PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico Baseball posted a season best 21 hits during the Greyhounds 17-14 win over (RV) The University of Texas at Tyler in game two of a Sunday doubleheader at Greyhound Baseball Field. UT Tyler secured game one by a score of 22-8, earning a series win 3-1. ENMU move to 15-18 on the season, along with a 13-18 Lone Star Conference record. The Patriots go to 24-12 overall, with the same record in conference.

GAME ONE: UTT 22, ENMU 8

The Patriots jumped out over the Greyhound pitching in the first six innings, scoring 15 runs over that time to take a 15-0 lead. UT Tyler benefitted from three home runs in the time frame. ENMU tacked on four runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut into the UT Tyler advantage. Nyles Duren scored a run on a sacrifice fly, Jorge Colon scored on a wild pitch, while Rio Granger knocked in a pair of runs after a single, 15-4 UTT.
 
UT Tyler added seven runs in the seventh inning, using five hits in the inning to score the runs. Before the contest ended, Cooper Hamilton hit a grand slam homerun to center field to end the scoring at 22-8 in favor of the Patriots.

NOTABLE STATS

• The Patriots totaled 19 hits in the game, compared to the Greyhounds seven. UT Tyler had 10 extra base hits in the game, including four home runs.
• Hamilton finished 2-4 in the game with a home run and four RBIs. Granger picked up a pair of RBIs on one hit, while four other Greyhounds posted a single.
• For ENMU, Ruger Bravo got the start and lasted 4.2 innings, giving up 10 runs on 11 hits. Tommy Perez and Vernon Hart each threw 0.2 innings, while Joshua Martin tossed one inning in relief.
• Brayden Freeman earns the win for the Patriots, going five strong innings and allowing one run. Cade Maclin and Nick Oslovar helped the Patriots pitching get over the line in game one.

GAME TWO: ENMU 17, UTT 14

Eastern wasted no time in taking a lead from the Patriots in the first inning. After Camden Matthews and Hamilton both reached on a single, Demetrio Archuleta hit a towering home run over the right center fence to get the Greyhounds on the board. However, the Patriots responded right back in the next half inning with six runs in the top of the second, 6-3 UTT.
 
The Hounds started the bottom of the second with two base runners, Mason Estrada reached on a single and Rutger Poiry advanced on a walk. Hamilton tripled to deep right center to bring both runs home, then Archuleta tied the contest with a double in the right center gap, tied 6-6. After the ENMU defense turned a double play in the third, the offense tagged three more runs to go ahead 9-6. Dylan Hummel led off the inning with a double and Nick Schifftner reached on a hit by pitch. Matthews brought a run home on a single, then Archuleta singled a pair of runs home to go up three runs.
 
ENMU continued their scoring in the fourth inning, when Hummel forced home a run on an error. Two batters later, Schifftner scorched a ball over the left field fence to increase the Greyhounds lead to 12-9 after fourth full innings. The Patriots did not lose hope, as a pair of home runs (three run and solo home runs) brought the contest to 12-10 ENMU.
 
Eastern's bats continued to stay hot going into the bottom of the fifth, with Jonatan Clough hitting a deep home run over the centerfield fence. Later in the inning, a bases loaded single from Poiry scored a run, then Matthews singled to right field to plate two more runs, 16-10. The Greyhounds added a run in the sixth frame after Schifftner singled to the opposite field, setting the score at 17-10. The Patriots kept themselves in the game with a grand slam in the seventh, moving the score to 17-14.
 
After the Patriots came within three runs, William McBride entered the game on the hill and stymied the UT Tyler offense. McBride forced three straight flyouts in the seventh, and benefitted from a 6-4-3 double play in the eighth to keep the Hounds on top. McBride ended the contest with a 1-2-3 ninth frame as the Greyhounds capped a 17-14 victory over the Patriots.

NOTABLE STATS

• Eastern amassed 21 hits during the game, while UT Tyler produced 12 base knocks. ENMU finished with six extra base hits, compared to the eight from UTT.
• Every batter recorded a base hit for ENMU, led by the four hits from Hamilton. Matthews, Archuleta, Hummel, and Schifftner all posted three base hits.
• Archuleta tallied six RBIs and was a triple short of a cycle. Matthews and Schifftner each finished with a trio of RBIs, while Hamilton supplied two RBIs.
• Six different Greyhounds scored multiple times, with Schifftner and Hummel each scoring three times.
• Noah De La Riva gets a no decision in his return to the rotation, throwing four innings and giving up nine runs. Damian Acosta claims the win, tossing two frames and surrendering five runs. McBride was near perfect in his save effort, going three innings with no hits, and two hit batters.
• Five pitchers took the hill for UT Tyler, with Nolan Cox taking the loss after going two innings and allowing eight runs.

FROM THE SOURCE

"The wind was blowing out again today as UT Tyler came out swinging it well again and we let one too many leave the yard on us," said Head Baseball Coach Riley Price. "Game one turned sloppy on our end pretty quick as they continued to make us pay with a lot of barrels and ran away with the game. We had an opportunity to fight back, but couldn't string anything together once again," said Price.

"Before game two, I challenged our guys to get back to our approach at the plate and that we needed to score in multiple innings to give ourselves a chance to walk away with a win. Sure enough, we responded with a hard fought team win and competed like we know how," said Price. "Really proud of how we didn't fold after game one today and bounced back. McBride came in out of the pen for damage control and did a great job shutting them down to secure the win for us," said Price. "Need the bats to remain hot and some bullpen guys to step up going forward into our next series,".

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Greyhounds beat the Patriots for the first time on home turf in series history.
• Hamilton hit his first home run of the season in game one and notched a career high four hits in game two. Four RBIs from Hamilton also marks a season best. Both Hamilton and Archuleta are tied for the team lead for multi-hit games with 14.
• Clough launched his team best eighth home run of the season (His first at Greyhound Baseball Field). Hummel accounted for a career best three runs scored, along with his fourth game of the season with three or more hits in a single game.
• During game two, Archuleta displayed a career high six RBIs, tied for sixth most in a game in program history. Schifftner had his best game of the season at the plate: hitting his first home run of the season, and a season best in hits (3), runs scored (3), and runs batted in (3).
• McBride notched his first save of the season.
• The Greyhounds now shift their attention to an upcoming four game series with University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. ENMU will head to Arkansas for the series opener on Thursday, Apr. 6, at 12 p.m. The series will feature a doubleheader (Friday, Apr. 7), and a nine-inning series finale (Saturday, Apr. 8).