Hounds drop pair to Aggies

PORTALES — Cameron pitcher Brad Bichel didn’t need much run support Friday, but got more than enough.

When the Aggies pitching struggled in the second game, they turned to the long ball to pull away.

Bichel pitched a seven-inning six-hitter in the opener as Cameron (13-4, 7-3 LSC) rolled to a 9-1 Lone Star Conference South Division win over Eastern New Mexico University at Greyhound Field. Then the Aggies clobbered six home runs in the nightcap, posting a 10-run third and a seven-run sixth, for a 21-14 win.

Bichel (4-0) kept the Greyhounds (7-9, 3-7) completely in check in the opener except for a second-inning homer by catcher Freddy Carmona, who went 5-for-7 for the day. Carmona doubled twice and tripled in the second game, driving in four runs.

Cameron scored in each of the first five innings in the opener, getting a solo homer from second baseman Jake Forsythe. The Aggies collected 12 hits off three ENMU pitchers, led by 3-for-5 from third-baseman Nate Arevalo.

Arevalo then hit two of Cameron’s four homers in a 10-run third in the nightcap. His one-out solo shot cut ENMU’s lead to 4-3 and his three-run shot later in the inning made it 12-4.

Chris Caves had a three-run homer and Blake Watson followed Arevalo’s second homer with one of his own.

Trailing 13-4, the Hounds chased starter Jason Smith with a six-run fourth that including a two-run double by Seth Clabaugh and Carmona’s two-run triple. They tied it in the fifth on Clabaugh’s two-run single and a double-play grounder by Carmona.

Cameron then erupted in the sixth, with all the damage coming with two out and a runner at first. Arevalo, who went 3-for-6 with six RBIs in the nightcap, hit a two-run double and Thomas Decker capped it with a two-run homer.

James Maxwell (1-0), Cameron’s third pitcher, worked the final five innings for the win, striking out nine while allowing five hits and just one run. ENMU’s Jared Wilson (0-1), the second of five pitchers, took the loss.

Clabaugh finished the second game 4-for-5 and drive in five runs. Cameron outhit the Hounds 23-17 in the game, which took four hours and 25 minutes to complete.