PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico Baseball came away with a split of the doubleheader against #15 St. Edward's University on Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Baseball Field. ENMU snagged game one, 6-1, over the Hilltoppers, while St. Edward's came out on top in extra innings in game two against the Greyhounds, 6-5 (8 Inn.). The win moves Eastern to 6-9 on the season, with the same conference record. The Hilltoppers are now 9-4 on the season, with an LSC standing of 7-4.
GAME ONE: ENMU 6, #15 SEU 1
Both teams scored in the first inning of the contest, with St. Edward's getting on the board after a two out double put a runner on second, then a triple scored the runner. Eastern New Mexico responded right back to take a 2-1 lead over St. Edward's after the first inning. After
Camden Matthews reached base,
Jonatan Clough hit a triple to deep left center field, tying the contest.
Willie Ponce drove Clough to the plate with a single to give ENMU the lead.
After securing a run in the second inning,
Dylan Hummel launched a homerun over the left field fence to give ENMU a 4-1 advantage after the fourth inning. Defensively, ENMU kept base runners at a minimum with
Adrian Rubio posting a 1-2-3 inning thanks to a 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning.
The Greyhounds added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth frame, with a run scoring from a wild pitch, and
Demetrio Archuleta sending
Nick Schifftner to the plate with a single to left field. However, the Greyhounds didn't need the extra runs, as Rubio finished his complete game with the Hounds winning 6-1 over St. Edward's.
NOTABLE STATS
- ENMU finished with 10 hits during the win, with three extra base hits.
- Hummel finished 2-3 at the plate, with a double and homerun, with Archuleta also finishing with two hits in the game. Four different Greyhounds picked up an RBI during the contest.
- Behind the plate, Jayden Martinez caught two runners on the base paths, and supplied a sacrifice hit.
- Rubio's win is the first of the season for the right hander, going the full seven innings with six hits, one run, and seven strikeouts.
- Jack Granack takes the defeat for St. Edward's throwing five innings and giving up six earned runs. Austin Essex tossed one inning, giving up one hit.
GAME TWO: #15 SEU 6, ENMU 5 (8 Inn.)
Following a scoreless first inning, the Hilltoppers picked up a pair of runs in each of the next two frames. Two runs in the second came from St. Edward's playing small ball, while both runs in the third inning come from a 2-run homerun. Archuleta gave the Greyhounds a run back in the bottom of the third inning, hitting a solo homerun to left center.
The next scoring came in the bottom of the seventh, with the Greyhounds trying to keep the game alive. Archuleta started the rally with a triple to deep center field, and C. Matthews brought him home with a triple of his own.
Cooper Hamilton sent the runner home with a sacrifice fly, pitting the score at 4-3 SEU with two outs and the bases empty.
After a walk from Clough,
Braeton Matthews came on to pinch run at first base representing the tying run. A single through the right side from Ponce pushed the tying run to second, and Hummel came through with a base hit up the middle to tie the contest at 4-4. St. Edward's prevented the walk-off in the seventh with a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.
In the eighth, the Hilltoppers first three batters reached base and a single scored two runs for SEU to regain the lead, 6-4 over ENMU.
Anthony Gonzalez worked out of danger for the rest of the inning, picking up two bases loaded strikeouts and a line out to left field. With the Hounds trailing two runs in the eighth, Archuleta doubled with two outs to get a runner on base. After advancing to third on a pass ball, C. Matthews singled to score the Hounds fifth run of the game, 6-5 SEU. Hamilton singled to put runners on the corners, and B. Matthews produced a walk to load the bases. However, the Hilltoppers were able to induce a flyout to escape with a 6-5 win in extras over the Greyhounds.
NOTABLE STATS
- Despite the defeat, the Greyhounds out hit the Hilltoppers 12-7 in the game, with four extra base hits.
- Archuleta was a single short of the cycle, finishing 3-4 at the plate with three-runs scored. Ponce posted three hits at the dish, while C. Matthews provided two hits and a team best 2 RBI's.
- Ruger Bravo takes the loss for ENMU, tossing 7.1 innings during the game, giving up six runs (three earned runs), from six hits and six strikeouts. Gonzalez allowed one hit with 2 K's in his 2/3 of an inning.
- Luke Short was dominate for the Hilltoppers, with eight strikeouts and one run allowed in the no decision. Kevin Skweres claims the win after finishing the game for Hilltoppers, tossing 1.1 innings with three hits allowed, three K's, and one run allowed. Jack Engelmann also took the rubber for ENMU, going 0.2 innings and surrendering three runs on four hits.
FROM THE SOURCE
"Rubio threw a gem game one and we came out swinging it again putting up runs in multiple innings, which I love seeing from this group," said Head Baseball Coach Riley Price. "In game two, Bravo threw pretty good, but defensively we made one too many mistakes early on. Their game two starter was pretty lights out against us and we just weren't as tough as we needed to be with two strikes against him in some big scoring opportunities," said Price. "Although we lost a tough game two, I'm extremely proud of how we fought back and took the game into extras how we did. We have a great opportunity to clinch a series in game four tomorrow," said Price. "If we play clean baseball and continue to swing it like we have been I like our chances,".
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The Greyhounds had their first winning streak in series history against the Hilltoppers, winning two straight games.
- Hummel hit his first collegiate homerun for Eastern in game one, while Archuleta supplied his first homer of the season in game two. Archuleta posted a season's best three hits in game two (double, triple, and homerun), with three runs scored (season high).
- Adrian picks up his first win as a Greyhound, and first complete game effort in an ENMU jersey.
- ENMU look to take a series win when they face #15 St. Edward's tomorrow, Feb. 26, with first pitch set at 12 p.m.
