STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS — Senior right fielder
Alex DeLaCruz homered for the second straight game for the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team (16-14; LSC 2-8) as the weekend's Lone Star Conference series continued at the Cecil Ballow Complex. Tarleton State (21-13; LSC 6-4) charged to a five-run lead and withstood a furious rally by the Greyhounds for a 5-4 win with the tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning.
DeLaCruz in the Numbers
- DeLaCruz homered in back-to-back games for the second time in his career and for the first time since the first two games of the 2017 season
- He now has five career homers in Lone Star Conference games
- DeLaCruz's hit extended his consecutive-game hitting streak to 15 games, the longest for ENMU since Matthew Burks had a 20-game stretch in 2014
In the Game
- Tarleton State capped a four-run first inning with a two-run homer from Jake Hasbrouk
- The Texans capitalized on an error in the second inning to push their lead to 5-0
- Malcolm Smith got ENMU on the board in the fourth inning when he scored on a passed ball
- After a walk to Eurick Perez and Endy Villalona single, DeLaCruz hit a three-run blast to pull the Hounds within 5-4
- With the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the seventh inning, the Texans intentionally walked DeLaCruz
- Eastern loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning, but Tarleton State used a double play to escape the jam
- Zach Shank doubled with one out in the top of the ninth, but The Texans held on for the win
- Keenan Dodd tossed 160 pitches and a complete game for ENMU, scattered six hits and matched a season-best 10 strikeouts
- Shank batted 2-for-3 and registered his first game with multiple-doubles for the Hounds
- Nathan Hickey went seven innings to earn the win for Tarleton State
Up Next
- The teams will conclude the series on Sunday with a doubleheader
- The first game is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. MT
