SAN ANTONIO, Texas – For the fifth straight weekend, Eastern New Mexico Baseball (24-13, 22-13 LSC) picked up an LSC doubleheader sweep on Saturday afternoon, beating St. Mary's (22-15, 20-15 LSC) in a pair of road games at Dickson Stadium. ENMU overcame a 6-3 deficit to win the opening game, 11-7, while three 2-run home runs led the Greyhounds to a 7-3 win in game two.
GAME ONE: ENMU 11, STMU 7
The Greyhounds sparked a comeback in the 6
th inning, scoring seven runs over the final two frames, with seven of the teams 10 hits happening in the final two innings.
Willie Ponce finished 3-4 in the game, picking up three RBIs.
Kyle Kiernan scored three times, while drawing three walks with a pair of hits.
Luciano Terilli and
Anthony Cortese both grabbed three RBIs in the game.
Adrian Rubio secured the win, recording the final five outs in a hitless appearance from the bullpen.
Julian Lopez tossed 3.1 vital relief innings, allowing just one hit and an unearned run.
Cole Lancaster started the game, allowing six runs on six hits.
Both teams put up runs over the first two innings, with the Rattlers leading 6-3. Ponce scored the games first run with a single in the first inning, while a groundout for St. Mary's tied the game at 1-1 after the first.
Demetrio Archuleta forced home two runs on a bases loaded single, but StMU put up five runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.
Eastern started the comeback effort with a bases loaded walk in the 4
th, then taking the lead with three runs in the 6
th inning. A leadoff walk and single put two runners on base, with Terilli singling to score a run. Then, Ponce followed with a 2-RBI single to give ENMU the lead. St. Mary's tied the game on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning, but Eastern responded with four more runs in the 7
th. With two outs, a infield single and walk put the leading run in scoring position. Terilli singled through the left side, giving the lead back. Ponce then singled on a bunt to load the bases, and Cortese cleared them with a double in the gap, as Eastern held onto a 11-7 win.
GAME TWO: ENMU 7, StMU 3
Both teams used the long ball during the game, combining for five home runs during the contest. Three of the Greyhounds seven hits went over the fence, while drawing six walks in the game.
Adrien Martin and
Jalen Freeman both finished with two hits, as each had a 2-run home run in the 6
th inning. Terilli also had a two-run home run, while Archuleta posted four walks in the game.
Josaiah Estrella had an efficient outing on the mound for the Greyhounds, working a complete game in just 90 pitches. The senior allowed just five hits and one walk in the game, with three runs given up.
Both pitchers were battling it out over the first five innings, with the score at 1-1. St. Mary's struck first in the 4
th inning with a solo home run, while Eastern scored in the 5
th inning from a bases loaded walk. The teams combined for just five hits in the first five innings. However, Eastern's bats connected in the 6
th inning with a pair of 2-run home runs. Cortese singled with one out, then Martin clubbed a ball over the right field fence to give ENMU a 3-1 lead. Shortly after,
Dylan Shea singled then
Jalen Freeman pulled a home run down the right field line to go up 5-1.
A two-run homer from St. Mary's cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 6
th, but ENMU replied with their own two-run blast in the next inning. Archuleta walked to start the 7
th inning, then Terilli homered to the opposite field in a 10 pitch at bat, giving ENMU a 7-3 lead. Estrella induced two flyouts and a strikeout to secure the win for ENMU.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Archuleta tied a career best four walks in a single game during game two, while Estrella moved to 5-0 on the season in six starts.
- The Greyhounds have assured a road split with the Rattlers for the first time in program history, and now have four wins total in San Antonio against StMU.
- Eastern wraps up the series on Sunday, April 6, facing the Rattlers in a nine-inning game beginning at 1 p.m. (MST).
