PORTALES, N.M. – After trailing as many as six runs, Eastern New Mexico Baseball beat Cameron University in walk-off fashion, 9-8, on Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Baseball Field. With the win, ENMU secures a series victory over the Aggies wining the final three games. The Greyhounds improve to 12-13 on the season, while holding a 10-13 conference record. Cameron fall to 5-24 on the season, and move to 5-23 in LSC action.
Entering the middle of the sixth inning, the Greyhounds found themselves behind 6-0 to CU. The Aggies scored a single run in the third and fifth inning, while plating four runs in the fourth frame. Before the bottom of the sixth, ENMU had just three hits in the contest.
However, the sixth inning
Jonatan Clough sparked the offense with a leadoff triple.
Willie Ponce followed with a single up the middle to score the Hounds first run.
Dylan Hummel reached on an infield single, then both Ponce and Hummel moved up a base on a wild pitch.
Demetrio Archuleta forced a run home on a ground out, then
Spencer Roach also grounded out to score a run, 6-3 CU.
After a 1-2-3 inning on defense, ENMU took its first lead of the game with four runs in the seventh inning, 7-6 ENMU.
Camden Matthews began the frame with a single then stole second base to move into scoring position.
Cooper Hamilton drove Matthews home on a hit back up the middle, 6-4 ENMU.
With two runners on and no outs, Ponce pulled a ball through the right side to score Hamilton from second base and put the tying run on third base. Hummel tied the contest with a single to the opposite field, 6-6. After Archuleta moved both runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, Roach flew out to right field scoring the run on a sacrifice fly to end the seventh inning scoring.
Both teams responded in the eighth inning with a single run, to swing game back to ENMU. The Aggies posted three hits in the eighth to secure one run, but the Greyhounds defense prevent more. Hamilton threw out a runner at home from right field, while ENMU produced a strikeout with the bases loaded and two outs for CU. In the bottom of the inning, a two-out double from Clough put a runner in scoring position. Hummel produced again, singling to right field to give ENMU a 8-7 lead heading to the ninth.
In the ninth, the Aggies were down to their final out and back to back hits scored a run to tie the game at 8-8. A single to left field, followed by a double to right tied the contest at 8-8. Heading to the bottom of the ninth, Eastern's first three batters reached base. Archuleta singled to left, Roach reached on a hit-by-pitch, and
Nyles Duren laid down a sacrifice bunt (reached first on a error).
Rutger Poiry stepped up and drilled a deep fly ball to centerfield, allowing Archuleta to tag up and score as the Greyhounds won 9-8 on a walk-off.
NOTABLE STATS
- ENMU scattered 14 hits during the game, while the Aggies posted 13 base hits.
- Seven Greyhounds recorded a base hit, with five Eastern hitters posting multiple hits.
- Hummel led the Hounds with four hits, while Matthews, Hamilton, Clough, and Ponce each finished with two base knocks.
- The Greyhounds posted nine RBIs in the contest, with six batters posting an RBI. Ponce, Hummel, and Roach all finished with a pair of RBIs, while Hamilton, Archuleta, and Poiry each had an RBI.
- Noah Rodriguez picked up the win for the Hounds pitching staff, tossing one inning and allowing one run on two hits. Damian Acosta started the contest and went four innings, allowing five runs (two earned) from six hits and had five strikeouts. Tommy Perez tossed 1.1 innings and gave up one run, while William McBride entered the contest and threw 2.2 innings, recording three K's.
- For the Aggies, Matthew Scott is given the defeat after allowing two runs in two innings pitched on three hits. Clayton McClenan receives a no decision after going 6.0 innings, with six strikeouts and surrendering five runs. Weston Max faced three batters during the game, while Evan Nichols faced a pair of batters and recordied one out.
FROM THE SOURCE
"Today definitely didn't start the way we wanted it to on both sides of the ball," said Head Baseball Coach Riley Price. "As stressful as it is to have to comeback from a six-run deficit late in the game, the sweet sensation you get from a walk-off never gets old. I love seeing this team's ability to fight back and battle adversity like they did today," said Price. "It says a lot about the trust they have for one another and how successful we can be when we play as one unit. McBride really stepped up out of the pen, as well as Rodriguez rising to the occasion again today," said Price. "Today was a big team win and I love seeing us being able to execute moving runners in high stress situations. It's not about how you start sometimes, but rather how you finish, and today was a great finish for the Greyhounds!" said Price.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Eastern secured a series win against the Aggies for the first time since 2014.
- With three straight wins, the Greyhounds are on its longest winning streak of the season.
- Poiry's sacrifice fly is the second walk-off of the season for the Greyhounds. Hummel provide the first walk-off of the season with an RBI single during a 5-4 over Texas A&M International (2/11/23).
- Rodriguez registered his first career win, while McBride tossed a season high 2.2 innings with a season best three strikeouts. Dylan Hummel posted a career best four hits in the game.
- Hamilton posted his 10th multi-hit game of the season, leading the Greyhounds. Ponce (15 games), Roach (14 games), and Archuleta (13 games) all extended their active streak of reaching base.
- ENMU will now head to Odessa, Texas for a four-game series with UT Permian Basin. The series begins on Friday, Mar. 24, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
