Shane Connell earned his fourth win of the season and the Blinn College offense added 14 walks to its NJCAA-leading total as the 10th-ranked Buccaneers routed Wharton County Junior College 8-1 on Thursday in Wharton, Texas.
The Region XIV South Zone victory pushed Blinn to 31-12 overall and 18-8 in the South and increased its lead in the conference to 2 1/2 games.
The win over Wharton County also put a halt to the Bucs' only losing streak of the season, a two-game slide that came via a doubleheader against San Jacinto College-North on April 10.
"It was a really good win, one that we really needed," Blinn head coach Dusty Hart said Thursday. "I thought the guys did a really good job of putting the past in the past and moving forward."
Blinn is eyeing a South Zone title and home field advantage for the Region XIV Tournament, and Thursday's win moved the Bucs a little closer to that goal.
"They know what we're playing for; we don't hide from things or keep things unsaid. We look forward to this challenge," Hart added. "They're playing to win this conference.
We talked about wanting to win this conference and we're not going to run away from that fact."
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman pitcher Shane Connell delivers against Alvin on March 30(
If anything, Connell and the Bucs ran directly toward their goal on Thursday.
Connell, a freshman, tossed 6 1/3 innings of four-hit ball and allowed just one earned run to go with five strikeouts and five walks. He also pitched his way out of a couple of bases loaded jams before giving way to relief pitcher Blane Zeplin.
"Shane Connell during the last two weeks has really stepped up," said Hart. "He went out there on just four days of rest and was maybe the best that he's been all year. It's been fun to watch his growth and maturation as a baseball player."
On offense, Blinn managed just six hits but made them count behind a barrage of free passes. Freshman Brayden Sprencel had two hits, two RBIs and a run, and freshman Tanner Reaves slapped two doubles, drew two walks, drove in a run, and scored twice. Sophomores Ian Collier and Ryan Scott each had an RBI, as did freshmen Jake Kolkhorst and Kash Durkin. Sophomore Tate Bethel drew three walks, and five other Bucs had two walks.
The Bucs opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the second and added single tallies in the third and fourth frames. Blinn tacked on two more in the seventh and one more in the eighth.
"We talked about matching Wharton's energy and execution and playing good baseball," Hart said. "One thing about these late-season games is that the game never changes. The game doesn't know if it's game seven of the World Series or game No. 43 of the junior college season. If you make it more than it is, a lot of times you can't relax and go play. We just have to keep things in perspective, and we did that tonight."
Up next, Blinn will host the Pioneers for a series ending twin bill beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 43 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
