HOUSTON, Texas – Blinn College baseball didn't start out the season the way it would have like by losing 10-7 to No. 16 New Mexico Junior College and 2-1 to St. Petersburg Friday in Houston.
The Buccaneers lost by a combined four runs and dropped to 0-2 to begin the season.
Blinn got plenty of offense in the opening game against New Mexico. Jay Anderson opened the season by going 3-for-5 with a double, two singles and an RBI. Angel De La Fuente knocked in three of Blinn's seven runs with a single and a double. Patrick King, Elijah MacNamee and Austen Swift each had two hits in the loss.
New Mexico jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings but Blinn refused to quit. Colton Parrish was able to get the Buccaneers going with a single and King followed with a double and Anderson followed with an RBI single to get within 7-1. De La Fuente doubled to bring in a pair to make the score 7-3 in the third.
New Mexico added another run in the bottom of the third but Blinn countered. Swift singled to begin the inning and Parrish knocked in a run with a ground out to get within 8-4 in the fourth inning. The Buccaneers inched closer in the fifth when MacNamee walked with one out and De La Fuente singled to left to drive in MacNamee to get within 8-5.
Walker Winders got things going in the sixth with a one out double and was brought in to score with a double by King to center to get within two at 8-6. New Mexico added a run in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to make the score 10-6.
Blinn got back-to-back doubles from Anderson and MacNamee to get within 10-7 in the eighth but that would be the final runs scored for both teams as Blinn lost by three.
Blinn spoiled solid pitching performances by Blaine Suehs and Clayton Kopecky. Suehs started and allowed only one run in four innings while striking out nine and then Kopecky came in and pitched over four innings and only allowed one run and two hits. The two runs allowed were just enough run support for St. Petersburg.
Anderson and Swift each had two hits in the loss for the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers struck first in the first inning when Anderson hit a one out double and was brought in by a single by MacNamee to center for a 1-0 lead. That would be the final run scored as St. Petersburg added two runs for the win.
Blinn will continue play in Houston Saturday, Feb. 6 against Grayson County College at 2 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
With an enrollment of 19,422 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.
