EUNICE, La. — Blinn College softball didn't get the sweep to conclude the regular season, but defeated Louisiana State University-Eunice, 9-7, to open Thursday afternoon's doubleheader.
LSU-Eunice took the second game, 8-6, with a comeback win to split the pair. With the split, Blinn finishes the regular season with a 30-16 overall record and 18-6 record in Region XIV play.
Blinn 9 – LSU-Eunice 7
Amy Alexander led Blinn's offense with four RBIs to help pave the way for the Buccaneers to open the doubleheader with a 9-7 win over LSU-Eunice.
Alexander drove in four runs with a grand slam, while Chelsea Armendariz drove in two runs. Calli Birch and Sydney Gutierrez contributed to the win by combining for seven hits and scoring two runs each in the victory, while Alivia Villarreal also scored two runs.
Meghan Morris recorded the win after pitching six innings and surrendering seven runs on 10 hits.
Blinn was on the board first in the opening inning after Birch scored on a sacrifice fly. In the second inning, Blinn added another run after Tori Alvarez-Lopez stole home. The Buccaneers continued to build their lead to 3-0 lead as Abby Olejniczak tripled for Gabriela Gomez to score in the fourth inning.
The Buccaneers added two more runs in the fifth inning as Armendariz hit a two-run single for Gutierrez and Villarreal to score.
After Birch, Gutierrez and Villarreal all singled to load the bases in the sixth inning, Alexander hit a grand slam to put Blinn on top 9-0.
LSU-Eunice put together an explosive inning in the bottom of the sixth inning with five runs and added two more in the seventh inning, but it wasn't enough as the Bengals fell, 9-7.
LSU-Eunice 8 – Blinn 6
Although the Buccaneers led the majority of the game, LSU-Eunice managed a five-run inning to comeback and defeat Blinn, 8-6, to close out the doubleheader with a split.
Georgina Gonzales knocked in two runs, while Armendariz and Alexander each drove in one to lead the Buccaneers on offense.
Blinn jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Olejniczak scored on a wild pitch in the first inning and Gonzales drove in two runs in the second inning with a single for Alvarez-Lopez and Courtney Ogle to score.
LSU-Eunice tightened Blinn's lead after scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning, but Blinn pulled ahead 4-2 after Armendariz scored on an error in the third inning.
The Buccaneers secured a 6-2 lead when they added two more runs in the fourth inning. Olejniczak scored the first run of the inning on a groundout, while Alexander drove home Gutierrez with a double for Blinn's final run.
LSU-Eunice scored one run in the fifth inning to close in on Blinn, 6-3, before storming back with five runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Buccaneers, 8-6.
Blinn placed second in the Region XIV South standings and will open the Region XIV tournament against the No. 3 seed in the East division on Friday, May 4 at 10 a.m. in Port Arthur.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
