BLINN BASEBALL BOUNCES BACK WITH A 16-6 WIN OVER LSU-EUNICE
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The Blinn College baseball team kept its season alive Wednesday at the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series.
The third-ranked and second-seeded Buccaneers defeated sixth-ranked and fifth-seeded Louisiana State University Eunice 16-6 in six innings in an elimination game at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo.
Blinn improved to 3-1 at the World Series and is attempting to duplicate the same path to a championship it took while capturing its first national title in 2024. The Bucs opened that year’s tournament with a 2-0 record before falling in the quarterfinal round. Blinn then rattled off three consecutive victories to secure the crown.
The Bucs advanced to the next round of elimination play and will face 24th-ranked and sixth-seeded Miami Dade College in a rematch at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday. Miami Dade defeated Blinn 7-3 in quarterfinal action Tuesday, but fell to top-ranked and top-seeded Johnson County on Wednesday night.
Wednesday’s victory was a welcomed sight for the Bucs after they managed just seven hits in their loss to Miami Dade.
Blinn racked up 14 hits and drew eight walks against LSU-Eunice, showcasing the brand of offensive baseball the Bucs have hung their hats on in recent years.
“We were really disappointed in our effort against Miami Dade because that performance just wasn’t us,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “Today’s response speaks to the type of kids we have on this year’s ballclub. They’re a bunch of resilient guys who are as close as any group I’ve ever had.”
Blinn (48-13) jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and three more in the second for a commanding 6-0 advantage before the Bengals rallied with three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
“I don’t know if our guys know enough about the history of LSU-Eunice and coach (Jeff) Willis, but it certainly didn’t surprise me at all when they came back and tied the game,” Hart added. “I knew they weren’t going to go away, and in this ballpark, nobody goes away. You have to be ready to play all nine innings. We were just ready to get going again in the fifth and score the last run to end it.”
Blinn responded emphatically after the Bengals tied the game with their three-run fifth, erupting for nine runs in the bottom half of the inning to regain control for good.
With one out in the home half of the frame, sophomore outfielder Reece Lunsford got things going for the Bucs with a single. He moved to second on sophomore outfielder Brady Sullivan’s base hit before sophomore second baseman Hunter Smolinski walked to load the bases.
Blinn then took the lead for good when sophomore shortstop Jacob Bohacek was hit by a pitch to plate Lunsford. Sophomore first baseman Drew Britton followed with an RBI single before freshman catcher Zachary Tuxhorn pushed the lead to three runs with a sacrifice fly.
The runs kept coming as freshman third baseman Ryley Leininger knocked in two more with a single, and Lunsford returned to the plate and delivered an RBI base hit. Smolinski capped the outburst with a two-run single for a 15-6 cushion.
The Bengals attempted to climb off the ropes in the top of the sixth and put the first two hitters of the frame on base, but Bucs freshman pitcher Trevor Moore escaped the jam with a groundball double play and a fly out.
Blinn returned to the plate in the bottom of the inning and got going again when Tuxhorn was hit by a pitch. Sophomore utility man Benji Barrera followed with a single before Leininger hit a groundball to second base that resulted in a throwing error, allowing Tuxhorn to cross the plate with the game-ending run.
Lunsford, who struck out four times during Tuesday’s loss, helped lead the turnaround Wednesday. He went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
“We just had to get back to our brand of baseball and settle back in,” he explained. “Everyone on this team remembered who we were, and we got back to passing the bats and not caring who gets the job done. Guys were having unselfish at bats and taking their walks, and that’s what allowed us to pull away.”
Smolinski went 4 for 4 with a double out of the leadoff spot and added a walk, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Britton tripled as part of a two-hit ballgame and scored three times while driving in three runs. Leininger added three RBIs, and Barrera finished with two hits.
On the mound, freshman Trevor Moore (5-1) earned the win in relief. He worked two innings of two-hit ball and struck out one batter while walking one.
Redshirt freshman Travis Minard settled for a no-decision following a gutsy effort on the mound. He allowed six earned runs on eight hits across four innings while striking out six and walking three.