PORTALES, N.M. – A dominant pitching display from Cole Lancaster and Adrian Rubio propelled Eastern New Mexico Baseball (7-7) to a 7-0 victory over New Mexico Highlands (7-7) on Sunday afternoon at Greyhound Baseball Field. The win on Sunday secured a two-game sweep against the Cowboys.

The Greyhounds pitchers allowed just four hits over nine innings, as Lancaster and Rubio were dealing on Sunday afternoon. Lancaster started the game, striking out eight hitters over 5.1 innings in a no-decision. Rubio (3.2 IP) picked up the victory for the Greyhounds, striking eight of the 12 batters they faced, retiring the final 11 batters in a row.

Eastern broke open the game with five runs in the 6^th and another pair of runs in the 7^th to secure the win. Luciano Terilli and Willie Ponce both had multiple hits, while Jalen Freeman (3) and Daniel Pruitt (4) combined for all seven of the Greyhounds RBIs. Of the Greyhounds nine hits in the game, five went for extra bases.

Both teams struggled to get things going offensively, as both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the first inning. ENMU and NMHU left runners in scoring position during the 4^th and 5^th innings, as the game remained scoreless after five innings. Eastern broke open the game in the 6^th inning, scoring five runs in the frame. Three Greyhounds reached base via a single, hit by pitch, and walk, as Freeman claimed an RBI with a bases loaded walk. Two batters later, Pruitt crushed an opposite field grand slam home run, with two outs, to get Eastern out to a 5-0 lead.

The Greyhounds were in a similar situation in the 7^th inning, with three straight walks loading the bases with one out. Freeman brought home two runs with an RBI single through the right side to increase the ENMU advantage to 7-0. New Mexico Highlands were retired in order over the final two innings, as Eastern came away with the 7-o win.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Eastern out-hit the Cowboys 9-4 over the game, while NMHU were held hitless over the final three innings. Terilli had a pair of extra base hits in the game (double and triple)
• Ponce stole two bases for the Greyhounds, with Adrien Martin also swiping a bag.
• Rubio earned his first win of the season in relief, while combining with Lancaster for the third shutout of the season for ENMU. It is the second combined shutout Lancaster has been apart of this season, throwing six of seven scoreless innings in a win over St. Edward's (2/8) earlier this season.
• Pruitt's home runs was his second of the weekend and third of the season, while Freeman supplied a season high three RBIs.
• Lancaster tallied his most strikeouts as a Greyhound (8), while Rubio tied a career mark for punchouts with eight. It is the fourth time Rubio has reached eight strikeouts, with this outing being the fewest batters faced to reach the mark (12).
• The Greyhounds 16 strikeouts is the 3^rd most in a single game in program history, being the most in a single game since Eastern struck out 15 batters against Tarleton State in 2019 (4/26/19).
• Eastern now extends their winning streak over the Cowboys to six straight games, posting the first shutout against New Mexico Highlands since 2014 (7-0, 2/14/14).
• ENMU stays home for its next series, returning to Lone Star Conference play to face Cameron in a four-game series, beginning on Friday, February 28.