PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico Baseball drew a split of the doubleheader against #5 West Texas A&M on Saturday evening at Greyhounds Baseball Field. In game one, ENMU scored six runs in the final three innings to comeback to beat the Buffs, 8-5. In game two, both teams battled on during a pitcher's duel late in the game, but West Texas A&M scored a run in the 10
th inning to secure a 5-4 win. After both teams took a win, ENMU moves to 9-10 overall with an identical conference record. The Buffs are now 12-5 on the season, holding a 11-4 Lone Star Conference record.
GAME ONE: ENMU 8, #5 WT 5
The Buffs scored three runs in the first four batters of the game, taking a 3-0 lead. Two singles, a triple, and a groundout gave WT the early lead. ENMU responded with an RBI groundout to score a run in the first inning. During the second frame,
Luciano Terilli brought home a run with a sacrifice fly to make the contest 3-2 WT. The Buffs added to their advantage over the next two innings, scoring two runs in the 3
rd inning and one run in the 4
th inning to go up 5-2, heading to the bottom of the 4
th inning.
Eastern lowered the deficit with a two-run 4
th inning. With runners on first and second,
Demetrio Archuleta doubled to left center to bring the score to 5-4 WT. After an empty top of the 5
th, ENMU made its move in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-5.
Daniel Pruitt started the inning with a single, then
Tucker Gideon singled with two outs. After a hit by pitch loaded the bases,
Landon Pyles pulled a ball down the left field line to score three runs and put ENMU in front.
In the 6
th inning, ENMU navigated a bases loaded situation and picked up an important insurance run.
Willie Ponce reached on a bunt single, then stole second base with two outs to move into scoring position.
Cooper Hamilton provided the RBI single as ENMU pushed its lead to 8-5. During the final inning,
Adrian Rubio secured the first two outs with two backward's K's, while Terilli came in from left field to secure the final out, via strikeout. The Greyhounds came away with the opener of the doubleheader, 8-5.
NOTABLE STATS
- The Buffs supplied more hits than ENMU (11-8), but the Greyhounds scored eight runs with eight RBIs.
- Seven different hitters recorded a base hit, with Pruitt collecting a pair of hits.
- Pyles (3) and Archuleta (2) accounted for multiple RBIs, with Dylan Shea scoring twice.
- Marc Rios (W, 1-0) gets the win from the bullpen, throwing 1.1 hitless innings with a pair of K's. Rubio helped preserve the Greyhounds lead with 1.1 innings thrown with three strikeouts, while Terilli (S,2) delivered a save with a strikeout. Josaiah Estrella got the start on the mound for ENMU, giving up five runs from nine hits with six punchouts.
- Matt Milner (L, 2-1) took the loss for the Buffs, with seven runs allowed in 4.2 IP from six hits, three walks, and three hit-by-pitches. Douglas Rojas tossed one inning, allowing two hits and one run, while Max Lankford retired the only batter they faced.
GAME TWO: #5 WT 5, ENMU 4 (10 INN.)
Runs were scarce in the opening innings, as ENMU opened the scoring during the third inning. Pyles started the inning with a walk and found themselves on third after a wild pitch and a stolen base.
Beau Preston brought home Pyles with an RBI groundout. West Texas A&M brought the game level with a run in the fourth inning, but the Greyhounds avoided further damage escaping a bases loaded situation (1-1 after four innings).
In the 5
th inning, both teams picked up runs as WT jumped out in front 4-3. With runners on second and third with two outs, Dylan Fesperman tripled for the Buffaloes to give WT the lead. The next batter singled home WT's fourth run of the game, the third of the inning. ENMU's runs came courtesy of back-to-back hits with a Pyles single and a Terilli double. Later in the inning, a reach on error allowed Terilli to score. ENMU tied the game in the 6
th inning, with Shea reaching on a single and moving to second on an error, then
Rutger Poiry doubled home the run to tie the score.
From that point,
Zach Raichel for ENMU and Reese Miller for WT entered a pitchers' duel with both pitchers flashing zeros on the board over the next three innings. Both defenses made plays in the innings, with the score remaining tied 4-4 after nine full innings. However, WT picked up a run on a sacrifice fly in the 10
th, after a infield single, a wild pitch, and sacrifice bunt allowed the winning to move to third. The Buffs held on to take game three of the series, 5-4, in 10 innings.
NOTABLE STATS
- Both teams finished the game with eights, with the Buffs posting three extra base hits.
- Pruitt and Terilli each had two hits in the game, while Terilli, Preston, and Poiry all picked up an RBI, and Pyles scored twice.
- Raichel (L, 0-2) kept ENMU in the game on the mound tossing 4.1 relief innings, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts, working three different 1-2-3 innings. Ruger Bravo started the contest and finished 3.1 innings allowing one run on one hit and five walks. Griffin Almond allowed three runs in 1.1 IP, allowing four hits. Anthony Gonzalez pitched the final inning, recording three outs with one hit batter.
- Miller (W, 2-0) powered the Buffs to victory, tossing 5.0 innings of relief with seven strikeouts and one unearned run from three hits. Mason Caperton (S,1) got the final three outs in the 10th inning to earn the save. Nick Yeager started the game with two runs, allowed three walks and three strikeouts. Matt Whitney faced one batter, allowing a hit.
FROM THE SOURCE
"A long day of baseball at the Boneyard," said Head ENMU Baseball Coach Riley Price. "In game one, I was very proud of how we kept fighting back and kept applying pressure until we could take the lead with a few clutch hits. Josaiah Estrella did a great job settling in after the 1st inning during his first start of the year and made them earn everything they got," said Price. "(Marc) Rios, (Adrian) Rubio, and (Luciano) Terilli all came in behind home throwing well and held them at bay,".
"During game two, we should have gotten to their starter a lot earlier than we did offensively. Too many runners left on base, and we failed to execute moving runners in some big situations," said Price. "Way too many strikeouts and we made some costly mistakes on defense. On the mound, we gave them too many free bases and they came up with the big hits at the right time," said Price. "A very tough game to lose in extras like that, but we competed hard. Proud of Zach Raichel giving us several chances late to walk it off as he competed well for us on the mound," said Price.
"I feel good going into tomorrow with a chance to win the series," said Price.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- During game one, Terilli picked up their second save of the season, while Rios earned their first career win for the Green and Silver with a season long 1.1 innings pitched. Pyles recorded multiple RBIs in a game for the fourth time this season, doing three times in his last four games. Shea reached on a hit by pitch three times, tying a program record.
- In the second game, Terilli picked up their seventh multi-hit game of the season, hitting their first double. Pruitt grabbed their eight multi-hit game of the season. Poiry grabbed their first hit and RBI of the season during the game.
- Despite taking the loss, Raichel tossed a season long 4.1 innings, lowering their ERA from 7.94 to 6.32.
- After picking a win in game one, the Greyhounds have guaranteed a split with the Buffaloes in a series for the first time since 2006. Eastern has won three of the last five meetings with the Buffs, with WT winning 19 consecutive games before an ENMU win last season.
- The Greyhounds conclude the series tomorrow against the Buffs, going for the series win. First pitch from Greyhounds BSB Field is scheduled for 1 p.m.
