Saturday, March 21, 2015

PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team split a doubleheader with Cameron University Saturday, taking the first of the two games by a score of 2-1, then falling in the second game 8-0.

The Greyhounds (6-15, 2-9 LSC) got a quality start from their ace Cody Pope (Sr., Kingman, Ariz. / Williston State College) in the first contest, with the senior pitching a complete game and only giving up four hits to the Aggies (10-14, 4-9 LSC).  The second game saw Mike Peters (Sr., Columbia, Miss. / Alcorn State University) saddled with the loss, as the starting pitcher moved to 0-2 on the season.

GAME ONE

In a game with very little offense, the Greyhounds fell behind 1-0 early in the day with Pope giving up his lone run of the day to the Aggies.  Some heads up base running by senior Blake Cooper (R-Sr., Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Wilson High School / Golden West College) in the bottom of the fourth inning tied the game for Eastern at 1-1, when cooper went from second all the way home while the Aggies were busy trying to run down Justin Paul (Jr., Papillion, Neb. / Highland Community College) stealing second.

After tying the game, the lone RBI on the day for the Greyhounds came from Keenan Dodd (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M. / Hope Christian Academy) as he hit a double to left field to score Brennen Pierson (R-Jr., Chandler, Ariz. / University of New Mexico). Dodd's double was the only hit that left the infield in the game for Eastern.

Pope would shut the Aggies out in the remaining three innings after their score, giving the Greyhounds the 1-2 win.  Pope through a complete game seven innings giving up one earned run on four hits, while striking out eight batters.  The senior ace leads the greyhounds in strikeouts thrown with 37 on the season and the win moved his record to 4-2.

GAME TWO

Eastern struggled from the plate during the second contest, recording three hits and no runs.  Cameron recorded 10 hits and seven RBIs in the contest.

Julian Lopez (So., Ruidoso, N.M. / Luna Community College) came in as a reliever for the Greyhounds, pitching 1.1 innings while giving up one hit and no runs along with two strikeouts.

Chris Sanders (Sr., Murrieta, Calif. / Palomar College) nine game hit streak, the longest of the season for Eastern, came to an end as he went 0-for-3 in the game, after having recorded one hit in the first game of the doubleheader.

The Greyhounds will wrap up their series against the Aggies Sunday, with the game scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. (MST).