PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico baseball team pitched well in both games of a Saturday doubleheader against No. 17 West Texas A&M, but fell just short in both games 5-1 and 4-1 at Greyhound Field.
In the first game of the day, the Hounds (13-18, 1-6 Lone Star Conference) were able to get the early momentum in the first inning after ENMU starting pitcher Joel Torres faced the minimum by forcing a pop out and a 4-6-3 double play following a hit-by-pitch.
Senior second baseman Nicholas Ankerman spared little time to put the Greyhounds on the board first as he sent WT starting pitcher Joe Corbett's first pitch over the left field fence for a leadoff solo home run to make it a 1-0 Eastern advantage. Ankerman's drive was Eastern's first home run at Greyhound Field this season.
The Buffs (27-8, 6-5 LSC) put together a major threat in the third inning when the first three batters reached. However, Torres was able to get out of the jam with a strikeout, a lineout to second that nearly induced a double play on the throw over to first, and a groundout to second to keep WTAMU off the board.
West Texas A&M finally cracked through the ENMU defense in the top of the fifth, pushing across an unearned run on a fielder's choice groundout to tie the score at 1-1.
The Buffs took their first lead of the game an inning later when a leadoff triple came across to score on an error and added another on a wild pitch to extend the edge to 3-1. West Texas A&M added a pair of insurance in the seventh as well to pull away with the 5-1 win.
WTAMU scored its five runs on four and committed one error while Eastern tallied its one run on four hits and committed four errors.
Ankerman was the lone offense for the Greyhounds with his solo homer, finishing 1-for-3 from the plate. Despite suffering the loss, Torres had a strong outing after throwing 5.1 innings, giving up just three runs, one earned on two hits, two walks, and a strikeout.
West Texas A&M managed to push across the first run of the second game. After a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases to start the first inning, the Buffs knocked in a run on a fielder's choice ground out to make it a 1-0 game.
Greyhounds starter Enrique Perez was able to limit the damage with a flyout and strikeout between a walk, holding the Buffs to just one run in the inning.
The Buffs added one more in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly following a leadoff triple to extend the lead to 2-0.
The Hounds broke through in the bottom of the fourth on a Joel Paulino RBI single to right that scored Paul Tapia after his double to cut the Buffs' advantage to 2-1.
However, the Buffs added some insurance in the sixth with a two-run homer that sailed over the left center field fence to stretch the WTAMU edge to 4-1.
West Texas A&M notched its four runs on 10 hits with one error while the Greyhounds' one run came on five hits and didn't commit any errors.
Tapia recorded two of the five Hounds hits, slashing 2-for-3 with a run scored. Paulino tallied the lone RBI after going 1-for-3 from the plate. Enrique Perez fell to 4-2 on the season despite a solid pitching performance, throwing six innings and giving up just four earned runs on eight hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts.
The Hounds will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday as Eastern will return to Greyhound Field for a 1 p.m. start.
