BEEVILLE, Texas – Offensive dominance is one way to explain the Blinn College softball team's performance in beating Coastal Bend College twice by the score of 28-1 and 12-0 Friday afternoon in Beeville.
The offense showed no signs of struggling in putting up 40 runs in the pair of games to improve to 19-3 in conference and 37-13 overall.
Blinn scored nine runs in the first inning of the first game and never looked back in the 28-1 victory. Alli Spivey, Jordin Wilkins, Seeley Orsak and Avery Mullendore each batted in four runs in the win. With all the run support, it would have been easy to overlook the pitching of Jaiden Rawls but she did her part in the circle, going five innings and only allowing a single run while striking out two.
The misery for Coastal Bend started early as Blinn started fast. Delilah Pacheco singled to begin the game and Spivey brought her in with a double to center for the first run. Meghann Wrinkle brought in a pair of runs with a double to make the score 3-0. Orsak also brought in a pair with a single to right for a 5-0 lead.
Kayla Lahrmann got into the RBI action with a sacrifice fly to center to score Orsak and then Pacheco followed with a sacrifice fly of her own for a 7-0 advantage. Spivey brought in her second run of the inning with a triple to left and then Courtney White followed with a double to cap the scoring in the inning at nine runs.
The scoring spree didn't stop in the opening inning as Wrinkle doubled to left to begin the second then scored on an Orsak double to center for a 10-0 lead. Lahrmann brought in Orsak with a single for the 11th run then Spivey brought in two runs with a single to left for a 13-0 lead. Wilkins capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI double to left to make it 14-0.
Rawls was able to help her cause, though she probably didn't need it, with a three-run home run to center field for a 17-0 lead. The scoring continued in the third with a two-run double to center by Wilkins for a 19-0 lead. Orsak drove in the 20th run with an RBI single then Mullendore singled in the 21st run to continue the landslide. Orsak scored on an error to make the score 22-0 in the third inning. Coastal Bend did add a single run in the fourth inning to get within 22-1.
After not scoring in the fourth, Blinn was right back at it in the fifth. White singled in a run with the bases loaded and then Wilkins followed with a sacrifice fly to right for a 24-1 lead. Ashley Langston got into the act with an RBI single to left for the 25th run while Mullendore added two more to the tally with a two-run double to right for a 28-1 advantage. Mercifully, the game after five innings with Blinn securing the 27-run victory.
The second game went only five innings as well but was much closer as Blinn earned the 12-0 victory behind the pitching of Mariah Gibson who went all five innings and only allowed two hits while striking out six.
Orsak, Cheyenne Trader and Jazzmin Fritz each had two hits in the second game while Lara Cecchetti delivered a three-run home run for the Blinn.
Blinn got going in the second game again in the first inning, though not scoring quite as many runs. Pacheco singled to start the game and Wrinkle reached on an error. Wilkins brought in a pair of runs with a double to left for a 2-0 lead. Gibson and Orsak hit back-to-back doubles to knock in a run each for a 4-0 lead. Trader then followed with a two-run double to left for a 6-0 lead.
Wrinkle was able to help Blinn score a run in the second inning after getting on with a single and then later came around to score on an error for a 7-0 lead.
Trader and Fritz got the offense going in the third inning with a pair of singles and both players were able to score on an error for a 9-0 lead.
Cecchetti added the final runs with a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give Blinn a commanding 12-0 lead that would hold up until the end of the fifth inning to secure the sweep.
Blinn will wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 25 with a double-header against Laredo Community College that starts at 3 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
Founded in 1883, Blinn is a comprehensive community college committed to educational excellence and to individual and community enhancement. With an enrollment of 19,317 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence.
As part of its commitment to student success, Blinn is implementing a Quality Enhancement Plan titled "Destination Success: First-Year Focus," which utilizes learning communities to support first-year college students.
For enrollment information and to learn about financial aid opportunities, visit: www.blinn.edu.
