The Blinn College softball team picked up two come-from-behind victories to make its brief appearance at the Highlander Games a perfect one.
The Buccaneers rallied past Indian Hills Community College 8-7 before climbing back to topple Southeastern Community College in Waco.
Blinn (3-1) only participated in half of the two-day competition hosted by No. 4 McLennan Community College, as it will head to No. 20 Navarro College for a doubleheader Friday and Kilgore College for another twin bill Saturday.
The Bucs left Waco with plenty of momentum thanks to a pair of gritty performances.
“We found ways to fight back on offense and never let a deficit get to us,” Blinn head coach Rick Church said. “We gave away too many free bases on defense, but our pitchers hung in there and showed some toughness.”
After falling behind 3-0 in game one, Blinn battled back and went blow-for-blow with Indian Hills before scoring the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Warriors used a two-spot in the top of the sixth to grab a 7-6 edge, but Blinn had an answer.
After sophomore catcher Cadence Wiese singled with one out, freshman Avery Marquart took over as a courtesy runner before freshman second baseman Londyn Holland drove her in with a double.
Freshman right fielder Lexis Moss then stepped to the plate and reached on an error, which allowed Holland to cross the plate as the winning run.
In the seventh, sophomore pitcher Kacie Dudensing allowed a single and a walk to begin the frame before inducing a fielder’s choice, a flyout, and another fielder’s choice to seal the win.
Dudensing earned the victory in relief – her first collegiate win – after replacing sophomore starter Brynn Gallamore with two outs in the second inning.
Dudensing allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with three walks and one strikeout across 5 1/3 innings of work.
Offensively, Blinn racked up 11 hits.
Freshman left fielder Skylar Flanagan went 3 for 3 and Wiese and sophomore first baseman Daniela Lopez had two hits apiece.
Wiese, Lopez, Holland, sophomore center fielder Halle Scheel, sophomore third baseman Annie Beckendorf, and freshman shortstop Brianna Moreno drove in one run apiece.
In game two, Gallamore returned to the pitcher’s circle and redeemed herself in a big way.
The hard-throwing right-hander went the distance, allowing three unearned runs on five hits with three walks and two punchouts.
“She had much better control in game two,” Church said. “It was nice to see her make the adjustments needed to be successful, and that’s what you expect out of an experienced sophomore.”
Gallamore’s performance allowed for a late Bucs rally.
Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Blinn got going when Flanagan led off and reached on an error. Scheel doubled to put runners on second and third, and one out later, freshman catcher Kourtney Carter lifted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Flanagan.
Beckenford followed with a game-tying double to center.
Blinn pulled ahead in the sixth when Scheel drove in Moss on a bases loaded ground out.
Gallamore retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to end it.
Scheel and freshman designated hitter Jaylen Moraice Budalich each had two of the Bucs’ seven hits.
Along with Scheel, Beckendorf, and Carter, Wiese also drove in one run.
Next up, Blinn faces Navarro in game one of their doubleheader at noon on Friday in Corsicana.