WHARTON, Texas – The Blinn Buccaneers split a Region XIV Conference double-header against the Wharton County Pioneers here Saturday.

Blinn won the first game 5-0 but lost the series finale 6-4. The Buccaneers won Friday's game 10-3 in Brenham.

Sophomore right-hander Karl Malecek threw a complete-game shutout in Saturday's first game, scattering five hits and a walk while striking out three.

Brandon Montalvo got the Buccaneers on the scoreboard with a two-run home run in the second inning. Kevin Santana drove in a run on a ground ball in the fifth to make it 3-0, and in the seventh Nolan Brown hit an RBI single then scored on an error.

Robert Garza paced the Buccaneer offense in the second game, tallying three of Blinn's six hits while driving in two runs. Holden Cammack and Santana each had an RBI.

Blinn got on the scoreboard in the first inning when Garza and Hammack each hit RBI singles, and Santana added a sacrifice fly in the third inning to give the Bucs a 3-1 lead.

Wharton County rallied in the fourth as Hunter Jones hit a two-run double to tie the score. The game remained deadlocked until the eighth inning, when Wharton County rallied for three more runs. Garza hit another RBI single in the ninth to produce the final score.

Weston Wick took the loss for Blinn, allowing five earned runs on six hits and a walk. He threw 7 1/3 innings before Tyler Day came on to record the final two outs.

The Buccaneers travel to Carthage Tuesday for a 3 p.m. double-header against Panola College.