TEMPLE, Texas – Blinn College softball blasted three home runs to jump out to an early lead and held on for a 7-4 victory over Northeast Texas Community College Saturday afternoon to close out the 2017 Temple College Softball Tournament.
With the win, Blinn improves to 10-8 overall and left the Temple Tournament with a 2-2 record.
Shelby Achille, Emily Taylor and Katy Sawyer each hit a home run and combined to bring in five of the seven runs. Nicole Garcia and Kalli Edwards both had two hits and an RBI at the top of the order.
Colleen Bentke picked up her second win of the Temple Tournament in the circle by pitching all seven innings and allowing only two earned runs while striking out seven.
Blinn started fast by scoring all of its runs in the first two innings. Garcia started off the bottom of the first with a single and then she trotted around the base paths after Achille hit a home run over the fence in center for a 2-0 lead.
The Buccaneers had their best inning in the second. Morgan Gray started it all with a one-out single and then Garcia followed with an RBI double for a 3-0 lead. Edwards followed with an RBI single to left for a 4-0 lead.
Blinn used a pair of home runs to cap the second inning. Sawyer hit a two-run home run to left for a 6-0 lead. Taylor capped the scoring with a solo home run to center to give Blinn a 7-0 lead. Northeast scored two runs in the third and sixth innings to get within 7-4 but Bentke would close out the game for the Buccaneers.
Blinn will next play in the Region XIV Crossover hosted by Lamar State College – Port Arthur. Blinn opens on Friday, Feb. 24 with a game against Angelina College at noon and then against Bossier Parish Community College at 4 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 34 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.
