The 10th-ranked Blinn College baseball team dropped the opener of its four-game Region XIV South Zone series with San Jacinto College-North 14-9 on Tuesday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers fell to 29-10 overall and 16-6 in the South.
Blinn played from behind starting in the second inning, as the Ravens jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the frame.
"It was disappointing to see us come out flat," Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said. "There are times where it takes us a few innings to get going, and you can't play baseball like that and expect to win. If you're going to come out flat, commit four errors, and walk eight guys, you don't deserve to win the game. You can't do that against anybody and expect to win."
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore catcher Ian Collier, right, runs down a San Jacinto-North baserunner during a game April 4)
The Bucs trailed 5-0 before finding the plate in the third. A bases loaded balk scored freshman Luke Smith and sophomore Ian Collier made it 5-3 with a two-run single.
San Jacinto scored four more in the top of the fourth, but Blinn answered with three of its own in the bottom of the frame. The Bucs scored twice more in the home half of the fifth on a two-run homer from freshman Kash Durkin to pull within 9-8.
The Ravens kept their distance, however, as they tacked on three insurance runs in the sixth. Blinn added a solo tally in the eighth and San Jacinto finished the scoring with a pair of runs in the ninth.
"You can see what we can do when we play hard … good things happen," Hart added. "But when you're flat, you're not supposed to win. That's what happened to us tonight."
Blinn finished with eight hits and drew nine walks.
Collier had two hits and three RBIs, freshman Tanner Reaves plated a pair of runs, and freshman Tony Vernars also had one RBI.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman pitcher Blane Zeplin delivers a pitch during a game against San Jacinto-North on April 4)
On the mound, freshman Blane Zeplin was tagged with the loss following three innings of work. He allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Up next, the Bucs are scheduled to visit San Jacinto for game two of the series at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, in Houston, but will keep a close eye on the weather forecast. Storms are expected throughout the rest of the week and could shuffle Blinn's schedule. The series finale is currently slated for a 2 p.m. twin bill on Saturday, April 8, in Brenham.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 42 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
