LAREDO, Texas Blinn College softball hung on to an unblemished conference record by sweeping Laredo Community College on the road Friday. After defeating Laredo 9-6 in the first game of the doubleheader, the Buccaneers fought for a 5-4 win in the 10th inning.
The Buccaneers are now 33-12 overall and 16-0 in Region XIV play.
Blinn 9 – Laredo 6
Courtney Ogle's three RBIs helped lift Blinn College softball to a 9-6 victory over Laredo to open the doubleheader.
Meghan Morris recorded the win after surrendering four earned runs and striking out one.
On offense, the Buccaneers totaled 15 hits. Kimber Cortemelia and Anna Pisaro joined Ogle in leading the offense as Cortemelia scored two runs, while Pisaro went 4-for-5 and drove in one run.
Blinn took off with a quick 8-1 lead by the third inning that it held onto for the remainder of the game.
In the first inning, the Buccaneers scored three runs as Sarah Cedillo scored on a groundout, Amber Langston scored on Kristen Kaiser's single and Cortemelia scored on an error.
Laredo scored one run in the bottom of the first, but the Buccaneers answered back with a run of their own in the second inning when Julissa Llanos scored on an error.
Blinn's offense continued to roll in the third inning as the Buccaneers scored four runs. Ogle hit a two-run double for Cortemelia and Kaiser to score, Mackenzi Crews hit a one-run double for Ogle to score and Pisaro singled for Crews to score Blinn's eighth run.
Laredo began chipping away at Blinn's lead, scoring three runs in the fourth and one run in the fifth to trail 8-5.
Blinn scored its final run in the sixth inning when Kindle Gault scored on Ogle's single. Laredo also scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth inning before falling to Blinn.
Blinn 5 – Laredo 4
Blinn had to fight for the sweep by rallying past Laredo in the 10th inning for a 5-4 victory.
Cedillo and Mayela Fernandez led Blinn's offense with three hits apiece and each scored one run, while Langston drove in two runs on one hit.
Laredo was the first to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Buccaneers fought for two runs in the second inning to get the momentum back. With two outs, the Buccaneers strung three hits together for Pisaro and Cedillo to score on Langston's single and Blinn to take a 2-1 lead.
Laredo managed to even the score in the bottom of the third inning, 2-2. However, the Buccaneers scored one run in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead back when Ogle scored on Pisaro's single.
Laredo tied the game once again in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Blinn took back a 4-3 lead in the fifth when Fernandez doubled for Bailey Zibelin to score.
Laredo rallied for one run in the seventh inning to tie the game 4-4 and push it into extra innings.
Blinn scored the winning run in the 10th inning when Fernandez scored on an error.
Next, Blinn will travel to face Coastal Bend College in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 13, starting at 1 p.m.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 41 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
