Highlanders top Blinn in series opener

The 11th-ranked McLennan Highlanders defeated the fourth-ranked Blinn Buccaneers 5-4 in the opener of this weekend's three- game series. Connor Zaruba picked up the win on the mound for the Highlanders, and Clayton Freshcorn got the save.
 
The Highlanders jumped out to the early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. Phoenix Meza began the scoring with a solo home run. Mac Rose singled and Aidan Kuni was hit by the pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Sam Flores.
 
Blinn scored two in the top of the fourth. Coy DeFury and Jake Kolkhorst both singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Tavion Vaughns. Brandon Bishop then singled to score DeFury and Kolkhurst.
 
McLennan responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Brecken Menuet led off with a solo home run. Meza and Rose both singled, and Kuni was hit by the pitch, loading the bases. Meza then scored on a sacrifice fly by Deiten Lachance.
 
The Buccaneers rounded out the scoring with two runs in the sixth. Vaughns singled and Marshall Lipsey doubled. Vaughns scored on a balk, and Lipsey scored on a passed ball.
 
McLennan 5, Blinn 4
Blinn 000 202 000 – 4 9 1
McLennan 300 200 00x – 5 9 1
Kayden Dydalewicz, Cody Pfeffer (4), Bryson Dudley (5), Cortt Gentry (8) and Matt Whitting, Ethan Gonzalez. Connor Zaruba, Nick Greaney (4), John Carmichael (6), Clayton Freshcorn (9) and Deiten Lachance. WP: Zaruba; LP: Dydalewicz; SV: Freshcorn. Leading hitters – Blinn: Marshall Lipsey (2-4, 2B) and Brandon Bishop (2-3, 2 RBI); McLennan: Phoenix Meza (2-5, HR, RBI), Mac Rose (2-4), Aidan Kuni (2-2), Deiten Lachance (1-4, 2B, RBI), Sam Flores (1-4, 2 RBI) and Brecken Menuet (1-2, HR, RBI). Record: McLennan 4-5.