BLINN BASEBALL RUN-RULES COASTAL BEND 11-0 IN GAME TWO OF THEIR SERIES
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
Power and pitching were on display for the No. 5 Blinn College baseball team Wednesday during an 11-0 five-inning rout of Coastal Bend College at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers have now won the first two games of their four-game Region 14 South series with the Cougars. Blinn also improved to 26-9 overall and padded its first-place record in the South to 15-4.
The Bucs racked up 10 hits, including three home runs, two doubles, and a triple.
Blinn scored six runs in the first inning and four more in the second before capping the outburst in the fourth.
Ten of the Blinn’s runs came against Coastal Bend starting pitcher Eliezer Paulino, who previously struck out nine Bucs during six no-hit innings of a 7-2 Cougars win on Feb. 26.
This time around, Blinn battered the freshman for seven hits – including two homers – while drawing three walks and striking out just once before chasing him in the second.
“I think that game last month was in the back of our guys’ minds a little bit,” Bucs head coach Dusty Hart said. “Our hitters came to the park today with redemption in mind. They wanted to go out and play well, and they set their minds to it. We had a plan and it was on them to execute that plan and they did a really good job of it.”
The first big blow came during the first inning off the bat of sophomore infielder Jacob Bohacek. He sent a two-run homer – his 11th of the season – to left field for a 2-0 lead. After another run scored on a passed ball, sophomore utility man Benji Barrera added an RBI double and sophomore outfielder Reece Lunsford plated two more with a triple.
Freshman catcher/designated hitter Zachary Tuxhorn hit his seventh homer in the second – a grand slam to center.
Tuxhorn added a solo shot to left to lead off the fourth.
Bohacek, Tuxhorn, and sophomore infielder Hunter Smolinski finished with two hits apiece. Freshman third baseman Ryley Leininger added a double. Tuxhorn finished with five RBIs.
Sophomore starting pitcher Dylan Thompson (4-0) rode the big offensive effort to a five-inning, five-hit shutout. He struck out six with no walks to win his second consecutive start.
“Dylan has a really good mound presence, is super competitive, and he never lets anything bother him,” Hart said. “We know every time he takes the mound he’s going to give us a chance to win. He’s a good example of what a competitive nature and strike throwing does for you.”
The Bucs and Cougars conclude their series with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday in Beeville, Texas.