BRENHAM, Texas – On a windy day at Leroy Dreyer Field, home runs were the difference maker in Navarro College's 11-8 victory over Blinn College baseball on Tuesday afternoon.

"I thought we played well; we were down by five runs and ended up making it a game," said Harvey McIntyre, Blinn head coach. "The bullpen helped keep us in it and we just came up short on the run side at the very end."

With the loss, Blinn's overall record drops to 25-13.

Alec Sanchez, Zach Cherry and Mason Michalec produced two hits apiece for one run, while Sanchez and Michalec each drove in two runs to lead Blinn's offense. Brandon Ashy and Drew Ardoin each recorded a RBI, while Ardoin led Blinn with two runs scored.

In the non-conference match-up, Blinn's offense was explosive with 11 hits, just four less than Navarro, but the Bulldogs were able to drive in five runs on four hits with the long ball.   

Navarro took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after hitting a two-run shot over the fence, but the Buccaneers quickly evened the score 2-2 with a double off the bat of Sanchez that allowed Ardoin and Marshall Skinner to score.

Blinn fell behind 7-2 after surrendering three runs to the Bulldogs in the second inning and two runs in the fourth. The Bulldogs managed to leadoff each of those innings with a home run for momentum.

However, the momentum quickly shifted as the Buccaneers dug themselves out of the hole in the fourth inning with five runs to tie the game, 7-7. Sanchez and Cherry led off with a single and double, respectively, and Michalec followed with a double for them to score. Ardoin kept things rolling on offense with a single to send Michalec home, while Hunter Trinidad and Ardoin both scored on an error to tie the game.

The Bulldogs took back the lead in the sixth inning with one run, but Blinn leveled the score 8-8 in the bottom half with a one-run double off the bat of Ashy to plate Reggie McCalister.

Navarro scored one run in the eighth inning and added two in the ninth inning that resulted in the 11-8 victory.

The Buccaneers are currently in second place in the Region XIV standings with a 17-6 record. Blinn will resume conference play against Alvin Community College on Thursday, April 19 in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. at Leroy Dreyer Field. Blinn swept Alvin in a three-game conference series earlier this year.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987.