CORSICANA, Texas — Blinn College baseball's pitching staff threw eight shutout innings before surrendering eight runs in the ninth inning for Navarro College to defeat the Buccaneers, 8-5, on Tuesday.

With the loss, the Buccaneers open the season with a 0-1 record.

"Despite the final score, we did a lot of things well in all three phases of the game," said Harvey McIntyre, Blinn head coach. "Jacob Millender and John Chomko were outstanding on the mound."

Millender was phenomenal in his first start of the season, only surrendering one hit, while striking out six, in four innings. Chomko made a solid collegiate debut, just surrendering one hit in three innings, while striking out two.

Reggie McCalister led Blinn's offense after going 2- for-5, hitting a double and a home run. Cameron Gibbons, Gray Rodgers, and Westley Schields each recorded one run in the game, while McCalister scored two. 

McCalister led off the third inning with a double and later scored on a groundout for Blinn's first run.

The Buccaneers tacked on three more in the fifth inning to lead Navarro 4-0. After the Buccaneers loaded the bases, Blake Faecher and Alec Sanchez were hit by a pitches for Schields and Gibbons to score. Rodgers scored Blinn's final run in the inning on a groundout.

McCalister hit a solo home run in the eighth inning for Blinn to score its final run. 

Although Blinn led 5-0 heading into the final inning, Navarro stormed back to score eight runs and take the win.  

Blinn will compete in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 9, against Temple College at 11 a.m. and Angelina College at 2 p.m. in Temple.

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