Softball 3/17/2026 11:03:00 PM

Blinn shakes off extended break with decisive sweep of North Central Missouri

Following 16 days off, the Buccaneers racked up 22 runs on 25 hits to take the doubleheader from the Pirates

Softball 3/17/2026 11:03:00 PM

Blinn shakes off extended break with decisive sweep of North Central Missouri

Following 16 days off, the Buccaneers racked up 22 runs on 25 hits to take the doubleheader from the Pirates

Sixteen days without a game did little to slow No. 15 Blinn College softball.

The Buccaneers showed no rust Tuesday, sweeping North Central Missouri College 10-2 and 12-0 at Hohlt Park in Brenham, Texas.

Blinn won both contests via the five-inning run rule and improved to 14-4 overall.

Weather disrupted the Buccaneers' schedule following a Feb. 28 doubleheader against Odessa College, forcing the cancellation of one twin bill and the postponement of another. Head coach Rick Church said he was eager to see how his team would respond to the extended layoff, and Blinn delivered.

"After not playing for half a month and only getting in a couple of practices, you don't know what you're going to get once you're back on the dirt," Church said. "Overall, this was a pretty satisfying day. We pitched well, we hit for power, and we picked up some important wins before region play."

Blinn set the tone early in the opener, erupting for five runs in the first inning.

A two-run double from sophomore catcher/designated hitter Cadence Wiese put the Buccaneers on the board before freshman infielder Breanna Moreno added an RBI single. Sophomore infielder Annie Beckendorf then launched her seventh home run of the season over the left-field wall for a 5-0 lead.

Wiese and Moreno delivered RBI singles in the second to extend the advantage to 7-0.

"We came back from spring break ready to work and used practice Sunday and Monday to get back into the rhythm of things," Wiese said. "There's a mentality on this team to win every game, so when the opportunity came today, we got after it. That was really great to see."

North Central Missouri trimmed the deficit with two runs in the fourth, but Blinn sophomore starting pitcher Brynn Gallamore escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam with a strikeout and a groundout to limit further damage.

"I just took a deep breath and tried to keep my composure," Gallamore said. "Nothing changes — you still have to make your pitches and let your defense get outs behind you. It was huge to hold them to two runs."

Blinn added three insurance runs in the home half of the inning. Sophomore outfielder Halle Scheel led off with an inside-the-park home run before Wiese and freshman outfielder Lexis Moss scored on a pair of Pirate errors.

The Buccaneers finished with 11 hits. Wiese went 3 for 3, while Scheel, Moreno, and sophomore first baseman Daniela Lopez added two hits apiece. Wiese and Beckendorf drove in two runs each.

Gallamore (7-1) went the distance, allowing one earned run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Game two featured another offensive outburst for the Bucs backed by a dominant pitching performance from sophomore Madisyn Bracknell.

The Bucs struck quickly again, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Wiese's two-run home run. Wiese leads Blinn with nine longballs.

The Bucs added three runs in the second as freshman catcher Kourtney Carter produced an RBI single and sophomore designated hitter Madysen Taylor followed with a two-run base hit.

Blinn broke the game open with a seven-run third. Moreno scored on a double play before Taylor delivered another RBI single. Wiese followed with a run-scoring hit, and Moss highlighted the inning with a three-run triple. Moreno capped the surge with an RBI single.

The Bucs totaled 14 hits in the nightcap.

Wiese and Taylor collected two hits and three RBIs apiece, while Moss also drove in three runs.

Bracknell (4-2) fired a two-hit shutout to complement Blinn's offense. She walked one and struck out four.

"I felt like everything was working really well for me today," Bracknell said. "The pitch calling was great, and I was able to hit my spots. I came in ready to shut North Central Missouri down and finish the job after Brynn and the offense took care of game one."

The Bucs will look to carry their momentum into Region 14 South play when it hosts Coastal Bend College for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday in Brenham.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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