Hounds pull out series win against Aggies
Mar. 21—PORTALES — It took quite an effort, but the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team kept itself squarely in the hunt for a Lone Star Conference tournament berth on Saturday.
Junior catcher Rutger Poiry's ninth-inning sacrifice fly capped a comeback from an early 6-0 deficit, and the Greyhounds edged last-place Cameron 9-8 at Greyhound Field to take three of four in the series.
By winning, the Hounds (12-13, 10-13) moved into seventh place in the 13-team LSC, with the top eight qualifying for the tournament. That said, a loss would have dropped ENMU to 10th, with four teams bunched within a half-game of each other.
Six four-game series remain in regular-season play.
"As stressful as it is to have to come back from a six-run deficit late in the game, the sweet sensation you get from a walkoff never gets old," ENMU coach Riley Price said. "It says a lot about the trust (the players) have in one another, and how successful we can be when we play as one unit."
It didn't look good for a long time. Entering the bottom of the sixth, the Hounds had managed just three singles off CU right-hander Clayton McClenan.
But they erupted for three runs on four hits, getting a run-scoring single from sophomore Willie Ponce and RBI groundouts from sophomores Demetrio Archuleta and Spencer Roach.
They took the lead with a four-spot in the seventh on RBI singles from junior Cooper Hamilton, Ponce and freshman Dylan Hummel before Roach delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly to right field.
Sophomore Kai Hershberger's single tied it for the Aggies in the eighth. The Hounds regained the lead in the bottom half when freshman Jonatan Clough doubled with two out and came around on a single by Hummel, but Cameron made it 8-8 in the ninth on a two-out RBI double by senior Beau Williams.
In the bottom half, Archuleta singled, Roach was hit by a pitch and junior Nyles Duren reached when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed. Poiry followed with his scoring fly ball to center.
ENMU outhit Cameron 14-13 as Hummel went 4-for-5 and Cooper, Clough, Hamilton and senior Camden Matthews all had a pair of hits. Meantime, catcher Dominic Arellano led the Aggies' attack, going 3-for-5.
Each side went through four pitchers, while sophomore Noah Rodriguez (1-0) working the ninth for the win and sophomore Matthew Scott (0-1) taking the loss. ENMU hurlers threw a combined 206 pitches and issued 10 walks, but Cameron stranded 14 baserunners.
ENMU returns to action with a four-game series at Texas-Permian Basin this weekend, beginning with a 1 p.m. (MDT) single tilt on Friday.
