BUCS TAKE THREE-OF-FOUR FROM WHARTON

Pitching, defense lead Buccaneers to pair 5-2 victories

FRIDAY

With a pair of 5-2 victories Friday, the Blinn baseball team began the second half of Region XIV Conference just the way coach Harvey McIntyre hoped for.

Heading into Saturday’s play, the Buccaneers are in prime position to pick up a conference series win and potentially a sweep against the Wharton Pioneers at 2 p.m. in Wharton.

Nolan Brown rocketed a two-run double in center field in the bottom of the fourth of Game 1, which allowed Blinn to pull ahead 5-2.

Brown was 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the game.

The Bucs (21-14, 14-8) quickly responded after Wharton made it a 1-0 contest in the top of the first off a wild pitch from starting pitcher Robbie Dickey. Freshman Jose Reyes singled to leftfield and scored on the next at-bat when Stephen Stuart reached on a Pioneer error. With the bases loaded, Jager Toffan knocked a single to center to score Stuart.

“I thought our pitching and defense were phenomenal today,” McIntyre said. “Our offense is still a couple ticks behind, and we’re getting some traffic on the bases, but we have to start knocking some balls through.”

Despite throwing two wild pitches in the first, Dickey regained his control and tossed a five-hit complete game to pick up his fifth win of the season. Entering the game, Dickey had tossed 40 innings and carried a 2.25 ERA—in that span he’s averaging 12.6 strikeouts per game.

“Robbie really had to pitch today,” McIntyre said. “He got himself in some situations early, but he found a way to get out without his best stuff. He’s a special kid on the mound, no doubt.”

Dickey limited the damage in the top of the second after Blinn had taken a 2-1 lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Dickey got a strikeout to end the inning.

The sophomore right-hander was able to overpower the Pioneers with his fastball—which reached speeds up to 94 mph—and on a few occasions mix in a curveball to catch a batter sitting on the heat.

Dickey struck out eight and walked two. His only other mishap in the game was allowing a solo shot in the top of the fifth, but by that point the Bucs held a 5-2 lead.

Blinn didn’t spot Wharton a run in Game 2.

Following a Reyes walk, Stuart doubled him home on a fly ball to leftfield.

Wharton scored a run off starting pitcher Caden Williams in the top of the second, yet a Brown single broke the tie in the bottom half of the frame.

Williams tossed 4 2-3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs—one earned. Freshman Christian Thames tossed four innings of relief and allowed one hit, struck out three and walked four.

Blinn had to wait out an hour-plus rain delay late in the game. Once play resumed, the Bucs quickly pulled away in the seventh and eighth innings with runs by Reyes and Hunter Lehman to pull away.

“To start the second half of conference 2-0 is a great feeling, but we still have to take care of business Saturday to get a series win,” McIntyre said.

Buccaneers offense comes to life in 8-5 win over Wharton

SATURDAY 

WHARTON, Texas – Following Friday’s sweep over Wharton, Blinn baseball coach Harvey McIntyre asked his offense to stop sitting on so many fastballs and show more aggression at the plate.

In the first pitch of the first at-bat of the first game in Wharton on Saturday, leadoff hitter Nolan Brown launched a fastball over the right field wall.

The Buccaneers went on to pound 13 hits, score eight runs and beat the Pioneers 8-5 in Saturday’s opener to secure a series win to start off the second half of Region XIV Conference play. Wharton won Game 2, 9-1.

“We told them Friday that we need to be more aggressive. Good hitters are ready to hit at any time,” McIntyre said. “I thought they did a great job today and swung the bats really well.”

Brown, who finished the day 2-for-5 with three RBI, also launched a two-run shot in the top of the sixth to make it an 8-5 game. Sophomore first baseman Cullen Gassaway sent a two-run shot out of the yard in the thir d to tie the game at 4.

Blinn (22-15, 15-9) had a base runner in every inning but the fourth.

Freshman Jager Toffan finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored, and second baseman Cullen Jozwiak went 3-for-4 with a run scored.  Gassaway was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Despite giving up five runs—four earned—sophomore Shane McCarley was able to pitch around any major damage on the mound. McCarley tossed 6 1-3 innings, allowed 11 hits and struck out two.

“Shane was able to minimize some things today and give our offense a chance,” McIntyre said.

Seth Ballew closed out the game in the final 2-3 of an inning.

Blinn’s offense had no trouble getting on base in Game 2—the Bucs collected 10 hits—but it could never drive in runs to close the deficit. Wharton jumped ahead with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first.

“You’d like to finish the sweep, but to get three wins to start the second half of conference is great,” McIntyre said.

For more information on Blinn baseball, visit www.buccaneersports.com. 

(Story and photos courtesy: Matt Keyser, Blinn Information)