Friday, April 24, 2009

PORTALES, N.M.— Ethan Wagner (Jr., RF, San Antonio, Texas/Cisco JC/Churchull HS) smashed a three-run double in the bottom of the first inning, staking the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team (26-26; LSC 21-21) to 4-1 lead they would not relinquish, as the Greyhounds won the opening game of a Lone Star Conference doubleheader, 5-4, against West Texas A&M, Friday evening at Greyhound Field. The Buffaloes won the nightcap by a 4-2 score.

The split moved the Greyhounds into a virtual tie at 21-21 with Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Central Oklahoma. Southeastern will complete the nightcap of their doubleheader against East Central on Saturday, as the teams remained tied at 12-all in the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the opener, Jereme Johnson (Jr., CF, Roswell, N.M./NMJC/Roswell HS) led off the bottom of the first inning by driving a double into the right-centerfield gap and scored to pull the Hounds even at 1-all, one batter later on Garrett Cook’s (Jr., SS, Deming, N.M./Lamar CC/Deming HS) base hit. Seth Clabaugh (Sr., 1b, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) and Clayton Young (Sr., LF, Portales, N.M./Portales HS) drew walks and Wagner cleared the bases with a three-run double to right center. When Young crossed home plate, he notched the 154^th run of his career, tying him with former ENMU standout, Dallas McMann for the Greyhound career lead. Johnson led off the ENMU fourth, getting stuck by an offering from WT starter, O.J. Granado, stole second base, and scored the eventual game-winning run on a RBI single from Clabaugh. The Buffaloes plated three runs in the sixth inning but senior pitcher Evan Orsak (Andrews, Texas/Andrews HS) induced a ground out to end the inning.

Joe Inzone led off the WT seventh inning with a double which landed just inside fair territory on the left field line, but was thrown out at third by Young, while attempting to advance on a fly ball to left field.

Jerry Manning (Jr., RHP, Cypress, Texas/Brookhaven/Cy-Fair HS) earned the win in his second start of the season, scattered 10 hits over 5.2 innings, fanned two and walked four batters, while Orsak tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to notch his second save of the season. Johnson hit three-for-three with two runs scored.

The Buffaloes looked ready to take the lead in the top of the fourth, with runners on first and second base, when Brad Elders drove a base hit to right field, but Coty Wilson came up limping while rounding third base and was unable to score. Ismael Solis (Sr., RHP, Anthony, N.M./NMMI/Gadsden HS) induced a ground ball from the next batter to escape the jam. Clabaugh led off the Greyhound fourth and scored from first base one batter later when WT right fielder was unable to handle a single off the bat of Freddy Carmona (Sr., C, San Antonio, Texas/Ranger College/William H. Taft HS). Clabaugh extended the Greyhounds lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, belting his fifth home run of the season over the center field wall.

Heath Baker cut the Buffalo’s deficit in half with a RBI single to center field in the seventh, and WT plated three runs in the eighth to seize a 4-2 lead they would not relinquish. Chris Eaton (So., 2B, Albuquerque, N.M./Cibola HS) and Sean Cruce (Sr., DH, Clovis, N.M./Clovis HS) drew walks to lead off the ENMU ninth and moved into scoring position on a Kevin Thompsson (So., SS, La Cañada, Calif./La Cañada HS) sacrifice bunt, before Cook walked to load the bases. Wilson induced a ground ball to end the Greyhound rally.

Solis scattered eight hits over 7.2 innings of work, struck out five and walked three. Sergio Marquez picked up the win in relief for WT, tossing one inning of scoreless relief, while Wilson earned the save.

The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team will conclude their regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader against West Texas A&M, beginning at 1 p.m. MDT.