LUFKIN, Texas — The Blinn College baseball team (1-1) split a doubleheader with Angelina College to open the season on Saturday.
Angelina defeated Blinn, 2-0, in the first game, before the Buccaneers bounced back with a 4-2 victory for the split.
"There was good baseball played today by both clubs and Jack Driskell and Gavin LaBruyere gave us amazing starts, while Trevor Mott and Eric Oakes were outstanding in relief," said Harvey McIntyre, Blinn head coach. "We found a way to have much more competitive at-bats in the second game and walk away with the split on the road."
Angelina 2 – Blinn 0
Angelina slightly edged out the Buccaneers, 2-0, in the first game of the doubleheader.
The Roadrunners came out strong, allowing just two hits to Cody Cegielski and Matt Crossley, while Brett Minnich and Westley Schields each drew walks for Blinn.
Driskell was solid on the mound, surrendering one earned run and four hits in four innings, while Mott pitched two hitless innings of relief and struck out four.
Angelina scored the only two runs of the game in the second inning and held onto the lead for the remainder of the game.
Blinn 4 – Angelina 2
LaBruyere's solid pitching performance helped lead Blinn to its first win of the season over Angelina, 4-2.
LaBruyere threw a one-hitter in four innings and didn't allow a run to earn the win, while Oakes earned a save after pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Schields, Tyler Russell and Aaron Kohring each had a hit and scored one run, while Russell drove in two runs and Schields batted in one.
Blinn took a 3-0 lead after Cegielski scored on an error in the first inning and Russell hit a two-run homer in the third inning. Blinn extended its lead to 4-0 in the fifth inning when Kohring scored on Schields' single.
Angelina scored its first run in the bottom of the fifth inning and scored its final run in the sixth inning to cut Blinn's lead in half, 4-2.
Oakes pitched a scoreless seventh inning to ensure the win.
Next, Blinn will host No. 4 Navarro College in the home opener at Leroy Dreyer Field on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
