ENMU clings to postseason life despite loss at LCU

LUBBOCK – Lubbock Christian used a six-run eighth to break open a tight game and beat Eastern New Mexico University 15-9 on Friday in the opener of the final four-game series of Lone Star Conference and regular-season baseball for both teams.

Despite the loss, the Greyhounds (21-26, 19-26 LSC) still clung to life in a bid for an LSC tourney berth next week. They entered Saturday and today’s final three games of the regular season trailing St. Edward’s and Texas A&M International, tied for sixth at 22-23 in the LSC, and Arkansas-Fort Smith, eighth at 22-25.

Meantime, Texas A&M-Kingsville (23-27, 21-27 LSC) is ninth, but the Javelinas are done with the regular season and can’t qualify for the eight-team event.

The Hounds split with each of the teams they’re chasing, and have tiebreakers over all three. But ENMU needed to win out and hope at least one of the others losses its final tilts to claim a berth.

Junior third baseman Brevin McCool of Hobbs went 3-for-6 and drove in six runs with a two-run triple and a grand slam for the Chaparrals (33-14, 32-13), who moved into a first-place tie with West Texas A&M when the Buffaloes dropped an 11-8 decision on Friday at third-place Angelo State (33-14, 31-14). Sophomore right fielder Jacob Gutierrez was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs.

LCU, ranked 18th in NCAA Division II, got off to a 4-0 lead after two innings, but the Hounds chipped away with consecutive two-run frames from the fourth through the seventh. Junior catcher Daniel Pruitt got ENMU on the board with his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fourth, while junior first baseman Beau Preston doubled home two runs in the fifth.

Trailing 9-6 with two out in the ENMU seventh, sophomore left-hander Coleson Abel issued consecutive walks to junior center fielder Tucker Gideon and senior right fielder Cooper Hamilton – both Lubbock natives – before junior third baseman Landon Pyles singled through the right side to bring home Gideon.

Junior left fielder Luciano Terilli then walked to load the bases, and Preston was hit by a pitch to force Hamilton home and make it 9-8. Abel then got junior second baseman Demetrio Archuleta swinging on a 3-2 pitch to escape and preserve the lead.

Gutierrez led off the bottom of the eighth for the Chaps with his eighth home run of the season. Senior shortstop Carson Ogilvie doubled home another run before McCool’s two-out slam put it out of reach.

Junior left-hander Ryan Markwardt (9-1) needed 100 pitches to get through five innings, allowing four earned runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Three relievers followed, with senior right-hander Chris Shull going two innings to earn his third save.

ENMU, outhit 15-13, got a 3-for-4 outing from Terilli while Pyles went 3-for-5. Gideon and junior shortstop Willie Ponce both finished with a pair of knocks.

The teams were slated for a pair of seven-inning tilts on Saturday before finishing it off with a noon (MDT) single contest on Sunday.