 Blinn College baseball team to an 8-3 victory over Coastal Bend College on Tuesday in Beeville, Texas.
The Buccaneers claimed the opener of their Region 14 South series with the Cougars to improve to 25-9 overall and 14-4 in the South standings. Blinn also increased its lead in the division to two games after second-place Wharton County Junior College fell to Galveston College on Monday.
“Starting a series on the road is always going to be a challenge,” Bucs skipper Dusty Hart said, “so we knew we had to play our best ball tonight, especially with Coastal Bend coming off a good series against San Jacinto-North. It was an old-school slugfest, but we got some big performances from Dane and Hayden that got us going.”
Perry smacked a pair of home runs — his fifth and sixth of the season — and added a double as part of a three-hit night. He drove in three runs.
Perry launched a solo shot to center field in the top of the second inning and added a two-run blast to left during a three-run ninth.
“That guy had a day … he picked us up and carried us,” Hart said of the freshman catcher/outfielder. “He’s done exactly what you want to see in a young player. He didn’t play much early, but he kept stacking good days at practice while maintaining a good attitude. He was working hard every day, and you could see the results. It’s kind of how you draw it up. Now he’s making the most of his opportunities.”
Sophomore infielder Jacob Bohacek, sophomore utility player Kason Atkins, and sophomore outfielder Reece Lunsford each doubled as part of the Bucs’ nine-hit attack. Lunsford, sophomore infielder Drew Britton, and sophomore outfielder Brady Sullivan added one hit and one RBI apiece.
Blinn opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning on a Britton RBI single, and Britton later scored on a wild pitch.
Perry made it 3-0 in the second before the Cougars answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning.
Freshman catcher/designated hitter Zachary Tuxhorn scored on a wild pitch in the third to extend the lead to 4-1.
Coastal Bend added solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings to trim the deficit to 4-3.
Lunsford’s RBI double in the eighth gave Blinn some breathing room before Sullivan’s RBI single and Perry’s home run broke the game open in the ninth.
The offensive effort backed another strong outing from Morris (6-2).
The hard-throwing right-hander worked six innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
“Coastal Bend got a couple of big knocks off him because they’re a good hitting ballclub, but I thought he did a good job weathering the storm and settling in,” Hart said. “It’s good to see him get going again, and this was another step in the right direction.”
Sophomore pitcher Ben Polleschultz recorded two outs in the seventh — including one strikeout — before redshirt freshman Marc Barnhard entered. Barnhard worked 1 1/3 innings of one-hit ball with one strikeout.
Sophomore Hudson Melaerts struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.
“Those bullpen guys locked it down for us,” Hart added. “It would’ve been fun to see those guys close out a one-run game, but it’s always good to get insurance runs and finish things stress-free.”
The series between Blinn and Coastal Bend continues at 6 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham.