Highlanders fall at Blinn
The McLennan Highlanders fell to the Blinn Buccaneers 7-5 this afternoon in Brenham. Gray Harrison took the loss on the mound.
Blinn scored the first run in the bottom of the first inning as Liam Kolechi singled, advanced to second on a passed ball and scored on a single by Chase Arnaud.
Two more Buccaneer runs scored in the second. Bo Rodgers and Jett Garcia both singled. Cole Smajstrla then doubled to score Rodgers and Garcia.
Blinn's final four runs came in the third inning. Arnaud led off with a solo home run. Luke Nail and Garrison Weiss both singled, and Cash Callahan walked to load the bases. Nail scored on an error. Rodgers singled to score Weiss, and Callahan scored on an error.
Cash McNicholas' solo home run in the fifth put McLennan on the board.
Two McLennan runs scored in the sixth. Cole Fontenelle and Hank Bard singled. Daniel Altman followed with a fielder's choice, putting Bard out at second. Altman sole second, Mateo Zeppieri then singled to score Fontenelle and Altman.
The final two Highlander runs came in the top of the ninth. Zeppieri singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McNicholas. Izzy Lopez drew a walk. Zeppieri moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch. Lopez then scored on a Blinn error.
McLennan returns to action Friday, facing Frank Phillips at 1:30 p.m. at Bosque River Ballpark.
Blinn 7, McLennan 5
McLennan 000 012 002 – 5 11 4
Blinn 124 000 00x – 7 12 1
Gray Harrison, Nick Greaney (3), Jared Matheson (7) and Cole Dillon. Evan Aschenbeck, Ethan Roark (6), Colson Geisler (8) and Bo Rodgers. WP: Aschenbeck, LP: Harrison. Leading hitters – McLennan: Mateo Zeppieri (2-4, 2 RBI) and Cash McNicholas (2-3, HR, RBI); Blinn: Cole Smajstrla (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI), Chase Arnaud (2-5, HR, 2 RBI), Bo Rodgers (2-4, RBI) and Jett Garcia (2-4). Record: McLennan 7-5-1.