BLINN BUCS CRUSH MCLENNAN 13-3

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

With his team playing a rare Monday ballgame, Blinn College baseball head coach Dusty Hart opted to deploy a trio of relief pitchers against 13th-ranked McLennan Community College.

It was a masterful master plan. 

Three bullpen hurlers limited the Highlanders to three runs – all in the first inning – and tossed six shutout frames en route to a 13-3 run-rule victory for the No. 7 Buccaneers at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.

"What our bullpen achieved today was great to see because it's what we've been searching for," Hart said. "We've relied on a couple of guys in the pen this season and needed some other guys to step up and show they could perform and be counted on. We go there today and hopefully these guys can build off of what they did today."

Freshman pitcher Ben Polleschultz, making his fourth appearance of the season and his first start, surrendered three earned runs in the top of the first inning, but after Blinn tied things up in the home half of the frame, he settled down and worked a scoreless second while getting two more outs in the third. He allowed two hits and three walks.

Sophomore Dillon Henson earned the victory after coming on to toss 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He didn't allow a hit, walked three, and struck out two.

Freshman Matt Taylor capped the day with 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief. He walked one and fanned one.

Making things a little bit easier for the pitching staff was the Bucs' potent offense.

Blinn's lineup produced 12 hits – including six doubles – and drew eight walks.

After tying the game in the first, the Bucs added three more in both the second and third innings before tacking on two in the fifth and seventh frames.

"All around, I don't know how you could have a better game than we did today," Hart added. "We were in the right place mentally from the outset. It's scary what this team is capable of when they're locked in; the possibilities are endless, we just have to continue to show up to the park to play the game the right way every day."

Sophomore Bennett Fryman had two doubles as part of a three-hit day and drove in three runs. Freshman Reece Lunsford also had three hits and a pair of two-baggers to go with two RBIs. Sophomores Lane Allen and Caden Ferraro had two hits and a double apiece. Allen knocked in a pair and Ferraro plated one. Sophomore Ryan Williams and freshman Drew Britton drove in one run each.

"Offensively, they're getting the message," Hart explained. "We've been preaching to them to be unselfish and to take the game as it comes. We have to play this game as a team to win; one person is not going to beat nine people. It was really good to see us take the right approach against a great team like McLennan."

Blinn gets back to Region XIV South play when it opens a three-game series against South leader Galveston College at 6 p.m. on Thursday in Galveston, Texas. The series concludes with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Leroy Dreyer Field (1:35pm pregame on KWHI). The Whitecaps currently sit at 6-1 in the standings, while the Bucs are half a game back at 5-2.