SHAW AND POLLESCHULTZ DOMINATE IN RELIEF, GONZALEZ PROVIDES GO-AHEAD HOMER IN NINTH FOR WORLD SERIES WIN OVER SOUTHWESTERN

The Buccaneers continue their run with an elimination game against Johnson County at 2 p.m. CT on Monday

Ethan Gonzalez believes chewing gum at the plate has led to a calmer, more focused offensive approach.

Nobody watching Sunday’s dramatic ninth inning will argue with the results.

Gonzalez completed Blinn College’s stunning four-run rally in the top of the ninth with a go-ahead, three-run home run to propel the Buccaneers to a 14-13 victory over Florida SouthWestern State College in elimination play at the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series on Sunday in Grand Junction, Colo.

Fifth-ranked Blinn (47-14) staved off elimination one day after dropping its World Series opener to Lake Land College. The Buccaneers, who are attempting to repeat as national champions, sent SouthWestern packing Sunday after digging themselves out of a 13-6, sixth-inning deficit.

Blinn will now face Johnson County Community College in another elimination matchup at 2 p.m. CT on Monday.

Gonzalez’s big fly to left-center field in the ninth – his second of the tournament and ninth hit in 11 at bats in the World Series – capped his team’s furious rally against SouthWestern.

“I sat in the dugout and watched their pitcher (Nicholas Lorenz) throw first-pitch slider after first-pitch slider to our right-handed hitters,” Gonzalez explained, “so, I went up to the plate in that big moment looking for that slider, and that’s what he gave me on the first pitch. I didn’t know it was gone right off the bat, but when I saw SouthWestern’s left fielder race back a little further and a little further, my heart started racing a little bit and then emotions just got me when I saw it go over.”

Since Gonzalez began his gum-chewing venture, he has raised his batting average from .254 on April 1 to .364 by the conclusion of Thursday’s ballgame. He is 27 for 51 during his current stretch. 

Thursday’s rally began with back-to-back singles from sophomores Caden Ferraro and Matt Quintanar, and sophomore Bennett Fryman cut SouthWestern’s lead to 13-11 on an RBI single to right. Gonzalez then stepped to the plate and provided the exclamation point.

Gonzalez was a member of the 2024 Bucs team that earned the program’s first national championship, but returned this season as just one of a small handful of second-year players from that squad.

“Our backs have been against the wall for what feels like the entire year, and tonight was nothing new for us,” Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. “With as many players as we lost from last year’s championship ballclub, I’m not sure anybody would’ve picked us to win our region this year, much less come back here looking to repeat as champions. These guys we have on this team are trying to prove to themselves and everyone else that they can be every bit as good as the team that brought home the championship last season, and it has been fun to watch.”

Blinn racked up 18 hits, including Gonzalez’s 3-for-5, four-RBI night. He also doubled twice.

Fryman finished 4 for 5, Ferraro had three hits and drove in a run, and Quintanar and freshmen Trey Craig and Drew Britton had two hits apiece. Britton drove in three RBIs, and Craig along with sophomore Ryder McDaniel and freshman Kason Atkins each plated one run.

On the mound, starting pitcher Hayden Morris worked 3 1/3 innings before exiting in the fourth with his team trailing 8-7. Sophomore reliever Hunter Bond lasted 1 1/3  frames as SouthWestern’s lead grew to 13-7.

From there, freshman Cadyn Shaw made his return to the mound one day after tossing 28 pitches against Lake Land. Shaw fared far better in his second World Series outing. He allowed three hits across 2 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. His effort was then complemented by a flawless effort from freshman Ben Polleschultz, who came on to begin the eighth.

Polleschultz (7-1) threw two perfect innings while striking out three to earn the win.

“I knew my team needed me and I knew none of us were ready to go home yet,” Polleschultz said. “I was prepared to do everything I could to extend our run to at least one more game. One Gonzalez hit that homer in the ninth, I was ready to go back out and finish the job.”

The Bucs scored two runs in each of the first three frames and led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the third before SouthWestern rallied for four runs to tie the game. Blinn pushed one run across in the top of the fourth but SouthWestern answered with another four-run inning in its half of the frame to move ahead. SouthWestern then made it 13-7 with a three-spot in the fifth. 

The Bucs got three back in the sixth on an Atkins RBI single and a two-run double from Britton.

Story Courtesy of:
Joe Alberico   
Blinn Sports Information Specialist