PORTALES, NM —Starting pitcher
Enrique Perez allowed no earned runs over 4.1 innings and scattered five hits, as the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team (17-18; LSC 3-12) won the opening game of Sunday afternoon's Lone Star Conference doubleheader at Greyhound Baseball Field. After the Hounds held on for a 3-2 win, Texas A&M-Kingsville (26-9; LSC 6-5) charged to a lead in the nightcap, and help on for a wild 17-11 victory.
The win in the opener snapped Eastern's eight-game skid in the series. ENMU's last victory over the Javelinas was a 12-11 decision on March 20, 2016.
Game 1
- Perez allowed just three baserunners over the first three innings and finished his start with five strikeouts
- Garlind Webster's one-out infield single started ENMU's rally in the first inning
- Alex DeLaCruz immediately followed with a single to left field, before Endy Villalona's two-out triple gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead
- Malcolm Smith led off the Greyhound second with a single and scored on a two-out hit from Zach Shank to give ENMU a 3-0 lead
- Texas A&M-Kingsville capitalized on two ENMU errors in the fourth inning to pull within 3-2
- Chris Padilla led off the Greyhound fourth with a triple, but TAMUK starter recovered and retired the next three batters
- The Javelinas had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with two outs in the fifth, but Levi Shandrew was called from the bullpen to escape the jam
- Shandrew allowed just one baserunner over 2.1 innings to garner his fourth save of the season
- DeLaCruz batted 2-for-3
- Craft went four innings for the Javelinas and scattered seven hits
Game 2
- Eastern held a 16-12 edge in total hits in the nightcap, but the Javelinas drew 11 walks
- Texas A&M-Kingsville sent 18 batters to the plate over the first two innings and charged to a 10-0 lead
- Eurick Perez's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the second inning produced ENMU's first run of the game
- The Javelinas tacked on four more runs in the third inning for a 14-1 lead
- Eastern outscored TAMUK 10-3 the rest of the way
- The Hounds scored four runs in the bottom of a third inning which was highlighted by Julian Heredia's two-run triple
- After the Javelinas scored three in the top of the fourth, ENMU batted around in the bottom of the inning and plated six runs to pull within 17-11
- Villalona and Perez both had two-run singles in the inning
- Austin Paisar blanked the Javalinas and allowed just two walks over the final two innings of the game
- Shank and Webster both batted 3-for-5
- Padilla hit 3-for-4
- Tyler Crouch earned the win in relief for the Javelinas
Up Next
- The teams will meet in the series finale on Monday
- The first pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. MT