BRENHAM, Texas — Blinn College softball swept Laredo Community College, 3-2 and 8-2, Sunday at Hohlt Park to start Region XIV play with a perfect 4-0 record.
With the win, the Buccaneers increase their record to 17-10 overall.
Blinn 3 – Laredo 2
A tough pitching performance by Meghan Morris allowed Blinn to edge out Laredo, 3-2, to open the doubleheader.
Morris threw a complete game and surrendered just two runs on seven hits, while not allowing a walk.
Tori Alvarez-Lopez led Blinn's offense by going 2-for-3, while driving in one run and scoring one run. Anna Pisaro and Bailey Zibelin each drove in one run, while Amber Langston and Kristin Kaiser each scored one run.
Blinn was on the board first after Alvarez-Lopez led off the opening inning with a triple and later scored on a groundout.
Laredo took a 2-1 lead in the third inning, but the Buccaneers evened the score in the fourth inning when Kaiser reached base on an error and scored on Alvarez-Lopez's single.
Blinn pulled ahead 3-2 in the fifth inning when Langston scored on a sacrifice fly by Zibelin, which was good enough for the win.
Blinn 8 – Laredo 2
Blinn was dominant on offense and defense in the final game of the doubleheader to defeat Laredo, 8-2, for the sweep.
Ashley Richardson earned the win in the circle after tossing five innings and surrendering one run on two hits, while Alysa Torres surrendered just one run on two hits in the final two innings.
Kimber Cortemelia led Blinn's offense with three RBIs, while Alvarez-Lopez went 3-for-4 to drive in two runs and score two. Pisaro also scored two runs in the win.
Blinn took a 4-0 lead in three innings after Pisaro scored in the first inning on a passed ball, Zibelin scored in the second inning on Sarah Cedillo's single and Alvarez-Lopez hit a two-run homer with Kelsey Lowke on base in the third inning.
Laredo showed up on the board in the fourth inning with one run, but the Buccaneers extended their lead to 8-1 in the fifth inning. Cortemelia drove in the first three runs in the fifth inning with a double for Alvarez-Lopez, Pisaro and Langston to score. Then, Cortemelia scored Blinn's final run on a single by Zibelin.
Laredo scored its last run in the sixth inning before falling.
Next, Blinn will continue conference play on the road against Lamar State College-Port Arthur in a doubleheader on Friday, March 22, starting at 1 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
