Sunday's finale didn't go so well for Eastern New Mexico University's baseball team, but the Greyhounds did enough against Lubbock Christian over the weekend at Greyhound Field to stay in the middle of the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament picture.
LCU got a home run apiece from six players on Sunday and run-ruled the Hounds 18-8 to earn a split in the four-game set. It's the first time ENMU has managed as much as a series split against the Chaparrals, who hold a 48-14 lead all-time over the Hounds.
With two weekends left, ENMU (26-16, 24-16 LSC) is locked in a four-way tie for fourth in the conference with the Chaps (25-17, 24-16), St. Mary's (26-16, 24-16) and West Texas A&M (26-16, 24-16). The top seven teams qualify for the league meet, with the No. 1 seed getting a first-round bye and seeds 2-4 hosting best-of-3 opening-round series May 2-4.
Meantime, Texas A&M-Kingsville (23-19, 22-18) in still alive in eighth place, although the Hounds do have an early-season series win over the Javelinas as a possible tie-breaker.
In the finale, LCU posted four innings of at least four runs, beginning with four-run second in which the Chaps erased a 2-0 deficit. Senior shortstop Kade York capped the rally with a two-run shot off ENMU senior right-hander Roman Connolly (2-4).
A five-run fourth put LCU in front 10-3, and the Chaps added four more in the sixth – on three long ones – and four in the eighth. The game ended after eight on the 10-run rule.
For their part, the Hounds belted three home runs – solo blasts by senior catcher Daniel Pruitt, senior first baseman Beau Preston and sophomore right fielder Adrian Martin.
Eleven pitchers were used – including six by the Chaps, who have a staff earned run average of 8.44 and only one regular pitcher – senior left-hander Ryan Markwardt – with an ERA below 4.00.
Senior third baseman Nicklaus Baumbach led the team's 13-hit attack with a double, a home run and five RBIs. Preston and senior shortstop Willie Ponce both had two of ENMU's nine knocks.
ENMU plays four games this week at LSC-leading and top-ranked Angelo State (35-7, 33-7), beginning with a 5:30 p.m. (MDT) single tilt on Thursday. The Hounds close the season at home next weekend against Texas A&M International (12-30, 11-29).
LCU 10-3, ENMU 2-4 (Saturday) – Senior right-hander Josaiah Estrella (6-0) continued his impressive pitching with six solid innings against the hard-hitting Chaps, earning his sixth win in seven starts since joining the rotation.
Estrella managed to keep LCU in the ballpark, allowing six singles and a double with two walks and three strikeouts, before senior right-hander Julian Lopez fanned two in a scoreless seventh for his first save.
Senior center fielder Luciano Terilli hit an RBI double and came home on a groundout to put ENMU up 2-0 in the first. Then, after three walks loaded the bases in the second, junior designated hitter's Anthony Cortese's infield hit made it 3-0.
Three singles got the Chaps on the board in the third, but ENMU got that one back in the bottom half when senior second baseman Demetrio Archuleta was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. That turned out to be the winning run after after LCU junior right fielder Jacob Gutierrez delivered a two-run single in the top of the fifth to make it a one-run tilt.
Six of LCU's seven hits came from the top three in the order, including Gutierrez with all three RBIs. No one had more than one hit for the Hounds.
In the opener, LCU broke open a fairly tight game with seven runs over the final two frames, including two two-run singles from senior second baseman Frayner Chavez and a two-run triple from senior left fielder Shea Bowen.
LCU outhit the Hounds 12-3, led by Bowen's 3-for-5 that also included a solo home run. Markwardt earned the win, tossing five no-hit frames en route to a complete game.
ENMU 6, LCU 5, 11 innings (Friday) – Senior right-hander Adrian Rubio pitched a season-long six innings in relief and the Hounds pulled out the series opener when Terilli dropped a two-out, bases-loaded RBI single into left field in the bottom of the 11th.
ENMU was outhit 10-7, but took advantage of 12 walks (as opposed to only one strikeout) by LCU hurlers.
Rubio (6-1) allowed a couple of inherited runners to score after relieving starter Demitrius DiMatteo with two on, one in and no one out in the sixth, but tossed two-hit ball overall with just two walks and five strikeouts. On Monday, he was named the LSC pitcher of the week, becoming the first for ENMU to win that award since 2015.
Cortese and Terilli each finished with two hits, including a three-run double from Cortese in the fifth for a 5-2 lead. Gutierrez, junior center fielder Kyle Lewis and Chavez all had a pair of knocks for the Chaps.
