(Pictured: Blinn College's Chloee Mason)

The Blinn College softball team split a doubleheader with Navarro College on Saturday at Hohlt Park in Brenham.

The Buccaneers earned a 6-2 win in the opener of the twin bill before the Bulldogs claimed a 12-4 victory in the five-inning finale.

Blinn is now 4-15 overall.

In game one, freshman pitcher Chloee Mason tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk.

The Buccaneers backed Mason with a nine-hit effort, including two hits apiece for freshmen Emily Kristynik, Kenley Strange, and Madeline Stephenson, and sophomore Kendall Johnson. Kristynik doubled and scored two runs, Stephenson drove in two, Johnson had one RBI, and sophomore Chandler Talbot also plated a pair of runs. 

Navarro opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first, but Blinn answered with three runs in the home half of the second to take the lead for good. The Bucs game themselves some insurance with three more runs in the sixth after Navarro cut the lead to 3-2.

In the finale, Navarro built an 11-0 lead after three innings and led 12-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Blinn scored four runs in its final at bat.

Sophomore Natilee Reed had two hits, including a double, and scored for the Bucs. Sophomore Kayla Wallace drove in two runs and Talbo also had an RBI.

Kaitlyn Sadler took the loss for Blinn, but only five of the 10 runs she allowed were earned. She struck out two and walked just one in 2 1/3 innings of work.

The Buccaneers will open Region XIV South play against Coastal Bend with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 at Hohlt Park. 

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.