Saturday, February 21, 2015

MIDLAND, TEXAS — In two close games, the Eastern New Mexico baseball team (4-7) split a doubleheader with Lubbock Christian University (7-6) finishing the series with the Chaps taking two-of-three games.

The Greyhounds fell in the first game of the day after Lubbock Christian managed to tie the contest then get a walk off run in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the first of two meetings 6-5.  Eastern had the lead or at least a tie the entire game until the walk off.

The second game saw the Chaps get an early run, but the Greyhounds would take the lead for good with a three run inning in the third.  Good defense on the field and pitching from the mound held Lubbock Christian at bay, giving up only one final run in the sixth inning to win the game in seven, 3-2.

GAME ONE

In the Greyhounds first game Daniel Ward (So., Cleveland, Ohio / Clovis CC) went 2-for-3 from the plate with one RBI and two runs scored.  Ward was the only Eastern player with multiple hits.

Mike Peters (Sr., Colombia, Miss. / Alcorn State University) put in four solid innings of work, giving up six hits and two earned runs, striking out two batters.  Daniel Schiller (So., Port Charlotte Fla. / Tallahassee CC) came in as relief for Underwood, pitching two innings with one earned run off one hit, recording a game-high three strikeouts.

Nick Sarmiento (Jr., Saginaw, Mich. / Highland CC) was saddled with the loss after pitching 1.1 innings and giving up three hits and three earned runs, while walking three batters.  When the game ended in the eighth on a walk off, there was one out and three batters left on base for the Chaps.

GAME TWO

The second contest of the day went much like the first with Eastern taking an early lead, but they managed to hang on for the win in the final inning, winning 3-2.  Charles Sandberg Jr. (Jr., Bradenton, Fla. / State College of Fla., Sarasota) went 3-for-4 from the plate and led all hitters with his three hits. 

Clyde Kendrick (Jr., Vicksburg, Miss. / Holmes Community College) really stepped up for the Greyhounds who have at times been struggling from the mound this season, pitching six innings giving up four hits and one earned run, striking out a career-high eight batters.  Kiegan Basso (So., Peoria, Ariz. / Centennial HS) came in for one inning earning the save, retiring all three batters he faced and recording three strikeouts.

Eastern generated all of its scoring in the third inning, stringing together four hits and three runs with one error and two runners left on base by the end of the inning.  Keenan Dodd () started the inning off with a single to right field, followed by a Sandberg single to left.

Blake Cooper (Sr., Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Wilson HS / Golden West College) then advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt.  With two outs, a throwing error by the Chaps allowed Justin Paul (Jr., Papillion, Neb. / Highland CC) to reach first and bring Dodd in to score.  A Mark Foley (Sr., Vacaville, Calif. / Solano College) single followed by a Chris Sanders (Sr., Murrieta, Calif. / Palomar College) double scored two more, giving the Greyhounds the necessary lead to finish off the Chaps.