GALVESTON, Texas – Blinn College baseball was able to complete a perfect 5-0 week after sweeping the Galveston College Whitecaps in a doubleheader by the scores of 1-0 and 8-4 on Friday afternoon to take every game of this week's conference series.
With the victories Blinn improves to 25-12 overall and 17-6 in Region XIV play.
Blinn 1 – Galveston 0
All it took was one run for the Buccaneers to come out on top of a pitching duel over Galveston by the score of 1-0 to open the doubleheader.
Kyle Gray threw a complete-game shutout and surrendered only three hits, while striking out six in seven innings to pick up his fifth win of the season.
Sammy Blair led Blinn's offense with two hits, while Marshall Skinner drove in one run and Reggie McCalister scored one run after each manufacturing a hit. Cameron Gibbons also produced a hit in the victory.
McCalister sparked the offense in the fourth inning with a double, while Skinner followed with a single for him to score and Blinn to take a 1-0 lead. Gray tossed four more scoreless innings for the Buccaneers to seal the win.
Blinn 8 – Galveston 4
The Buccaneers were able to come from behind and defeat Galveston by the score of 8-4 to conclude the four-game conference series undefeated.
Eli Reichmann recorded the win after coming out of the bullpen for 5 1/3 innings of middle relief and only surrendering two hits, while striking out six and walking one.
Drew Ardoin, Brandon Ashy and Koby Collins led Blinn's offense with two hits each, while Ardoin, Ashy, Collins, Gibbons, Alec Sanchez and Jake Miller each drove in a run.
Although Blinn jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, Galveston scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning and held the lead until the seventh inning when the Buccaneers rallied.
The Buccaneers scored their first two runs after Gray Rodgers scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Miller in the second inning and Ardoin hit a solo home run in the third inning.
After falling behind 4-2, Blinn leveled the score 4-4 in the seventh inning. Skinner scored the first run in the inning on a fielder's choice, while Rodgers later scored on a groundout.
Blinn pulled ahead 7-4 in the eighth inning after scoring three runs. After loading up the bases, Gibbons hit a sacrifice fly for Collins to score and Blinn to take the lead for the first time in the game. McCalister and Ardoin extended the Buccaneers' lead during the same at-bat by stealing home and scoring on a wild pitch, respectively.
Collins led off the ninth inning with a solo shot over the fence for an 8-4 final.
The Buccaneers will take a break from conference play by hosting Navarro College on Tuesday, April 17 at 4 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
